how does one become a luthier?
this is a serious question. i'm tempted to put #askingforafriend but no, i'm really asking for yours truly.
@Iuckyduck I'm not one but have been around enough repair/set-up stores & prepped guitars for live play (different sets for different songs etc) and most people's advice tends to be to go to the music repair store's "how to set up/repair/make your ____ instrument better!" days.
Then network, do some work for small-ish but known musicians, get experienced with more than 6 strings/basses, and make sure you have a workshop space & keep training/attending lessons when you can afford them :)
@Iuckyduck If you can somehow get into being the person who looks after/cleans/re-strings a bands (small/medium/big, whatever) guitars for a tour/section of a tour somewhere that's the single best source of 'oh jeez, this person know's what they're doing cuz they're doing it for people who need their equipment ready @ all times!' n'all, but that depends on your networking/links to venues & bands & friends etc :)
@Iuckyduck It's v. expensive at first if you wanna properly go for it, and you really do need to get down your basic cleaning wood & metal/wiring/knowledge of woodworking/own up to your own flaws with basic DIY, but it's v. learnable and fun after a few years. I only fix my own stuff these days but it cuts down the upkeep costs of your own stringy pals by hundreds of dollars a year.
