Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair

Acousonix Hammer At NAMM 2026! This new, improved design is being released at NAMM. Come find us at booth #4712!

Congratulations! This was a great term with many talented up-and-coming luthiers. Great work, everyone. Happy graduation.

Galloup School Instructor Spotlight

Fretted Multiscale Bezard Guitars Famine 5-String Bass built by Galloup School’s head instructor of electric-guitar making and CNC operations, Will Bezard .

Will is a Galloup School graduate whose career has spanned custom shops and high-level production environments. After completing his training here, he went on to serve as shop manager at Turner Guitars, where he deepened his expertise in electric-instrument design and manufacturing. He has since returned to the Galloup School to lead instruction, oversee prototyping and research, and continue developing his own respected line of instruments.

This instrument reflects that blend of experience, modern engineering, precision CNC work, and the musical intuition that comes from years at the bench. If you are interested in this instrument or commissioning one of Will's works, contact William at: https://www.bezardguitars.com/

Beyond the Wood Rating Number: Understanding Tonewood Ratings with Acousonix

Written by Cooper Wentz, with material adapted from discussions and teaching by Bryan Galloup.

Many builders still assume that Acousonix tonewood ratings, whether 8.5, 10, or 11, operate like a hierarchy, as if a bigger number automatically yields a better guitar. It’s a natural assumption, especially in a field where traditional grading systems have long encouraged people to chase visual perfection or a particular wood species. However, the Acousonix rating isn’t a beauty contest score, and it certainly isn’t a simple ranking. It’s a numerical distillation of physical properties and behaviors. And, ultimately, this assigned number (or “rating”) only becomes meaningful when interpreted in the context of mass, stiffness, thickness, and the musical goals of the instrument.

I interviewed Bryan Galloup to write this, and I asked a common question: “If I’m building a guitar for, say, a bluegrass player, which Acousonix wood-rating value do I want?” His answer reshaped the question and changed the way I approached the process. “You aren’t going to like my answer.” Bryan says. “What thickness are you taking it to? How heavy is the top? There isn’t one rating that guarantees the ideal result. Every musical style responds differently to the balance between weight and stiffness, and that balance is what ultimately shapes a guitar’s voice.” At that moment, the responsibility shifted back to me. The lesson was clear: there are no silver bullets. Ratings are tools, not solutions. For example, two tops can both rate a “10,” but you still have to consider why they both rated a ten. What was their stiffness? What was their density? At what thickness will each of those boards reach in order to obtain the desired stiffness value? Guitars sound great because of what luthiers do with them, not because of a number on a chart. Bryan sums it up simply: “the system provides clarity, but it does not replace thought.”

To understand why, we must look at what the rating actually represents. One of the primary contributors is stiffness, often expressed through... Finish reading on our Galloup School Patreon!

A strong start to Week 6 at the Galloup School as we return from Thanksgiving break. Our first- and second-term students are advancing through the finishing process, while our third term and Graduate students continue their work in binding and purfling on the pre-war Martin replicas lead by Bryan Galloup. We’re a little over halfway through the term and everyone is eager to finish their projects. Great work, students.

At the Galloup School of Lutherie, we have been slowly introducing a new portion to our long-term program in which students undertake a replication of a pre-war 1939 D-18. Bryan Galloup has likewise expanded his focus to include the Martin Orchestra Models. Over the course of the term, students worked closely with Galloup to cultivate the tonal identity of their instruments and to develop a deeper understanding of the dominant frequency profiles characteristic of pre-war Martin guitars.

Today, our students engaged in hands-on learning, exploring instrument repair through Bryan Galloup-led lectures, observing the voicing of a Martin D-18, and honing their skills during kerfing and side-bracing glue-ups. Proud of the curiosity, skill, and dedication this term brings to their work each day. Great work, students.

Our Galloup School of Lutherie is off to a strong start this term. We're proud of everyone's work. We have a seriously talented group of up-and-comers.