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Manufacturing & ProductionISCO 8212

Electronic musical instrument maker

An electronic musical instrument maker is a person who makes and assembles the parts of electronic instruments according to detailed instructions or schematics.

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Rate 5 of the 12 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

repair musical instruments

solder electronics

create musical instrument parts

maintain musical instruments

apply a protective layer

About electronic musical instrument maker

The maker creates musical instrument parts, works metal for the chassis, brackets and hardware, and solders electronic components onto the boards and into the wiring. Electrical pickups are installed and tested, since a pickup that is positioned or wound slightly differently changes the sound of the finished instrument. The assembled instrument is cleaned and inspected before it leaves.

The maker knows musical instrument materials: the wood, the metal, the plastics and the finish all affect how the instrument plays and sounds.

The maker applies tuning techniques and sets the instrument up: intonation, action, calibration and the reference pitch it is tuned to. Caring for musical instruments is part of the trade too, which means servicing and repairing them afterwards, and a broad knowledge of musical instruments is what allows the maker to understand what a player is asking for. A protective coating is applied to finished surfaces. Formal requirements are set by the employer.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (12)

musical instrumentsmusical instrumentsThe different musical instruments, their ranges, timbre, and possible combinations.metalworkingmetalworkingThe process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large-scale structures.electronicselectronicsThe functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications.tuning techniquestuning techniquesTuning pitches and techniques and musical temperaments for the various instruments.musical instruments materialsmusical instruments materialsThe characteristics of composite materials, felts, glues, leathers and skins, metals and precious metals, woods and wood derivatives to create musical instruments.repair musical instrumentsrepair musical instrumentsAttach new strings, fix frames or replace broken parts of musical instruments.solder electronicssolder electronicsOperate and use soldering tools and soldering iron, which supply high temperatures to melt the solder and to join electronic components.create musical instrument partscreate musical instrument partsDesign and create parts such as keys, reeds, bows, and others for musical instruments.maintain musical instrumentsmaintain musical instrumentsCheck and maintain musical instruments.apply a protective layerapply a protective layerApply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.rewire electronic musical instrumentsrewire electronic musical instrumentsRewire any lose wiring or solder any loose ends of electronic musical instruments.assemble musical instrument partsassemble musical instrument partsAssemble parts together such as the body, strings, buttons, keys, and others to create the final musical instrument.
Optional (20) — show
acousticsacousticsThe study of sound, its reflection, amplification and absorption in a space.woodturningwoodturningProcess of shaping wood on a lathe and its types, namely spindle turning and faceplate turning.conservation techniquesconservation techniquesThe procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.technical drawingstechnical drawingsDrawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.organic building materialsorganic building materialsThe types and processing of organic materials to build products or parts of products.sales promotion techniquessales promotion techniquesThe techniques used to persuade customers to purchase a product or a service.history of musical instrumentshistory of musical instrumentsThe historical background and chronology of various musical instruments.musical instrument accessoriesmusical instrument accessoriesThe process of creating musical instrument accessories, such as metronomes, tuning forks or stands.pass on trade techniquespass on trade techniquesPass on knowledge and skills, explain and demonstrate the application of equipment and materials and answer questions about trade techniques for the manufacturing of products.restore musical instrumentsrestore musical instrumentsRestore old musical instruments to their original condition and conserve them in that state.apply restoration techniquesapply restoration techniquesSelect and apply appropriate restoration techniques in order to achieve the required restoration goals. This encompasses preventive measures, remedial measures, restoration processes and management pr...evaluate restoration proceduresevaluate restoration proceduresEvaluate the outcome of conservation and restoration procedures. Evaluate the degree of risk, success of treatment or activity and communicate the results.decorate musical instrumentsdecorate musical instrumentsCreate designs on musical instruments by using methods such as embossing, piercing, painting, woodworking, weaving, and other methods.estimate value of musical instrumentsestimate value of musical instrumentsIdentify new or second hand musical instruments and estimate the market value of them based on professional judgment and knowledge of musical instruments, or subject them to estimation by a third part...identify customer's needsidentify customer's needsUse appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.verify product specificationsverify product specificationsCheck heights, colour and other attributes of finished product against specifications.design musical instrumentsdesign musical instrumentsDevelop and design a musical instrument according to customer specification.estimate restoration costsestimate restoration costsEstimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.select restoration activitiesselect restoration activitiesDetermine restoration needs and requirements and plan the activities. Consider the desired results, the level of intervention required, evaluation of alternatives, constraints on actions, stakeholder ...trade in musical instrumentstrade in musical instrumentsBuy and sell musical instruments, or serve as an intermediate between potential buyers and sellers.

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Frequently asked questions

What does an electronic musical instrument maker do?

Electronic musical instrument makers create and assemble parts to make electronic instruments according to specified instructions or diagrams. They install and test electric pick-ups, clean and inspect the finished instrument.

What skills does an electronic musical instrument maker need?

An electronic musical instrument maker needs 12 essential skills, including musical instruments, metalworking, electronics, tuning techniques, musical instruments materials.

Will AI replace electronic musical instrument maker jobs?

The AI disruption score for electronic musical instrument maker is 13/100 (very low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: verify product specifications, sales promotion techniques, estimate restoration costs. Most resilient: restore musical instruments, musical instruments, repair musical instruments.

Quick Facts

SectorManufacturing & Production
ISCO GroupAssemblers
Essential Skills12

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