Art of the Archtop
A Unique opportunity to work one-on-one with a world-class luthier, Wyatt Wilkie Sign up todayArt of the Archtop
A Unique opportunity to work one-on-one with a world-class luthier, Wyatt Wilkie Sign up todayView TestimonialsAbout The Course
If you have dreamed of building an archtop guitar but were afraid you lacked the tools or skill, now is your chance to learn from a master. With Wyatt’s Art of the Archtop course, you will have the unique opportunity to work one-on-one with a world-class luthier.
Wyatt will guide you as you plane, chisel, rout and feel your way through the process of building your very own archtop.
About the Comox Valley
Wyatt’s shop is set in the heart of the Comox Valley, close to the sea and mountains of mid-Vancouver Island. In nearby Courtenay, Cumberland, and Comox, you will find a variety of shops and restaurants catering to every taste.
The Valley is home to many wineries and plays host to musical and cultural festivals throughout the year. Students are responsible for finding their own transportation and accommodation.
Please contact us for more information on how to get to the Comox Valley and how to locate accommodation.
Contact Us
The cost of the course is USD $5,500 and includes all of your wood and basic hardware. Students are responsible for procuring their own case.
We look forward to working with you, contact us today to arrange a time to get started.
(250) 871-4329
Jakes Booth Journey through the Master Class
View this detailed journey from start to finish via his blog.
Day 1
- Cut sides to size and sand to thickness
- Make end blocks
- Bend sides and clamp in form
- Make kerfed lining strips
Day 2
- Glue linings to rim
- Make neck blank
- Rout groove for truss rod
Day 3
- Continue work on neck blank
- Rout dovetail in neck
- Rout ledge for fingerboard extension
- Glue ears to headstock
- Install truss rod and cover with wood gusset
Day 5
- Carve inside surfaces of top and back plates
- Drill depth reference holes
- Carve, plane and scrape to shape
- Cut soundhole in top plate
Day 6
- Carving/scraping to refine contours of both plates
Day 7
- Prepare material for bindings and X-brace
- Bend binding for guitar rim and sound hole
- Mark and cut braces to conform to top plate contour
- Sand braces to final fit then cut X-joint and glue in place
Day 8
- Glue back plate to rim
- Shape braces on top plate
- Coat inside surfaces with shellac
- Glue top to rim
- Slot fretboard
- Rout plate edges flush with rim
- Sand and scrape sides
- Rout grove for binding
- Install, tape and glue binding
- This was a long day but with good progress as the component parts are assembled. The back plate is glued to the rim and while the glue is drying on that the X-brace is shaped
Day 9
- Remove binding tape
- Wipe top and back with damp paper towel to relieve compression dimples
- Scrape bindings and blend into recurves on plates
- Cut taper dovetail mortise in body
- Plane fretboard to 12 in. radius
Day 10
- Thickness and taper back of headstock
- Make tailpiece
- Shape neck dovetail
- First fit neck to body
- Carve neck
- Scrape sand body and binding
- Refine neck/body fit
- Install frets
- Drill holes for tuners
- Glue neck to body
Wyatt Wilkie hand-builds around a dozen archtop guitars and mandolins per year in his small workshop on the coast of Vancouver Island where he has lived for several years with his wife, Emily and two children Jasper and Linnea. He considers himself lucky to have finally arrived at such a beautiful place to live and work after a lengthy and unpredictable journey.
Get In Touch
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(250) 871-4329
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Some inlays seem to generate their own light.
#inlayart #artofthearchtop #jazz #guitars #jazzguitar #acousticguitar #motherofpearl #turquoisejewelry #artdeco #gotoh #lutherie
I get lots of good natural light in the shop.
#artofthearchtop #handcarved #jazz #guitars #jazzguitar #acousticguitars #workshop #intheshop #whatsonyourbench #mandocello
#ovalhole #lutherie
5-course mandocello progress.
Next up is neck carving then it will be about ready for finishing.
The tuners are custom ordered 5-on-a-plate Rubner and I had a custom floating pickup made by Kent Armstrong. To top it off Mathilde Tetreault @jeweler.on.the.road is putting the finishing touches on a beautiful Art Deco style brass tailpiece. Very excited about that!
