Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

ExistingUsers

User Name:

Password:

Forgot your password?
Click here

NewUsers

FeaturedResources

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Careers / Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Summary Description


	Repair percussion, stringed, reed, or wind instruments. May specialize in one area, such as piano tuning.

Sample Job Titles

1.	Accordion Repairer

2.	Accordion Tuner

3.	Band Instrument Repair Technician

4.	Band Instrument Repairer

5.	Band Instrument Repairman

6.	Banjo Repair Person

7.	Banjo Repairer

8.	Bow Rehairer

9.	Brass and Wind Instrument Repairer

10.	Chip Tuner

11.	Fabrication Technician

12.	Fretted Instrument Repairer

13.	Fretted String Instrument Repairer

14.	Guitar Builder

15.	Guitar Repairer

16.	Guitar Technician

17.	Harp Regulator

18.	Keyboard Instrument Repairer

19.	Keyboard Instrument Tuner

20.	Luthier

21.	Mandolin Repair Person

22.	Mandolin Repairer

23.	Metal Reed Tuner

24.	Musical Instrument Mechanic

25.	Organ Fixer

26.	Organ Installer

27.	Organ Pipe Voicer

28.	Organ Tuner

29.	Percussion Instrument Repairer

30.	Percussion Instrument Tuner

31.	Piano Mechanic

32.	Piano Mechanic Apprentice

33.	Piano Regulator

34.	Piano Regulator-Inspector

35.	Piano Technician

36.	Piano Tuner

37.	Piccolo Mechanic

38.	Pipe Organ Installer

39.	Pipe Organ Mechanic

40.	Pipe Organ Mechanic Apprentice

41.	Pipe Organ Technician

42.	Pipe Organ Tuner and Repairer

43.	Player Piano Technician

44.	Reed or Wind Instrument Repairer

45.	Reed or Wind Instrument Tuner

46.	Stringed Instrument Repairer

47.	Stringed Instrument Tuner

48.	Tone Regulator

49.	Violin Mechanic

50.	Violin Repairer

51.	Voicer

Job Tasks

	Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects. Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning.

	Align pads and keys on reed or wind instruments. Align equipment or machinery.

	Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments. Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.

	Disassemble instruments and parts for repair and adjustment. Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.

	Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required. Inspect mechanical equipment to locate damage, defects, or wear.

	Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.

	Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary. Reassemble equipment after repair. Lubricate equipment to allow proper functioning.

	Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments. Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments.

	Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles. Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.

	String instruments, and adjust trusses and bridges of instruments to obtain specified string tensions and heights. Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.

	Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments. Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.

	Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools. Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.

	Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places. Solder parts or connections between parts.

	Remove dents and burrs from metal instruments, using mallets and burnishing tools. Remove dents from equipment, materials, tools or structures.

	Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.

	Wash metal instruments in lacquer-stripping and cyanide solutions to remove lacquer and tarnish. Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.

	Test tubes and pickups in electronic amplifier units, and solder parts and connections as necessary. Test electrical circuits or components for proper functioning. Solder parts or connections between parts.

	Refinish instruments to protect and decorate them, using hand tools, buffing tools, and varnish. Refinish wood or metal surfaces.

	Make wood replacement parts, using woodworking machines and hand tools. Fabricate parts or components.

	Deliver pianos to purchasers or to locations of their use. Travel to work sites to perform installation, repair or maintenance work.

	Mix and measure glue that will be used for instrument repair. Prepare compounds or solutions to be used for repairs.

	Cut out sections around cracks on percussion instruments to prevent cracks from advancing, using shears or grinding wheels. Cut materials according to specifications or needs.

	Refinish and polish piano cabinets or cases to prepare them for sale. Refinish wood or metal surfaces.

	Solder or weld frames of mallet instruments and metal drum parts. Solder parts or connections between parts. Operate welding equipment.

	Remove drumheads by removing tension rods with drum keys and cutting tools. Remove parts or components from equipment.

	Assemble bars onto percussion instruments. Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.

	Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools. Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.

	Repair breaks in percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals, using drill presses, power saws, glue, clamps, grinding wheels, or other hand tools. Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.

	Travel to locations such as churches and concert halls to work on pipe organs. Travel to work sites to perform installation, repair or maintenance work.

	Clean, sand, and paint parts of percussion instruments to maintain their condition. Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order. Paint surfaces or equipment.

	Replace xylophone bars and wheels. Replace worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.

	Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments. Test mechanical equipment to ensure proper functioning. Adjust tuning or functioning of musical instruments.

	Place rim hoops back onto drum shells to allow new drumheads to dry and become taut. Reassemble equipment after repair.

	Assemble and install new pipe organs and pianos in buildings. Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.

	Cut new drumheads from animal skins, using scissors, and soak drumheads in water to make them pliable. Cut materials according to specifications or needs.

	Stretch drumheads over rim hoops and tuck them around and under the hoops, using hand tucking tools. Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.

	Remove material from bars of percussion instruments to obtain specified tones, using bandsaws, sanding machines, machine grinders, or hand files and scrapers. Remove parts or components from equipment.

	Adjust lips, reeds, or toe holes of organ pipes to regulate airflow and loudness of sound, using hand tools. Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.

	File metal reeds until their pitches correspond with standard tuning bar pitches. Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.

Work Activities

Importance	Work Activity

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment — Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Monitoring and Controlling Resources — Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information — Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Selling or Influencing Others — Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

<< Previous Page

Next Page >>

Interesting Fact

The word "salary" comes from salarium, or "salt money" and was used in ancient Rome to describe the wages paid to Roman legionnaires who were compensated in salt.

Did you know...

The MyPlan.com Jr. College Database provides detailed profiles on more than 1,100 different community colleges in the U.S.