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 UsÂ
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.
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Full view of my 16.25" Prima model.
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A new 16.25" Prima model getting ready.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #jazz #jazzguitar #luthier #lutherie #handcarved #sunburst #acousticguitar
Doing a bit of blending after fitting the neck. Redwood, Walnut and Mahogany go together really well!
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #jazzguitar #jazz #guitars #lutherie #guitarneck #clarowalnut #handcarved #customguitar #florentinecutaway #neckfitting
Very close to finishing these two.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #handcarved #guitars #jazz #jazzguitar #acousticguitars #lutherie
Making a curly maple bridge for one of my current archtop guitars.
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My 15" non-cutaway Petite Fleur model archtop getting set-up.
The beautiful finish is by @eadyguitars and I think the tailpiece by @jeweler.on.the.road suits this guitar perfectly.
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#blockinlays
The Redwood archtop/quilted Sapele flatback guitar body is together. Very exciting for me to have the opportunity to make this small but deep bodied guitar.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitar #jazzguitar #customguitars #acousticguitar #jazz #handcarved #lutherie
Getting back to this custom 15" archtop/flatback guitar. Will brace the top next with an X and carve the neck which is 3-piece Spanish Cedar. Not sure about the headstock inlay yet.
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Carving the Rufous neck using my fancy neck carving jig.
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Two soundholes on the side and none on top. One-piece curly Redwood top, Claro Walnut back and sides. I used the Walnut sapwood to bind the soundholes for a different look. The neck is Honduran Mahogany and this is the one that has the Rufous Hummingbird inlay on the headstock
I'm lucky I get to work on projects like these☺
#artofthearchtop #curlyredwood #clarowalnut #customguitars #jazz #guitars #handcarved #acousticguitar #fretboardjournal #jazzguitar
#luthier #lutherie #canadianguitars
With several guitars in finishing it's full steam ahead on "Rufous".
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Getting two more custom guitars ready for finishing. Well, one is a mandocello, the other is a 14" archtop. The hanging mandolin still needs back binding (sorry Ron, it'll get there!🙄)
#artofthearchtop #mandolins #mandocello #intheworkshop #handcarved #archtopguitars #jazzguitar #lutherie #guitars #acousticguitar #tothelighthouse #curlymaple
In the shop this morning. Days like these it would be nice just to sit and listen to music.
#intheshop #lutherie #artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #guitarneck #sprucetop #morninglight #intheworkshop #acousticguitars #jazz #guitars
Here's another one that's about ready for finishing. I love the look of the turquoise and different shades of pearl against the amboyna burl.
#artofthearchtop #inlayart #artdeco #inlay #motherofpearl #lutherie #amboynaburl #mandocello #mandolins #cittern #archtopguitar
These art deco designs are fun to do and luckily pretty easy to inlay.
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Just finished and time for set-up
#artofthearchtop #artdeco #inlayart #tailpiece #archtopguitar #jazzguitar #jazz #guitar #lutherie #customguitar #acousticguitars
I'm not much of an inlay guy but I do like to have a little something, usually a bit art-deco-y, on the headstock like they did in the old days.
#artofthearchtop #archtopguitars #artdeco #inlayart #guitarmaking #lutherie #jazz #guitars #acousticguitar #jazzguitar #motherofpearl
Florentine cutaway detail.
#artofthearchtop #jazz #guitars #cutaway #acousticguitar #jazzguitar #quiltedmaple #handcarved #archtopguitar #lutherie #curlymaple
A little more neck carving, an inlay, a bit of sanding and this very custom little 14" archtop will be ready for finishing.
#artofthearchtop #jazz #guitars #archtopguitar #jazzguitar #blockinlays #customguitar #handcarved #lutherie #acousticguitar
The 5-course mandocello is nearly ready for finishing. This is 16.25" at the lower bout, has an oval soundhole and port and a very special tailpiece made by @jeweler.on.the.road Mathilde does beautiful work!
#artofthearchtop #artanddesign #mandocello #bouzouki #octavemandolin #mandolins #tailpiece #customguitar #acousticguitars #jazzmandolin #jazzguitar