Fab Lab Guitar

Ever want to make your own guitar? In my experience there is nothing more satisfying. While Gateway Industrial Design Fab Lab can literally start with wood, and end with a guitar, frequently our workshops work with pre-made kits that you can customize.

I didn’t start out wanting to build guitars. That is perhaps my darkest secret. Guitar programs I had seen were lacking, and guitars seemed an afterthought.

My first guitar was made as a thank you to Metallica, that’s right! Metallica. Metallica has provided Gateway with four grants now approximating four hundred thousand dollars and around a hundred jobs! The band signed it and sent it back, cool right?

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There is no denying the power and allure of building a guitar. If you subscribe to Kenosha News, here is a link at our last “Power Up” event.

https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/education/hundreds-of-students-power-up-at-college-resource-fair-at-uw-parkside/article_0c23d318-a5d0-11ef-882f-abf6d8aa49fe.html

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This fall's workshop was no exception. The guitars and participants were first rate. Everyone involved had great concepts, endless energy and makes me look forward to our next sessions with high anticipation.

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Ever experience a perfect moment? It’s nice to realize something so powerful when you’re living it. This might be my favorite moment in my career at Gateway.

This is Craig. Craig is a Veteran who served his country in Viet Nam. Craig has been dealing with a variety of health issues, and there were times when he couldn’t make it to class. Every time Craig and his lovely wife Ann came, you couldn’t pry the smile off Craig’s face. In all the years of my guitar building, I've never experienced someone who derived such sublime joy as Craig did. When he finally finished, we asked him to play it, and he did not disappoint. He launched into several surf tunes, including “Pipeline” and “Walk don’t run”. I’m not ashamed to admit it reduced me to tears. Here’s to Craig! I hope to devote our upcoming summer session to Veterans.

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