Hands-on guitar building
Build your own guitar in the Yarra Valley.
Hands-on courses for first-time builders and aspiring luthiers,
with small classes and close personal guidance.
The courses
Three ways to build.
Three distinct course formats designed for different goals and levels of involvement. Compare the structure, time commitment and learning outcome, then get in touch to discuss the best fit.
Guitar Building Course
A great starting point for anyone interested in guitar building. Rather than assembling a kit, you build your guitar from raw Australian timber from start to finish, including bending the sides, shaping the neck, assembling the instrument, finishing and setup.
- One custom steel-string, classical or
12-string guitar - 12 guided workshop days,
completed intensively or weekly - No previous experience required
- Maximum three students
Hybrid Course
Build two guitars through a combination of guided workshop tuition and independent work at home. Learn each stage in the workshop, then repeat the process on your home build to develop confidence and independence.
- Two custom guitars: one guided build and one home build
- Flexible scheduling around availability and home progress
- Extra workshop access included when specialist tools or guidance are needed
- No previous experience required
- Maximum three students
Luthiers Course
A deeper exploration of guitar making for students who want to develop a broader understanding of design, structure and construction. Build two different guitars while exploring structural design, bracing choices and bespoke construction techniques.
- Two different custom guitars
- Six-week full-time
- In-depth design, bracing and construction, with guest masterclasses
- No previous experience required
- Usually one or two students
At the bench
Learn through the instrument.
While the exact scope depends on your chosen course, the philosophy remains the same. You will learn by doing, using hands-on lutherie techniques to transform raw timber into a highly resonant, beautifully voiced instrument.
Plan the build
Understand the materials, structure and sequence appropriate to the course and instrument you are building.
Work at the bench
Learn practical operations through demonstration, individual work and guidance at precise or unfamiliar stages.
Bring it together
See how each stage connects as the project develops into a coherent, playable instrument.
From enquiry to workshop
A clear starting point.
Choose the course first, then confirm the practical details before committing.
Discuss
Talk through your experience, interests and general availability so we can confirm the best course format.
Plan
A one-on-one planning session to select your timber and discuss the tone, size, style and structural direction of your guitar.
Schedule
Confirm the dates and the intensive, weekly or flexible format appropriate to your selected course.
Build
Begin the selected project with guidance suited to the course and your experience level.
As an accountant, my daily tools are spreadsheets, not chisels. I came in with zero woodworking experience. With Brend looking over your shoulder, you truly cannot fail.Steve, first-time builder
Small-group teaching
Practical guidance in a working guitar workshop.
Brend has been building guitars since 2006. The focus is careful demonstration, sound workshop practice and direct help when a stage needs correction.
Classes are intentionally small so every student receives close, personalised guidance. Each course is limited to a maximum of three students, while the Luthiers Course usually runs with only one or two.
Call Brend on 0433 035 451Questions
Before you choose.
Include anything still unclear in your enquiry. The aim is to place you in the right course before dates or materials are committed.
Which courses are currently available?
All three options are currently available: the Guitar Building Course, the Hybrid Course and the Luthiers Course.
Can I choose my own guitar shape, or are there preset models?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The great thing about a custom instrument is that it is truly custom. Shape, timber, style and specific bracing designs are all up for discussion. Whether you want a classical shape with steel-string bracing, a Florentine or Venetian cutaway, or a pickup installation, we build the guitar you have always envisioned.
What type of finish is applied to the guitar?
We apply a beautiful Danish Oil finish. This protects the instrument while allowing you to feel the natural grain of the Australian tonewoods, resulting in a highly tactile and resonant final product.
Are all materials included in the fee?
Yes, absolutely everything you need is included, including the machine heads, standard fretboard dots and shell ring rosettes. If you wish to incorporate advanced custom inlay work, this can be accommodated for an additional cost to cover the specialist materials and extra time required.
Do I need woodworking experience?
No previous woodworking experience is required for any of the courses, and you do not even need to know how to play the guitar. This is exactly why we keep the class sizes so small, ensuring you get the one-on-one guidance you need.
Do I take the guitar home between classes?
Any guitar being built at the Gourley Music workshop remains securely there throughout construction. In the Hybrid Course, the second guitar being built independently remains in the student’s home workspace.
Do I need a home workshop setup?
A functional home workshop is required only for the Hybrid Course. While you do not need heavy machinery, you will need dedicated space and tools like a small bandsaw, chisels, a block plane and files to complete the home build. We will discuss your current setup before enrolment. No home workshop is needed for the other courses.
How are the course days scheduled?
The Guitar Building Course can be completed as a 5-day-a-week intensive or one workshop day per week. The Luthiers Course is best completed intensively or in week-long blocks. Hybrid dates are arranged around the student’s availability and progress on the home build.
How do payments work?
To ensure we understand your experience and can source the correct timbers, securing your bench begins with a one-on-one planning session. We operate on a tiered schedule: a 20% non-refundable deposit upon enrolment, 40% due 30 days before commencement, and the final 40% due on the commencement day. If this standard schedule does not suit your circumstances, we can discuss a tailored arrangement during your enquiry.
Course enquiries
Which course are you considering?
Tell me which course interests you, what you would like to build and your general availability. No previous experience is required, and you do not need to have every design detail decided before getting in touch.
hello@gourleymusic.com.au Yarra Valley, 10 min outside Hurstbridge