How do they match: Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners

  • Adjust string tensions to tune instruments, using hand tools and electronic tuning devices.
  • Compare instrument pitches with tuning tool pitches to tune instruments.
  • Make wood replacement parts, using woodworking machines and hand tools.
  • 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 dents and burrs from metal instruments, using mallets and burnishing tools.
  • Remove drumheads by removing tension rods with drum keys and cutting tools.
  • Remove irregularities from tuning pins, strings, and hammers of pianos, using wood blocks or filing tools.
  • 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 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.
  • Stretch drumheads over rim hoops and tuck them around and under the hoops, using hand tucking tools.

  • Align equipment or machinery.
  • Assemble mechanical components or machine parts.
  • Clean equipment, parts, or tools to repair or maintain them in good working order.
  • Remove dents from equipment, materials, tools or structures.