Musical instrument maker and repairer

You could do a specialist musical instrument craft degree or foundation degree at university. Some universities also offer short courses in instrument making and repair.

You would learn traditional skills and knowledge to specialise in building and repairing instruments like guitar, violin, piano or woodwind.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
• student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
• university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/

Some colleges and adult education centres run short courses in instrument repair, for example for guitars or violins.

Check with your local education centre to see what they offer.

The British Violin Making Association has details of courses around the country for that particular instrument.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements for this route.

You could approach instrument repairers directly to see if they're willing to take you on as a trainee. Craft skills like carpentry would be useful alongside enthusiasm for the profession and a keenness to learn.

You could take a training course with a specialist provider related to the type of instrument you want to make. Courses are also offered by professional bodies for particular instruments, for example:

• British Violin Making Association
• Piano Tuners' Association

Entry requirements will depend on the type of course you want to do.

Career Tips

Craft skills are often more important than qualifications to get into this career. A background in woodworking or model making may help.

You might also find it useful if you can play the musical instrument you want to learn how to make or repair.

Professional and Industry Bodies

You could join the National Association of Musical Instrument Repairers for professional development and to make contacts in the profession.

As an instrument maker or repairer, you would:

• build new instruments
• repair or renovate damaged or worn instruments
• restore or reproduce period instruments
• use traditional hand tools and materials
• fit plastic, fibreglass and electronic parts to instruments like electric guitars
• apply finishing techniques such as polishing and varnishing
• tune instruments

You could work from home, at a client's home, in a workshop or at a client's business.

You may need to wear protective clothing.