We Welcome Our New Students

The Spring Class of 2021 started up this week. As we welcome a new crop of guitar enthusiasts to our little corner of the world, we say farewell to some of our Fall 2020 students as they move forward through the universe of guitar making and repair. Actually, several of our Fall 2020 grads are continuing their education upstairs at R-V, with Robert “Mudd” Mazzullo, for the 10-week Intensive Repair Course. So, that’s very cool.

Our new students hit the ground running on day one. They’ve already started to make the neck and tail blocks for their acoustics, picked out wood for their acoustic and electric guitars, designed their electrics, made templates from their drawings, began to fit and seam their acoustic tops an more… Plus, our school director, William Eaton, and our chief electric instructor, Steven Davis, gave a guitar design lecture. This is demanding, yet rewarding work. Snapshots of week one brought to you by Steven Davis and John Lippi:

Guitar Pedal Series – Rangemaster Video

Here’s some information on Roberto-Venn’s Guitar Effect Pedal Series, specifically the Rangemaster seminar. This isn’t your typical pedal video; it delves into the educational process behind the build. Most folks can buy a pedal or amp kit and put it together, but here at R-V we strive to teach you how and why things work, and we do it in a safe and controlled environment with expert supervision. Jim Kramer is a knowledgeable and thoughtful instructor. We hope you enjoy the first video in this series. Watch it here.

Employment Opportunities

Recently we’ve shared employment opportunities through our graduate bulletin and on our Facebook page for these companies:

– Gibson Guitars – Nashville, TN
– Blackbird Guitars – San Francisco, CA.
– Midwood Guitar Studio – Charlotte, NC
– Allparts Music – Houston, TX
– Palmer Music Company – Conway, AR
– Beard Guitars – Hagerstown, MD
– Guitar Center – Scottsdale, AZ

If you have a job opening and want us to share it through our network visit our Employer Job Opportunities Page, share your info and we’ll help you spread the word. Connecting qualified graduates with good employers helps us all. Look to us to help build your workforce.

Browse our website for more info on our 2021 classes and COVID-19 School Plan. Stay healthy and be safe.

Thanks – The Roberto-Venn Faculty

The Fall 2020 acoustic guitars are done! This is a great accomplishment, especially the first time around. Students make at least one electric and one acoustic guitar during our 20-week Guitar Making & Repair Course. We recently showed you a few of their electrics, so here are a few of the acoustics:

Alumni Visit Via Zoom

Some of our grads and advisors talked to our upcoming 2021 Spring Class. This session was hosted by our school director William Eaton and special guests included:

1. Jon Eaton & Crew – Advisor and various grads – Woodsong’s Lutherie, Boulder, Co
2. Joe Contento – Spring Class 2020 – Gibson Guitars, Nashville, TN
3. Preston Moore – Fall Class 2019 – Tetelestai Guitars, Phoenix, AZ
4. Nikki Walters – Spring Class 2013 – Nikki’s Guitar Shop, Mesa, AZ
5. Ryan Lynn – Spring Class 1999 – East Side Guitar Repair, Portland, OR
6. Brady Shreeve – Current student – Fall Class 2020

Click here for more information on R-V Alumni

Road Tech Lecture

Joe Vallee, longtime R-V Instructor and Guitar Tech for The Doobie Brothers, addresses the ins and outs of life on the road with an iconic band. He also talks about “sweaty van tours” and making your way up the ladder into the roadie big leagues, the logistics of working a large arena or stadium shows, and what it takes to work as a team with the various departments outside of “guitar world” while touring. Setting up and maintaining guitars is just one part of a much bigger picture. There’s a lot of tech involved beyond the guitar, a lot of of long hours with protocols wrapped in scheduling… It’s not a big party. It’s a lot of hard work, but it can take you all over the world.

Employment Opportunities

Recently we’ve shared employment opportunities through our graduate bulletin and on our social media pages for these companies:

• Blackbird Guitars – San Francisco, CA.
• Allparts Music – Houston, TX
• Guitar Center – Scottsdale, AZ
• Porter Barn Wood – Phoenix, AZ
• Gibson Guitars – Nashville, TN

If you’ve got an employment opportunity and want us to share it through our grad network and on social media visit our Employer Job Opportunities page.

Browse our website for more info on our Spring 2021 classes and COVID-19 School Plan. Stay healthy and be safe.

Thanks – The Roberto-Venn Faculty

Happy New Year… After a couple of weeks off for the holidays, our Fall 2020 class returns to finish up the Guitar Making & Repair Course. A number of these students will stick around for our advanced Guitar Repair (10 Week Intensive Course). We will post photos of their completed guitars in our online student gallery after graduation at the end of January… But, here’s a sneak peak at a few of their completed electric guitars:

On Thursday January 7th, Joel Unrein, R-V grad and former finish specialist at Collings Guitars, dropped by to give our students a buffing demonstration, on acoustic guitars, with R-V Instructor Jim Prater:

School Director, Willam Eaton, holds a Guitar Evaluation lecture. This is a detailed talk about checking out a client’s guitar from top to bottom and side to side. Whether it’s brought in for a general setup or a more significant repair, being able to size up your customer’s instrument is key. There are several factors that go into figuring out a repair. Price is always a factor, but the emotional attachment someone might have to an instrument is also very important.

Employment Opportunities

Recently we’ve shared employment opportunities through our graduate bulletin and on our social media pages for these companies:

• • Blackbird Guitars – San Francisco, CA.
  • Midwood Guitar Studio – Charlotte, NC
  • Allparts Music – Houston, TX
  • Dave’s Guitar Shop – Madison, WI
  • Blast Cult – Orange, CA
  • Gibson Guitars – Nashville, TN

If you’ve got an employment opportunity and want us to share it through our grad network and on social media visit our Employer Job Opportunities page.

Browse our website for more info on our Spring 2021 classes and COVID-19 School Plan. Stay healthy and be safe.

Thanks – The Roberto-Venn Faculty