The new location is coming along nicely. Visit our facebook gallery and keep up with the progress. Officially opening to the public at 276 Carlaw Ave. in Toronto, on March 1, 2012 (with classes beginning March 5th), but stop by and visit us before then! We are currently registering students, so contact us now to book your spot!

CSL is recognized world wide as a center for studying the design and construction of exquisite, hand-made, custom-built guitars as well as restoration secrets, knowledge and hands on experience.  Specializing in teaching students how to make and repair stringed instruments for utmost playability, comfort and acoustic quality, as well as discussions on the philosophy of the craft. Students have attended our Guitar Building Courses from places as far away as Japan, Germany, the United States, across Canada as well as a two week traveling workshop to the Canadian Arctic teaching Guitar Building to 12 Inuk people.

All instruments in the four week and longer guitar building courses are made from raw materials by hand, with hand-carved necks, bridges and inlays. Traditions of excellence and dedication to hand-crafted quality are taught then built into all guitars, restorations and repairs.

The materials used at CSL by our students are chosen for custom sound and performance qualities. Traditional and non-traditional style instruments built with East Indian rosewood, Sitka, Red and Engelmann spruce, mahogany and ebony develop concert grade sound and projection.

Unique to the CSL studio are guitars that are constructed from sustainable non-endangered indigenous woods by local suppliers, some found by us while walking the beautiful wilds of Nova Scotia others harvested from hillsides and ravines as well as the occasional firewood pile. These include Ash, Cherry, Butternut, Yellow Poplar, Tamarac, Birdseye and Curly Maple, Hawthorn, Large Tooth Aspen and Wild Apple. Guitars made from these woods give an exciting and thrilling sound, adding unique tonal characters to each instrument.

All students are taught to develop a relationship with the wood they are working with using all their senses, as well as hand-carving scalloped bracing, unique inlays and purfling. You are only limited by your imagination!

CSL can build your dream custom steel string acoustic, electric guitar or bass, flamenco, classical and mandolins. We also have a selection of our students guitars for sale at excellent value. Please explore our site and let us know what you think!

The pickups in every CSL guitar are made by the very lovely people at MJS Pickups in Mississauga. Completely custom, locally sourced, individually hand wound, pickups. Try them and be amazed. Smitty and Sue love their work as much as we do and it shows!