All classes are taught through Marc Adams School of Woodworking.
For more information or registration, please visit the MASW website.
Make an Acoustic Guitar
April 13-19, 2026
Building your own guitar can be one of the most rewarding crafts. It consists of precise joinery, creativity, and music all in one package! Students will be guided through all the critical elements of making an acoustic steel-string guitar. Materials will be high-grade, quality, solid woods only. Because of the obvious time limitations, prefabrication of a few parts will be necessary, and John will supply these. Students will learn the start-to-finish process of the craft and art of musical instrument construction. By the end of the week, everyone will have completed their own hand-crafted acoustic guitar that is strung and fully playable. The application of a protective finish will be discussed so students can complete the project after the class ends. Participants should have some experience using hand tools correctly, such as chisels and planes. If you ever wanted to make a guitar, this class will be the chance of a lifetime. The hours are long, and the challenge is great, but the satisfaction will be tremendous and will create “sound” memories that will last a lifetime.
For this class, students will all work together to build one (1) guitar in two days with the purpose of raising funds for the Roger Cliffe Memorial Foundation. No experience is necessary. On Saturday, participants will work together to create all of the parts for the guitar as well as assemble the body. On Sunday, John will demonstrate how to create high-level details that he typically doesn’t have time to do in his acoustic guitar class. These demonstrations will include mitered purflings, bound fingerboards, bound bridges, radial grain rosettes, and abalone shell trim. What doesn’t get completed by Sunday afternoon, John will finish at home, then send the guitar out to be professionally finished. The guitar will then be sold, and the proceeds of the class will be donated to the RCMF. If you have never built a guitar but have been curious about what is involved, then this is a great class to satisfy that curiosity. If you are an experienced builder, you’ll have an opportunity to use your skills in a way that will allow others to learn this fine craft.
Making a Mountain Dulcimer
July 18-19, 2026
Have you ever wanted to learn to build a stringed instrument but didn’t know where to start? A mountain dulcimer is a great first instrument. This unique stringed instrument combines a moderately challenging project with a simple-to-play instrument, making this a delightful instrument students can truly call their own. John will guide participants through all the critical elements of building the dulcimer and provide everyone with dimensions and plans that will assist them in continuing to build dulcimers in the future. Materials will be traditional cherry or walnut with a spruce top. Discussion will include the background and history of the dulcimer and a group lesson on playing the instrument as time allows.
Making a Tenor Ukulele
July 20-24, 2026
Aloha! No, we aren’t having a class in Hawaii, however, we will bring a little bit of Hawaii to Indiana as we build a popular Hawaiian instrument, the ukulele. At the end of the week, students will have their own tenor ukulele to play as they sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”! John will provide high-grade materials including figured Tasmanian blackwood, rosewood fingerboards and bridges, and sapele mahogany necks. The instrument will be built from scratch, including neck carving. The ukulele will be ready for finish at the end of the week. Whether participants are new to building stringed instruments or are experienced builders, this class will teach new skills and methods such as soundboard bracing, joining necks to the body, and much more. Mahalo!
Making a Cutaway Guitar
October 10-17, 2026
Take your guitar building to the next level by adding custom details to your project. This is an advanced guitar building class in which you will learn to build a Venetian (bent) cutaway guitar, using walnut or sapele back and sides with spruce tops. You will be bending your own sides in class and fitting them to the form, as well as carving your own neck. The challenges in binding the cutaway area, as well as fitting the neck, will be covered in detail. All materials to complete the guitar will be provided. This class will expand your thinking of traditional guitar designs and methods and will jump-start you to creating your own unique guitar design. Some guitar building experience, or a high level of woodworking skill would allow you to get the most out of this class.