I coach our guitar makers, tell our story, look for responsibly harvested wood while relentlessly seeking peace of mind and quality of life for everyone involved.
CAREER
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$37,160
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
-7.1% (decline)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Do
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
Other Job Titles Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners May Have
Banjo Repair Person, Luthier, Piano Technician, Piano Tuner
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
My typical day involves music, instruments, vintage amplifiers, drums, drums, and more drums. I spend some time scheduling crew, purchasing consumables, maintaining vendor relations, coordinating with other departments, and generally supporting the instrument side of the production. I don't get as hands-on as I once did but am still actively involved with the instrument tech side of things. I mainly oversee my very talented crew of techs and make sure that shows happen every night.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
- Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment.
- Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners
Most common level of education among people in
this career: Post-secondary certificate (43%)
Post-secondary certificate
High school diploma or equivalent
Associate's degree
Majors Related to Career
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
You need to have dedication, drive, determination, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to reach your goals. The skills, training, and experience are all part of what happens when you go after your goal.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
More specialized training is available today to learn how to make guitars. Apprentice with a maker to learn the basic skills and hone your style.
Everyone
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
