Rye's Falcate bracing masterclass was professional, covered topics not in other materials, and Rye is entertaining and knowledgeable. Good value for the course. Thank you! - Damon Wack

You get a LOT of bang for the buck in this class - for me, just the tips how to work cleanly with epoxy were more than worth the investment. Rye has honed his process to a high degree and provides all the reasons for why he does what he does (which is great for us ever-inquisitive guitar makers :-)). Compared to Trevor Gore, the inventor of Falcate bracing, Rye takes the practical execution to the next level - with some modal tuning thrown in as an encore. Great stuff! - Florian Camerer

I recently completed Rye’s online class on Falcate Bracing with carbon fiber reinforcement for acoustic guitar tops, and it exceeded my expectations. The course was exceptionally in-depth and detailed while still remaining engaging throughout. Rye did an excellent job balancing the big-picture concepts behind the design philosophy with the fine minutiae of implementation details that serious builders really care about. What stood out most was Rye’s willingness to thoughtfully address every participant’s questions, no matter how broad or technical. His discourse was open and highly informative. The class was originally scheduled for 6 hours, but Rye continued for nearly 3 additional hours to make sure topics and questions were fully covered. That level of commitment says a lot about both his knowledge and his passion for the craft. Highly recommended for anyone interested in advanced acoustic guitar top design and modern bracing approaches. - Dave VanLandingham

I found the Falcate Bracing Masterclass truly outstanding — both inspiring and highly informative. Rye shares his knowledge and experience very openly, and beyond the technical content, I really appreciated his personality and approach. He comes across as someone deeply passionate, thoughtful, and attentive to detail, and that clearly shows in his work. This will be my first falcate classical guitar. I had been interested in Trevor Gore’s approach since buying the first edition of his books back in 2011, but making the transition from more conventional bracing systems always felt intimidating, especially while balancing work and family life. Rye’s Masterclass made that transition feel achievable. What I particularly appreciated is that the methods he demonstrates are clearly well proven and practical. Even though the build incorporates carbon fiber and epoxy, the process never feels unnecessarily complicated or “experimental.” On the contrary, the whole approach feels refined, logical, and grounded in real workshop experience. I’m convinced that this course will allow me to build much more confidently and achieve a cleaner and more controlled result than I could have on my own. Another thing worth mentioning is how generous Rye is with his time. Every session went beyond the scheduled time because he always took the time to answer questions clearly and thoughtfully. I genuinely see this Masterclass not as an expense, but as an investment. I would not hesitate for a second to take another course with Rye in the future. - Arnaud Belarbi

The falcate masterclass was EXACTLY what I was looking for, Rye. Thanks so much. Your experience and craftsmanship clearly shows through and I picked up so many things that will improve my building. I’m pumped and already beginning to use the techniques on my newest build. - Ian Hemphill

I just finished up Rye's Falcate Masterclass and I'm very glad I took the course. He's and excellent teacher. He pointed out things I hadn't thought of and showed different way of getting the job done. Very neat and clean method. He's genuinely happy to share his methods and knowledge. Thanks Rye for a great class! - Ray Cutler

I built a few Falcate braced guitars after the Gore / Gillet books first came out but after taking Rye’s Master Class the proverbial light bulb came on and seeing how he approached bracing a top, the process made much more sense. The class allowed ample time for questions and Rye’s answers were on a level that most could easily understand. The Gore / Gillet books delve DEEP into high level mathematics and it was refreshing not to get bogged down with that in Rye’s class. Thanks again for taking the time to share a glimpse of your building approach. The only suggestion I have is to give your camera man a mic, which would save you from repeating each question as it came in from class attendees. - Tim McKnight

