What do musical instrument repairers and tuners do?
Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.
This describes a U.S. occupation, not a live vacancy. Individual employers may use different titles and requirements.
Job titles to recognize in your search
O*NET reports these titles for this occupation. Compare the responsibilities in each posting before treating titles as equivalent.
- Brass Instrument Repair Technician (Brass Instrument Repair Tech)
- Fretted String Instrument Repairer
- Guitar Repairer
- Instrument Repair Technician (Instrument Repair Tech)
- Luthier
- Musical Instrument Repair Technician (Musical Instrument Repair Tech)
- Piano Technician (Piano Tech)
- Piano Tuner
Core tasks to compare with a job posting
- Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
- Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
- Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
- 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.
- Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
- Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
- Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.
- String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights.
- Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
Prepare an application for this occupation
- Check the employer’s requirements, location, schedule and any licenses against your situation.
- Choose two or three tasks above that match the posting and your actual experience.
- Build a resume evidence worksheet using the skills and software relevant to that employer.
- Practice explaining your contribution, decisions and results before an interview.
Ready to plan your search?
Start with musical instrument repairers and tuners as your target. You can change your role in the quiz and tell us your location and work preferences.