DesignISCO 7312
Guitar maker
Guitar makers create and assemble parts to build guitars according to specified instructions or diagrams. They work wood, measure and attach strings, test quality of strings and inspect the finished instrument.
Check yourself in a minute: guitar maker
Rate 5 of the 21 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
produce guitar components
repair musical instruments
join wood elements
create musical instrument parts
maintain musical instruments
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (21)
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.types of guitarstypes of guitarsThere are two main guitar categories, namely electric and acoustic. This last category contains a large number of subcategories such as classical, flat-topped, steel string or flamenco guitars. Electr...types of stringstypes of stringsVibrating elements that generate sounds in string instruments. They can be classified into two categories, namely the decorative and the wound strings, and they can be made of different materials such...tuning techniquestuning techniquesTuning pitches and techniques and musical temperaments for the various instruments.wood cutswood cutsDifferent ways of cutting wood, across the grain or parallel with it, and radial or tangential to the core. The behaviour of cuts of wood under different circumstances and the optimal cut for a given ...types of woodtypes of woodTypes of wood, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, maple and tulipwood.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.produce guitar componentsproduce guitar componentsChoose the appropriate tonewood, materials and tools, and build the different guitar components such as the sound board, fretboard, headstock, neck and bridge.repair musical instrumentsrepair musical instrumentsAttach new strings, fix frames or replace broken parts of musical instruments.join wood elementsjoin wood elementsBind wooden materials together using a variety of techniques and materials. Determine the optimal technique to join the elements, like stapling, nail, gluing or screwing. Determine the correct work or...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.manipulate woodmanipulate woodManipulate the properties, shape and size of wood.decorate musical instrumentsdecorate musical instrumentsCreate designs on musical instruments by using methods such as embossing, piercing, painting, woodworking, weaving, and other methods.tune stringed musical instrumentstune stringed musical instrumentsTune any parts of stringed musical instruments that are off-key, by using various tuning techniques.create smooth wood surfacecreate smooth wood surfaceShave, plane and sand wood manually or automatically to produce a smooth surface.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.sand woodsand woodUse sanding machines or hand tools to remove paint or other substances from the surface of the wood, or to smoothen and finish the wood.make bowstringsmake bowstringsSelect the right amount of thread, depending on the strength of the bow and of the thread itself and coat the thread with wax or resin and weave it to obtain the cord. When the desired length is reach...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 (22) — show
acousticsacousticsThe study of sound, its reflection, amplification and absorption in a space.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.3D modelling3D modellingThe process of developing a mathematical representation of any three-dimensional surface of an object via specialised software. The product is called a 3D model. It can be displayed as a two-dimension...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.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...stain woodstain woodMix ingredients to create a stain and apply a layer to the furniture to give it a specific colour and finish.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.play musical instrumentsplay musical instrumentsManipulate purpose-built or improvised instruments to produce musical sounds.dye wooddye woodMix the powder dye with water and/or liquid dye and any other necessary ingredients to create the desired colour and apply it to the wood.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 ...set up the controller of a machineset up the controller of a machineSet up and give commands to a machine by dispatching the appropriate data and input into the (computer) controller corresponding with the desired processed product.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 a guitar maker do?
Guitar makers create and assemble parts to build guitars according to specified instructions or diagrams. They work wood, measure and attach strings, test quality of strings and inspect the finished instrument.
What skills does a guitar maker need?
A guitar maker needs 21 essential skills, including musical instruments, metalworking, types of guitars, types of strings, tuning techniques.
Will AI replace guitar maker jobs?
The AI disruption score for guitar maker is 11/100 (very low risk). Skills most exposed to automation: verify product specifications, estimate restoration costs, technical drawings. Most resilient: restore musical instruments, play musical instruments, musical instruments.
AI Replacement Risk
11/ 100
Very Low Risk
Low riskHigh risk
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