CareerZone Pennsylvania

Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

Description

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

Job Zone

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Education Requirements

Long-term training - Necessary skills are acquired through on-the-job training or formal education lasting more than 12 months.

Interests

Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Knowledge

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Skills

Troubleshooting	Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Equipment Selection	Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Quality Control Analysis	Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Repairing	Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Tasks

• File metal reeds until their pitches correspond with standard tuning bar pitches.
• Inspect instruments to locate defects, and to determine their value or the level of restoration required.
• Play instruments to evaluate their sound quality and to locate any defects.
• Polish instruments, using rags and polishing compounds, buffing wheels, or burnishing tools.
• Reassemble instruments following repair, using hand tools and power tools and glue, hair, yarn, resin, or clamps, and lubricate instruments as necessary.
• Refinish instruments to protect and decorate them, using hand tools, buffing tools, and varnish.
• Remove material from bars of percussion instruments to obtain specified tones, using bandsaws, sanding machines, machine grinders, or hand files and scrapers.
• Repair breaks in percussion instruments such as drums and cymbals, using drill presses, power saws, glue, clamps, grinding wheels, or other hand tools.
• Repair cracks in wood or metal instruments, using pinning wire, lathes, fillers, clamps, or soldering irons.
• Repair or replace musical instrument parts and components, such as strings, bridges, felts, and keys, using hand and power tools.
• Shape old parts and replacement parts to improve tone or intonation, using hand tools, lathes, or soldering irons.
• Solder posts and parts to hold them in their proper places.
• Strike wood, fiberglass, or metal bars of instruments, and use tuned blocks, stroboscopes, or electronic tuners to evaluate tones made by instruments.
• Wash metal instruments in lacquer-stripping and cyanide solutions in order to remove lacquer and tarnish.
• Adjust felt hammers on pianos to increase tonal mellowness or brilliance, using sanding paddles, lacquer, or needles.

Wages

In 2006, the Pennsylvania average annual wage was $29,270.00. The entry-level wage was $16,920.00 while an experienced worker made $35,450.00.

Outlook

During 2004, there were approximately 310 people employed in this field in Pennsylvania. It is projected that there will be 330 employed in 2014. This occupation will have about 2 openings due to growth and about 9 replacement openings for approximately 11 total annual openings. This occupation experienced moderate growth.

Colleges and Training

Below are college programs that are generally associated with this occupation. To view colleges that offer these programs, click on the titles below.

• Musical Instrument Fabrication and RepairA program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to make, repair, maintain, and tune acoustic and electric musical instruments. Includes instruction in methods and equipment for making musical instruments, electronic instrument amplification systems, techniques of cleaning, and methods of tuning musical instruments.

For additional college information and related training about this career path, please visit:

AES EducationPlanner, PA Dept of Labor, PA Career Link, college.gov, and College Navigator

Related Occupations