Rye’s Falcate Masterclass was extremely valuable and well worth attending. Although the timing of the live sessions did not fully suit my schedule, Rye was very thoughtful and prompt in uploading the previous day’s course recordings, which allowed me to digest the material properly and keep up almost as if I had attended live on the same day. By the time I joined the final live session, I did not feel left out at all. The course was clear, practical, and very generous in detail. Rye is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in falcate bracing, and his answers were always prompt, thoughtful, and given with great care. I truly appreciate the effort he puts into teaching and sharing his methods. I look forward to applying his insights and continuing to improve my own falcate work through his teachings. Highly recommended. - ZEN HO

My next build will have falcate bracing so this course was perfectly timed. Worth. Every. Penny. A world class luthier sharing his secrets. Invaluable. Thanks Rye! - John Curran

Rye's three-day Falcate Masterclass was an incredible experience. Rye brings a lot of experience to the table. And not just his own extensive background, but things he learned from Graham Caldersmith (I had the pleasure to meet in 1982 at the Estes Park GAL Convention), and Gerard Gilet two very innovative, knowledgeable and well regarded builders. His demonstrations were well-done, he really took the time to fully answer questions and follow-up questions from us. And in that regard, he and Simon (the man behind the camera) fully utilized all that the remote web technology has to offer. Simon read the question and interacted with Rye, so the review of the questions (on the chat feature of Zoom) and responses was very efficient. Rye was very careful to make sure we could see what he was doing. He is a very clear, concise speaker. I don't think I would have gotten much more information if I was standing in his shop. I thought three days might not be enough, but before our eyes, he completed the building of the top, all the while answering our questions demonstrating related matters, for example doing a modal tuning demonstration on the third day. It didn't end there. He sent emails with links to things he discussed in the course, and links to the videos. It was very information and enjoyable, for me, even after almost 50 years of guitar building - I learned a lot. - Thomas Beltran

This is a FANTASTIC class! I took the first class and came back for a refresher and it was even better! - Peter Donaldson

“An invaluable resource, packed with detailed information and presented excellently.” - Theunis Fick

“Having built a few falcate tops in past, I was expecting deeper insights on more efficient working methods and ways to optimizing the top weight and acoustic performance.
Rye did exceed my expectations! Enjoyed the course a lot.” - Jani Penttilä

“The Falcate Masterclass of Rye Bear was excellent! I am building my first guitar and have chosen Falcate bracing after reading Trevor Gore's books (the best out there, in my opinion). I also purchased the Falcate bracing course that Trevor gives on the Lutherie Academy - but I have to say: I learned so much in Rye's class, already in the first 30 minutes! Just the tips of how to work cleanly with Epoxy are a game changer! Rye clearly has a lot of experience with the topic which is apparent in every step. It’s all very methodical, useable and clean. Highly recommended!” - Florian Camerer

“The Falcate braced guitars I have built are hands down the best guitars I have built. But the execution of falcate bracing is not an easy task. I have always run into some curveball, and then a big mess. After Rye’s class I am highly inspired and very ready to implement his tips, tricks, and work flow into my build schedule”.- Anthony Kreher

“I’ve wanted to learn how to use carbon fiber in guitar building for a long time, and Rye’s live course is incredibly thorough and well-presented. He explains and demonstrates every step clearly, and I’ve learned a lot from it. I highly recommend Rye’s course to anyone interested.” - HsiuHao Chang

“Hi Rye, I wanted to thank you for the falcate bracing class. Even after reading the Trevor Gore and Gerald Gilet books, falcate bracing felt quite daunting. After watching your processes, a lot of the steps clicked in my head and felt more manageable. I will need to draw out the master plans first but I look forward to it as more of it makes sense now. Thank you and I look forward to attending other livestreams should you choose to do more.” - Caniguitar

“Hey Rye, fantastic master class! So clearly explained, and definitely saved me a lot of gotchas! It will be about a year before I can get to my first falcate braced instrument, but no worries, I have the recordings to refer back to.” - Mike Doolin

“Rye is incredibly knowledgeable and keeps no secrets about his approach to falcate bracing. I really enjoyed his masterclasses, and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to up their game in the world of contemporary guitarmaking. Thanks, Rye!” - Donato Bianchi