ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF LUTHERIE
Build Your Dream Acoustic Guitar
A comprehensive step-by-step video course teaching you the contemporary methods I've developed over 20 years of professional guitar building
Ever thought of building your own guitar but didn't know where to start?
For the past 20 years, I've been building acoustic guitars professionally. My instruments are played by some of today's most talented musicians, and my line of Rocky Mountain Guitars has gained a following among working professionals and collectors.
Now I'm bringing that same hands-on teaching to the Contemporary Steel String Guitar video course—the full method I've developed and refined with 40+ students, now available to anyone with a workspace and the desire to build a fine instrument.
Hosted by Jeff Bamburg
20 Years of Building
& Problem Solving
Early in my career, I kept running into the same problems that have plagued acoustic guitar builders for over a century: dovetail neck joints that are beautiful but unforgiving. Neck angles that shift over time, requiring expensive resets. Traditional voicing methods that rely on guesswork and are nearly impossible to replicate consistently.
I didn't accept these as "just the way it is." Instead, I set out to engineer solutions—
modern approaches that solve age-old problems without compromising tone or craftsmanship.
The result is the contemporary steel string guitar design I've been building and refining for 20 years. Once I proved it worked in my own shop, I began teaching it to students. Over 40 students have now built guitars using these methods in my two-week workshops.
"I didn't develop these methods to make things easier - I developed them to make things better. The fact that they're also more accessible to first-time builders is a bonus."
THE PHILOSOPHY
Why Comtemporary Methods?
Traditional lutherie methods were developed years ago with the materials and knowledge available at the time. They work — but they weren't designed with modern engineering, materials science, or the realities of how guitars age and settle over decades of string tension.
Cantilevered Bolt-On Neck
Modern Bracing
Chladni Pattern Voicing
Eliminates the need for neck resets—ever.
Engineered for both strength and resonance.
Makes tonal results repeatable and fine-tunable.
These aren't compromises or shortcuts. They're solutions to problems that traditional methods simply accept as inevitable. You'll still do the careful, meditative work of shaping wood and listening to tone—but with techniques that give you more control and better long-term results.
THE COMPARISON
Traditional vs. Contemporary
The Neck Joint
TRADITIONAL DOVETAIL
CANTILEVERED BOLT-ON
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Engineered for ease of fitting
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Adjustable neck angle
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No neck resets, ever
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Compensates for seasonal wood movement
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Neck angle adjustable without disassembly
Top Bracing & Voicing
TRADITIONAL
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Voicing done by feel and experience
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Results vary based on builder's ear
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Tap the wood, listen to pitch and tone
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Relies heavily on trained ear and intuition
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Takes years to develop reliable voicing skills
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Difficult to self-teach from books/videos
CONTEMPORARY
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Chladni pattern voicing
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Fine-tunable and repeatable
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You can "see" the sound through vibration patterns
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Specific patterns indicate optimal bracing
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Visual feedback shortens learning curve dramatically
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Beginners can achieve professional results
THE INNOVATION
The Cantilevered
Bolt-On Neck Design
The heart of this method—and the part that makes traditional builders skeptical until they hear it.
✓
Easier to Build
No dovetail to cut and fit. The joint aligns correctly and cinches tight with minimal fussing.
✓
Easier to Adjust
Neck angle, action, and relief are all adjustable after assembly.
✓
No Neck Resets
As the guitar ages, you can make micro-adjustments to keep it playing perfectly.
"I came in skeptical about a bolt-on neck. By the end, I admitted it was smarter than the traditional method."
— Retired engineer, workshop student
THE SCIENCE
Modern Bracing & Voicing
Voicing You Can See and Repeat
Traditional voicing: tap the wood, listen, shave a little off the braces, and hope.
Chladni pattern method: Excite the top with sound and watch the vibration patterns. You can actually see how the wood is responding.
The result? Fine-tunable, repeatable tone. No guessing—building with confidence.
REAL RESULTS
Student Success Stories
From first-timers to experienced craftsmen
 Describe your image |  Describe your image |  Describe your image |
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 Describe your image |  Describe your image |  Describe your image |
THE OUTCOME
What You'll Build
A Complete Steel String Acoustic Guitar
✓ How to select and prepare tone woods
✓ Modern neck construction with cantilevered bolt-on design
✓ Top bracing and Chladni pattern voicing
✓ Body assembly, Binding, and Finishing
✓ Setup and final adjustments for playability
The result: A fully playable instrument and the knowledge to build more.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
Who This Is For
✓ Woodworkers who want to try lutherie with a method that respects their experience
✓ Beginners who want to build a guitar without outdated, hard-to-execute techniques
✓ Anyone who's wanted to understand how guitars and build one with their own hands
What you'll need: A workspace, basic woodworking tools, and patience.
I'll guide you through everything else.
Your Questions About
Guitar Building, Answered
Before you decide if building a guitar is right for you, join me for a free masterclass where I'll answer the questions I hear most often.
Is this a kit build?
No—you'll build from raw materials.
I'll show you why this matters and what you'll actually learn.
What tonewoods are best?
I'll cut through the mythology and explain what actually affects sound.
What if I don't have the skill or tools?
I'll walk you through what's really required versus what's nice to have.
This is your chance to:
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See how I teach
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Ask you own questions
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Get a feel for the contemporary approach