#artofthearchtop #artdeco #mandocello
#archtopguitars #handcarved #guitars #lutherie #jazzmandolin #mandolins #jazz #jazzguitar #inlayart #amboynaburl #curlymaple #bigleafmaple
Fret slots, inlay, radius, frets.
#artofthearchtop #guitars #guitarnecks #handcarved #acousticguitars #jazzguitar #jazz #inlayart #artdeco #lutherie #headstock #burl #amboynaburl #ebony #fretboard #fretboardinlay
Shipping out in a Mainstage case.
I'm not sure what the story is behind these cases but this is exactly the type of case I was making 25-30 years ago at Calton Cases of Canada. I actually made the very first one using this pattern for my old '38 Gibson A50.
#artofthearchtop #mandolins #mainstagecases #custommandolin #lutherie #handcarved #jazzmandolin #celticmandolin
Not often you see a curly Redwood top like this on a jazz guitar.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #handcarved #curlyredwood #ovalhole #jazzguitar #jazz #lutherie #acousticguitar #guitars #amboynaburl #artdeco #inlayart
Starting to fit the neck on this custom 5-course mandocello.
#artofthearchtop #artanddesign #artdeco #archtopguitar #mandocello #handcarved #ovalhole #mandolins #mandolin #mandolinplayer #jazzmandolin
Could not be happier with how this custom mandolin for Gervais Cormier turned out.
#mandolins #artofthearchtop #frenchpolish #customguitars #lutherie #handcarved #mapleleaf #inlayart #bigleafmaple #curlymaple #zerofret #bandolim
Ngl this mandolin has been challenging but is nearing completion!
Still needs a pickguard.
#artofthearchtop #customguitars #mandolins #frenchpolish #handcarved #mandolin #bandolim #zerofret #mapleleaf #lutherie
Sanded and ready to go.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #sanding #lutherie #guitars #acousticguitars #jazzguitar #curlymaple #customguitar #handcarved #jazzguitarist
I love the traditional jazz guitar inlays, just not crazy about all the work that's involved.
#artofthearchtop #jazzguitar #blockinlays #jazz #artdeco #acousticguitars #guitarmaking #lutherie #motherofpearl #guitars #archtopguitars
Finishing up French polishing a custom mandolin.
#artofthearchtop #mandolins #handcarved #frenchpolish #lutherie #inlayart #mapleleaf #artanddesign #rubner #mandolintuners #zerofret
Carving and setting necks. When I'm not dreaming about it I'm doing it.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #lutherie #guitarmaking #handcarved #jazz #guitars #jazzguitar #fholes #inlay #inlayart #acousticguitars #artdeco
Inlaying carefully in Amboyna Burl.
#artofthearchtop #artdeco #inlayart #lutherie #guitars #guitarmaking #amboynaburl #archtopguitars #acousticguitar #inlay
Very nearly at finishing stage after inlaying headstock today.
#artofthearchtop #artdeco #archtopguitar #guitars #acousticguitar #jazzguitar #handcarved #inlayart #lutherie #fholefriday
Very happy to report @fatonmacula just got the second custom guitar I made for him. Looking forward to video and recordings!😁
#archtopguitars #jazzguitar #artofthearchtop #jazzguitarist #kosova #customguitar #handcarved #acousticguitar #guitars #fatonmacula
Making progress on this special custom guitar. Will be in finishing stage soon.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitar #jazz #guitars #lutherie #handcarved #jazzguitar #acousticguitar #customguitars #jazzguitarist
Making a new mold.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitar #guitars #guitarmaking #luthiertools #jigs #guitar #fixture #lutherie #acousticguitar
Currently making three oval hole archtops.
#artofthearchtop #oval #soundhole #acousticguitars #jazzguitar #lutherie #handcarved #guitarbinding #curlyredwood
#customguitar
Nearing the end of the French polishing process on this custom mandolin.
#artofthearchtop #mandolins #violinvarnish #frenchpolish #frenchpolishing #lutherie #handcarved #custommandolin #curlymaple #tigermaple #fiddleback