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About Arcus

I started up Arcus in 2017, in the beginning alongside my day job, which at the time was managing a well-known Musical Instrument shop. After 18 years working in Musical Instrument retail and distribution, I decided that I should use my knowledge of guitars to form a business of my own. In early 2020 I decided to make Arcus my full-time job with a new workshop based in St. Nicholas-at-Wade Birchington.  

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Before going full time, in 2016, I started out by putting some guitars together from parts. Knowing what a complex process musical instrument building and repair is I decided to attend some courses and really try to advance my knowledge and expertise by learning from the best. The first couple of courses I attended were led by Luither James Collins (James Collins Guitars) in set ups and fret levelling, it was here that I made the decision that this truly was what I was passionate about, and I decided to attend the Galloup School of Guitar Making of which James was a graduate. There was a long waiting list to get into Galloup (and with it being in the USA there was a fair bit of planning and saving needed too!), so in the meantime I tried to study as much as I could. I undertook a fantastic electric guitar design and building course run by Luthier Mark Bailey (Bailey Guitars) where I designed and made my first instrument from scratch. 

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I had well and truly caught the bug, and in May 2019 it was time to head over to Michigan and enrol in the Galloup School of Guitar Making run by Bryan Galloup. If you are at all interested in bespoke guitars and building do google him now, it is well worth it, but in brief, he is one of the world’s top builders. The school facilities and teaching team are fantastic with so much knowledge, machinery and talent under one roof. During my time there I built an electric and an acoustic guitar (See pics) as well as studying repair techniques and taking extra classes in pickup winding, inlay, French polishing and sharpening. This course really elevated my skills and knowledge in a way that self-teaching just couldn’t and my pursuit of these experiences with experts along with my wider knowledge and experience in the industry has given me a great foundation.  

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Since starting up in 2017 I have worked on thousands of instruments, while also ensuring I stay up to date and informed on the latest repair techniques by engaging with regular continuous professional development.

Adam
Monarch label
Galloup school acoustic
Galloup School Electric
Galloup Classroom
Galloup sanding room
Galloup Internal Bracing
Certification

A bit more about me 

I started playing guitar at the age of 16, a bit later than most I know, but put all my effort into learning this amazing instrument so that at 17 I enrolled at college to study a National Diploma in Music Performance. I loved studying music and so followed up on this course by studying a Higher National Diploma in Popular Music, followed by an open degree in music, music technology and business management. I have played in many bands over the years, really enjoying the opportunity to play live and the highlight was my main band being featured in and recorded by Total Guitar magazine. Whilst I am not currently teaching, I also have 15 years of teaching experience on the guitar, teaching both in schools and privately. I loved introducing people to and helping them develop on the guitar as it allowed me to share my enjoyment of playing with others.

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Links:-

www.galloupguitars.com/schools-of-lutherie-luthier.htm

https://www.guitartechcourses.com/

https://guitarmaking.co.uk/

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