Musical instrument repairers are responsible for building, repairing, restoring and performing maintenance on musical instruments. Sometimes instrument repairers date instruments and look for information about their history. These instruments may be used at music schools or companies, or be exhibited at museums or heritage interpretation centres. Most repairers, considering the specialised nature of restoration techniques and the knowledge required, specialise in particular families of instruments such as string instruments, percussion, brass or woodwind, and keyboards, or in specific instruments such as the guitar or the violin.

• Build new musical instruments that require great precision and accuracy, since the slightest variation may have a major effect on an instrument's sound.
• Repair instruments that are in a poor condition or damaged (for instance, cracks in violins, or replacing the damaged parts of a trumpet).
• Tune instruments to ensure they produce the best possible sound.
• Apply the final layers to new instruments.
• Work with different materials such as wood, metal, plastic and fibre glass.
• Refresh their knowledge and train in new techniques and specific repair techniques for the types of instruments in which they specialise.
• Diagnose issues with faulty instruments.

Regulated training and graduates

• Certificat de professionalitat de la Família professional Arts i artesania: Manteniment i reparació d'instruments musicals de corda (Nivell 3)
• Certificat de professionalitat de la Família professional Arts i artesania: Manteniment i reparació d'instruments de vent-metall (Nivell 2)
• Certificat de professionalitat de la Família professional Arts i artesania: Manteniment i reparació d'instruments de vent-fusta (Nivell 2)

Complementary training

Other specific skills

Creativity: Level 1

Concern for order and quality: Level 2

Analytical thought: Level 2

Initiative: Level 2

Orientation within reach: Level 2

Learning and use of knowledge: Level 1

Artistic

People who show an interest in the artistic field enjoy expressing ideas and feelings through the language of art A creative spirit and the motivation to convey concepts or emotions are inherent to this interest. This field includes all the activities that are oriented towards creating artistic products in their various forms: works that are musical, cinematographic or visual in nature, as well as dance and related arts.

Mechanical handling

People related to the field of mechanical handling are interested in the assembly, maintenance, repair and use of machines, tools and installations. Some good examples of professional activities in the field of mechanical handling are adjusting and configuring machines, reviewing technical equipment to detect incidents in their operation, handling machinery in production processes and driving specialised vehicles.

Luthier

Tuner

Satellite assembly technician

Assembler for special technical fabrics

Private network operator

• Work hours

  If they are employed externally, they will generally work full-time and fixed hours (usually coinciding with standard commercial opening hours). If they have their own business, they set their own working conditions. Depending on the instrument, they may have to travel to wherever it is located and repair it on site, whenever suits the customer best.

• Salary

  Musical instrument repairers' salaries may range from 18,000 to 35,000 euros per annum gross, depending on their experience and reputation.

• Other features

  Joining professional associations is recommended.

• Professional category

  Technician

• Human resources and equipment

  Just like their income, resources vary significantly, since they depend on similar factors to those described previously, as well as on the the type of establishment in which they work (small shop with restoration and repair workshop, solely a restoration and repair workshop, etc.).

• Initial investments

  Just like their income, investment varies significantly, since it depends on similar factors to those described previously, as well as on the the type of establishment in which they work (small shop with restoration and repair workshop, solely a restoration and repair workshop, etc.).