This course is part of an award-winning training programme. In 2017, the Skill Up Break Free™ project — of which this guitar repair training was a central part — won the WCVA/European Social Funds national award for making most progress with learners. It has now been made available for you, online, to learn at your own pace, anywhere, any time.
This course covers the four core tasks that every professional guitar technician carries out during a full setup — truss rod adjustment, nut action, bridge action, and intonation — across electric guitars, acoustic guitars, classical guitars, bass guitars, and Floyd Rose systems. The full course is available here for you in its entirety.
Taught by a professionally trained guitar repair technician with luthier-level training, informed by guidance from the National Association of Musical Instrument Repairers (NAMIR). Step-by-step video instruction, downloadable PDF guides and checklists, quizzes, and direct support.
Technical Skills
This course builds practical, demonstrable skills that are directly relevant to employment and self-employment in the music industry:
- Tool identification, selection, and correct usage
- Precision measurement and adjustment to professional tolerances
- Fault diagnosis — identifying and resolving dead notes, string buzz, and intonation problems
- Equipment maintenance and quality checking
- Working across multiple guitar types and bridge systems
Working Skills
Every employer values these. Every self-employed person needs them:
- Following a sequential process accurately from start to finish
- Breaking a complex task into manageable, achievable steps
- Preparation and organisation before starting work
- Making and using notes and reference materials
- Self-checking and quality assurance at every stage
- Attention to detail — working to fine tolerances where small adjustments make a significant difference
Professional Skills
What you can show an employer, a customer, or put on a CV:
- Completion of a structured, multi-section professional training programme
- Certificate of completion on finishing the course
- Skills aligned with industry-standard practice as recognised by the National Association of Musical Instrument Repairers (NAMIR)
- Independent learning — the ability to work through a technical programme without supervision
- The basis for building a professional guitar repair and setup service
Learning and Living on Your Own Terms
This course works around your life — whatever that looks like right now.
Some people come to this course because they want to save money on guitar setups. Some want to work in a music shop or build a repair business. Some are rebuilding after a difficult period and need something practical, achievable, and entirely their own.
Whatever brings you here — you can work through this at your own pace, in your own time, stopping and starting as life requires. There are no deadlines, no fixed hours, no requirement to be around other people. Each section is short enough to complete in a single sitting when you have the energy and focus for it.
A guitar setup is a skill that produces a visible, tangible result. A guitar that plays better than it did before you started. That result is yours. Nobody can take it from you.
And if you want to turn it into income — a guitar setup typically costs £30–£60 per instrument. Guitar repair workshops charge £200–£300 per day for this level of training. This course gives you the same professional knowledge on your own terms, at a fraction of the cost, with no need to leave home.
What learners say
“All my guitars are now set up beautifully. The precise measurements in each step make doing a professional set up easy.”
“Very concise but thorough! Excellent course!”
“I have a better understanding of each type of guitar and how to set them up. The instructions are very clear and straight to the point.”
“I now have the confidence to set up my own guitar.”
“Great advice from a down to earth instructor! Using the first two modules I managed to set up my old Floyd Rose back to a playable standard after giving up and hanging it on the wall for a decade!”
Certificate of completion awarded on finishing the course.
Skill Up Break Free™ — skillupbreakfree.co.uk
support@skillupbreakfree.co.uk