FACULTY
Bonds, Brian
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Guitar)
SPECIALTIES: Country, Blues, Rock, Metal, Jazz
CREDITS: Toured Internationally with Florida Georgia Line, Chely Wright, Love and Theft, Tantric and Chase Rice
HONORS & EDUCATION: Brian has also appeared on The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brian, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Today Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Good Morning America and countless other TV and award shows. He has earned several gold and multi-platinum records and has been part of over 10 million singles.
Buckingham, Bruce
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Guitar)
SPECIALTIES: Jazz, Latin, Funk, Contemporary, Pop and Rock styles of music
CREDITS: Bruce has worked with a wide variety of musicians including Helen Ready, John Pattitrucci and has recorded with Michael Jackson’s production company for the play “Sisterella” as well as many independent projects. Bruce has taught and written MI curriculum for many courses at Musicians Institute Hollywood and MI Japan for over 30 years.
HONORS & EDUCATION: Graduate of Guitar Institute of Technology, studied privately with Joe Diorio, Ron Eschete, Don Mock, Jimmy Wyble, Ted Green, Lenny Breau, Pat Martino, and Joe Pass
Butler, Kelly
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Designed & prototyped Gibson Custom Models
CREDITS: Gibson Custom Art & Historic Pro Shop designer, custom builder, lead repair; First Act Custom Division General Manager & Chief Luthier
HONORS & EDUCATION: Graduate of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery; patented inventor of guitar parts
Gallman, Daren
Johnson, Dave
COURSES: Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Repair, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Vintage guitar repair, designing and building guitars, neck resets, refrets, nuts & saddles, setups and electronics
CREDITS: Featured in Guitar Player Magazine, Feb 2013, American Songwriter Magazine, jan/Feb 2013, American Songwriter Magazine, July/Aug 2012, Premier Guitar Magazine, Dec 2012, and Guitarist Magazine (UK), March 2010
HONORS & EDUCATION: BA Eastern Illinois University
Jones, Phil
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Building & designing electric guitars; experienced with acoustic & classical nylon-string guitars, banjos, mandolins & other fretted instruments; repair & touch-up finishing
CREDITS: Luthier & Restoration Specialist with Gruhn Guitars Inc., Master Luthier at Gibson Guitars Custom & Historic Shop; built models for Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen & many other artists
HONORS & EDUCATION: AA Degree from St. Petersburg College; apprenticed with Guitar Workshop of Florida and luthiers Harley Day & Michael Battel
Lacy, Mark
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Building archtop, flattop and semi-solid guitars; repair/restoration of vintage guitars; designing guitar hardware with 3D metal printing method
CREDITS: Repairman for Norsk Musikk, Norway’s largest distributor of instruments; featured in Guitar Aficionado, Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines; worked with Aerosmith, U2, Pink Floyd and Stevie Ray Vaughan; worked at top-rated luthier Gruhn Guitars; owner of Lacey Custom Guitars
HONORS & EDUCATION: Graduated with distinction from London Guildhall University’s Musical Instrument Technology program
Lanham, Marty
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Acoustic and electric guitar design and fabrication, custom inlay, traditional wood-carving, repair, restoration and set-up, banjo and mandolin construction
CREDITS: Performed on banjo at Grand Ole Opry with Wilma Lee Cooper; owner of the Nashville Guitar Company; built custom instruments for Kevin Eubanks, John Anderson and Steve Martin.
HONORS & EDUCATION: Worked as curator and restoration specialist for the Marty Stuart collection and the Roy Acuff collection at Opryland
Madora, Ryan
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Bass)
SPECIALTIES: Blues, Rock, Soul/R&B, Country, Jazz
CREDITS: Recorded and toured internationally with Robben Ford; Musical Director for Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots; Backed up artists including Garth Brooks, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and Hanson; Performed on epesodes of ABC’s “Nashville” and “The Bachelor”.
HONORS & EDUCATION: Graduate of New York University’s Music Business Program, has been featured as an instructor at “Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp” and Gerald Veasley’s “Bass Boot Camp”, Endorses Aguilar Amplification, Mike Lull Custom Guitars, Fender, Westone Audio, and Moody Leather.
Mather, Stephen
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Finish Work
SPECIALTIES: Guitar repair, assembly, setup, woodworking, wiring and quality control
CREDITS: Thorn Guitars / Thorn Custom Inlay, Collings Guitars; owner of Armory Guitar Works
HONORS & EDUCATION: Graduate, Lab Tech & Teacher’s Assistant at Musicians Institute, Guitar Craft Academy in Hollywood
Nutter, Brian
COURSES: Instrument Repair, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Instrument Performance (Guitar)
SPECIALTIES: Designing and building electric guitars, guitar repair, woodworking, setup, finish work, wiring and quality control, guitar performance in Country, Blues, Rock, Metal
CREDITS: Toured Internationally with Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Dierks Bentley, Lonestar, Michael Tait, Toby Mack, session work for Ruthless Records and various Nashville studios, owner and master luthier of Nutter Guitars
HONORS & EDUCATION: Recording engineering at Recording Workshop, West Virginia University major music education
Singleton, Clark
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Bass)
SPECIALTIES: Bass, drums, guitar, bandleading, music theory
CREDITS: Touring bassist with Caroline Kole, Morgan Frazier, Cort Carpenter; teacher at School of Rock; recorded at RCA Studio A, Warner Brothers & House of Blues
HONORS & EDUCATION: BA in Music from University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Weaver Academy for the Performing and Visual Arts; endorsed by Aguilar Amplification and Roscoe Basses
Slawson, Tyler
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Guitar)
SPECIALTIES: Blues, rock
CREDITS: Toured nationally with Jackie Lee, Starstruck, Caroline Kole, Morgan Frazier & Cort Carpenter
HONORS & EDUCATION: Texas A&M University; Musicians Institute; endorsee of Keeley guitar pedals
Venerosa, Tim
COURSES: Instrument Performance (Guitar)
SPECIALTIES: Rock & country guitar, chart reading & writing, guitar gear, production
CREDITS: Performed at the Grand Ole Opry, lead guitar with Morgan Frazier & Caroline Kole
HONORS & EDUCATION: AA Degree in Guitar from MI, recipient of MI Full Ride Scholarship Award; endorsed by Orange Amplifiers, JHS Pedals, Elixir Strings
Voros, Greg
COURSES: Instrument Design, Instrument Fabrication, Fretwork Setup, Electronics, Instrument Repair, Finish Work, Acoustic Guitar Design, Acoustic Guitar Fabrication, Acoustic Guitar Fixtures, Acoustic Guitar Finishing
SPECIALTIES: Vintage guitar repair and restoration, appraisal and authentication, design and construction of electric and acoustic guitars, works with various instrument museums preparing exhibits
CREDITS: Managing body at Gruhn Guitars, author and instructor for best-selling guitar maintenance, regularly appears in videos for Premier Guitar, Gibson Guitar as well as writing articles for various instrument publications
HONORS & EDUCATION: Honorary Certificate in Guitar Craft from GCA Nashville
COURSE CATALOG
Program requirements, course information, and GCA details.
QUESTIONS
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APPROVAL AND ACCREDITATION
Musicians Institute Guitar Craft Academy Nashville is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
This authorization must be renewed each year and is based on an evaluation by minimum standards concerning quality of education, ethical business practices, health and safety, and fiscal responsibility.