How to Become a Luthier

A luthier is someone who practices lutherie, or the craft of making or repairing string instruments. Lutherie is a centuries-old tradition that's bestowed upon the world many beautiful instruments and saved many others from destruction. Even though it'd difficult to become a luthier, most lutherie experts say it's a rewarding journey.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Decide what kind of instruments you want to work with by thinking about what you have the most background in and what interests you most. Your primary decision should be between pucked type instruments like the guitar or banjo and bowed instruments such as the viola or violin, since the two types of lutherie take different paths.
2. Study the instrument that you want to work on so you become a competent musician. You should have advanced musical skill but, more importantly, you should have a sharply tuned ear that can recognize individual notes and ferret out small dissonances that are causing an instrument problems.
3. Attend a luthier school that specializes in the instrument or kind of instruments you plan to work with. The American School of Lutheries in California or the Stringed Instrument Restoration Workshop of Oberlin College are good places to start your study. Alternatively, you can choose to study with masters such as Ervin Somogyi or John Marshall for a different kind of program.
4. Become an apprentice to a master luthier in order to further you knowledge and skill by working on instruments for professional musicians. Also, start to work on your own projects such as building an instrument from scratch so that you can identify (or have your luthier master identify) problems with your approach or understanding.