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Galloup School of Lutherie

Practical training in a professional shop




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“ I defy anybody to not hear the difference.”
–Michael Thompson
“ There’s no time for tuning problems. Now I don’t even think about it.”
–George Marinelli
“ It’s in tune all over the neck now.”
–Scott Henderson

Buzz Feiten Class


“ I've been playing guitar since I was six years old, and it's finally in tune.”
–Larry Carlton




“ I think it's one of the greatest innovations in guitar technology.”
–Steve Vai




“ Having played guitar for nearly forty years, I've learned to expect intonation problems. But now, for the first time, the problems are gone. I'm in tune.”
–Robben Ford
We are a Certified Buzz Feiten Tuning System® training facility. In this two-day training session you will be trained in both Level 1 and Level 2 Feiten Tuning Systems and retrofitting techniques. Along with the system training there are many valuable repair techniques that are covered in the course outline. The system works as follows,

The Problem: Your guitar doesn't play in tune
Tune an E chord at the first fret so it sounds in tune with itself. Now play the A and D chords and at least one or two notes are sharp or flat. No matter how carefully you tune your guitar, you can't compensate for this 'brick wall' in intonation. So you play around the bad notes or avoid certain notes and chords altogether. Besides cramping your technique, it's a constant annoyance when performing or recording.

The Reason: Standard intonation is not pleasing to the ear
Guitars are designed and built using a standard formula for intonation and nut placement. Each string is intonated only to itself resulting in an attempt to create perfect, mathematical intervals. Piano tuners abandoned the use of perfect mathematical intervals over 400 years ago because it simply is not pleasing to the ear. Instead, piano strings are 'stretch tuned' so that the intonation is pleasing anywhere on the keyboard. The resulting 'tempered' tuning is superbly musical, and most important, in tune with the ear at all intervals. A properly tuned piano provides the absolute pitch reference for all instruments.

The Solution: The Buzz Feiten Tuning System
Inspired by the piano's tempered tuning, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a revolutionary intonation model for guitar that intonates each string not only to itself, but also to every other string. Furthermore, to eliminate sharpness in the first three frets, the nut is moved a prescribed distance closer to the bridge. The result - play any note, any chord, anywhere on the neck and you'll be in tune. And, it doesn't change the way your guitar looks or plays.
Topics covered:
Selection of a strobe tuner
Intonation theory
Scale lengths and fret placement
String gauge selection
Removing a nut
Installation of the shelf nut to composite for end tension
Filling a saddle slot
Locating saddle placement using tempered intonation
Cutting a saddle slot on the guitar
Setting tempered intonation on a bone saddle
Setting action

Once completing this training session you are certified by the Galloup School Of Lutherie in the techniques necessary to install and retrofit fretted instruments using the Feiten system on your personal instruments. We will also brief you on how to become a fully certified and registered Buzz Feiten Design retrofitting center at no extra cost. Once registered you can retrofit your customers instruments for profit.

As with all of our programs, we will assist you in purchasing the necessary tools for the Feiten system while you are a student here at the school. If you would like more information about the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, visit www.buzzfeiten.com

 Please note that free housing is not provided for the Buzz Feiten Class or the Technician Program.
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Galloup Guitars, 10840 Northland Drive, Big Rapids, MI, USA 49307

Toll-free (800) 278-0089 E-mail: school@galloupguitars.com