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Stringed Instrument Maker, Stringed Instrument Repairer


Description

Lutherie is the art of making and selling stringed musical instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, guitars, or lutes (in French luth, where the word comes from). This profession has centuries of experience in which different disciplines converge, which are acoustics (musical, physical and architectural), the history of music, construction methods, the improvement and development of instruments, and innovations in mechanisms, accessories and materials that optimise performance and sound results.

Luthiers manufacture, repair or restore stringed instruments in an artisan way. Their services are required by music professionals whose instrument have lost its shape, the string tension has been loosed, or cracks and dents have appeared due to the passing of time, environmental factors and use. These craftspeople will clean, seal, repair, polish and protect instruments that suffer this type of wear, in order to keep them in excellent playing conditions.

Due to its level of complexity, in most cases, luthiers will specialize in the manufacture or repair of a single instrument or in any case a family of instruments, whether plucked string (classic guitar, acoustic guitar, flamenco guitar, ukulele, lute, harp, etc.) or a stringed version (violin, viola, cello, double bass).

Tasks

  • Manufacture handmade musical instruments from scratch.
  • Repair or restore damaged or deteriorated instruments.
  • Outline and design proposals for new models or instrument repairs.
  • Contrast them with clients to agree on the desired design.
  • Research and choose the appropriate materials required by the manufacturing and repair process.
  • Adjust parts of the instrument.
  • Estimate and prepare a financial balance adapted to the costs of production and repair in each case.
  • Throughout their professional career, they often teach and instruct apprentices.

Quick access and copyright:

Centre per al desenvolupament professional Porta22

Barcelona Treball (Porta22)
Llacuna, 156-162, 08018 Barcelona
bcn.cat/treball

900533175
Monday to Friday from 9 to 18 h

Generalitat de Catalunya
Unió Europea FEDER
Unió Europea FSE