Agreed, At one time, Jimmy DiAquisto had an apprentace. The guy had to quit and go get a real job because he had a family to support and Jimmy couldn't afford to pay him +benefits. It's a crying shame that all of Jimmy's secrets have been lost when they could have been passed on to a new generation.
The Roberto Venn school of Luthiery is the best known school in USA and many prominant builders have studied there. Check fret.com for info on
luthier training. Also the Guild of American Luthiers also offers info. You can find their link at Frets.com as well.
I believe that a person with excellant luthier skills CAN make a good living from it, but they have to go above and beyond simply building excellant instruments. They have to come up with their own unique designs, apply for patents whenever possible and eventually enter into licensing agreements,
or expand their business into a larger operation. Guys like Bob Taylor, Bill Collings, etc. have all been very successful but they aren't just good luthiers. They are very smart businessmen as well and entrepeneurs.
drive-south
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