ABOUT BREND BUNTE
The work is technical.
The purpose is musical.
Piano technician, guitar maker and educator based in Cottles Bridge in Melbourne’s Yarra Valley.
Gourley Music brings together the work I have built my life around: piano technology, guitar making and teaching.
My work is grounded in formal training in precision engineering, two decades of guitar building and a practical understanding of how instruments respond to the people who play them. I tune and service pianos across Greater Melbourne, repair and restore guitars, and teach small, hands-on guitar-building courses from my workshop.
Different instruments ask different questions, but the work begins in the same place: listen carefully, understand what is happening and make the next decision well.
FOUNDATIONS
Trained where small details matter.
I grew up in the Netherlands and trained in precision engineering at the Leidse Instrumentmakers School from 2003 to 2008, completing a four-year specialist qualification followed by a separate specialisation year in CNC milling.
The training combined technical theory with extensive workshop practice. I learned to interpret technical drawings, understand materials and mechanisms, make and modify tools, machine precision components and work to tight tolerances. That way of thinking still underpins every instrument I assess, repair or build.
In 2006, I began building acoustic guitars at Montsalvat. This was where technical training and music came together for me, setting the direction for the work that followed. In 2009, my first custom guitar was commissioned by a client in the United States.
PIANO TECHNOLOGY
A piano is more than its pitch.
I had been fascinated by piano mechanics long before I trained as a technician. A piano brings timber, felt and metal together through thousands of parts and mechanical relationships. What a player notices at the keyboard is often the result of several small things working together.
In 2015, I completed a year of specialist training at the Australasian School of Piano Technology, Australia's only dedicated school for piano technicians. As one of four students in the 2015 intake, I was trained by Brent Ottley, formerly Head Technician at Yamaha Australia. The course covered piano tuning and theory, grand and upright regulation, and repairs, concluding with examinations set by ASPT and Yamaha Music Australia. My Certificate of Completion was endorsed by ASPT and Yamaha Music Australia.
Gourley Music was established that same year.
Today, I am an authorised Yamaha piano technician, carry out warranty and technical work for Kawai Australia, and am a preferred technician for Schimmel Australia. These manufacturer relationships do not limit my independent work. I service acoustic upright and grand pianos of all makes.
When I visit a piano for tuning or repair, my approach is straightforward: listen to what the player is experiencing, assess the instrument as a whole, explain what matters and prioritise the work that will make a meaningful difference.
AT THE BENCH
More than a finished guitar.
My guitar-building courses are deliberately limited to three students. That gives me room to demonstrate each stage properly, provide individual guidance and step in before a small mistake becomes a difficult repair.
The aim is for students to leave with more than a finished guitar. They gain practical experience with tools and techniques, a clearer understanding of how an instrument comes together and a deeper appreciation of the work behind it.
The workshop is also a place to concentrate, ask questions and enjoy the process of making. Students often tell me that its country setting and the chance to become absorbed in the work help them step away from everyday demands and unwind. The finished instrument matters, but so does the experience of building it.
Explore guitar-building courses
SELECTED MILESTONES
A working life in instruments.
- 2003-2008 Completed specialist training in precision engineering and a separate CNC milling specialisation at the Leidse Instrumentmakers School.
- 2006 Began building acoustic guitars at Montsalvat.
- 2009 First custom guitar commissioned by a client in the United States.
- 2012 Guitars exhibited in Beyond the Trees at Montsalvat.
- 2015 Completed intensive specialist training at ASPT; Gourley Music was established.
- 2016 Presented on guitar acoustics at the Melbourne Guitar Festival.
- 2018 Co-taught a guitar-building course in Kiso-Fukushima, Japan.
- 2025-2026 Presented at the Healesville Festival in 2025 and 2026; exhibited guitars at festivals in Seattle, USA, and Sydney in 2026.
WHY GOURLEY MUSIC
What they made possible.
Gourley Music takes its name from my great-grandfather, Harry Gourley, whose work in technical education created a family connection with practical skill and teaching.
Gourley Music is also a tribute to my grandparents and a continuation of their legacy. In the final years of their lives, I helped care for them through the practical routines of daily life, from meals and household tasks to personal care and appointments. They insisted on paying me, despite my objections, and those small amounts gradually bought my first chisels and tools.
After they passed away, part of their inheritance allowed me to reduce my study debt and continue the technical training that shaped the work I do today.
Their support helped create the foundation on which Gourley Music stands. Every instrument entrusted to me and every person who learns at my bench becomes part of that continuing legacy, carrying forward what my grandparents made possible.
CLIENTS AND STUDENTS
What clients and students say.
Brend is the person you go to when your local music shop won't help you. He has a great eye for detail and loves a challenge. I took him a 12 string with a very high action. … He assessed the issue and fixed the problem.
Brend took the time to explain the intricacies of the piano, detailing its various mechanisms and the tuning process with great patience and clarity. He provided invaluable recommendations to improve the performance of our piano, without pressuring us to financially commit to any of the recommendations on the day.
He has time and time again brought out the best in me. I've achieved techniques and designs I didn't think I could do effectively and I'm so proud of the guitar I have almost finished.
SERVICES AND COURSES
What can I help you with?
Choose the path that best matches the instrument, project or question that brought you here.
Build a guitar
Small, hands-on courses with no more than three students, guiding you through the decisions and processes behind a complete acoustic or classical guitar.
Explore guitar-building coursesRepair or restore a guitar
Setups, fretwork, structural repairs and restoration, approached with attention to how the instrument is played and what it needs.
View guitar servicesTune or improve a piano
Tuning, regulation, repairs and inspections for homes, teachers, schools and venues across Greater Melbourne.
View piano servicesWHY THE WORK MATTERS
Helping people play more.
My aim is to help people play more and express themselves more freely, whether they are building a guitar at my bench or trusting me to improve an instrument they already own.
hello@gourleymusic.com.au 220 Hildebrand Road, Cottles Bridge VIC 3099 View Service Terms & Conditions