Musical Instrument Making
Musical instrument making is a traditional craft that has evolved significantly since prehistoric times, when early instruments were fashioned from natural materials like bone and shell. Various cultures, including Native Americans and other indigenous groups, continue to honor these ancient practices, showcasing the artistry and cultural importance of simple instruments. Over centuries, especially during the Renaissance, the craft developed into a refined art in Europe, exemplified by notable makers like the Amati family and Antonio Stradivari, who left a lasting impact on the world of music through their exquisite string instruments.
As musical styles and needs evolved, so too did the methods of instrument construction. The apprenticeship system emerged as a means of passing down intricate techniques, particularly as musicians in America learned to repair and create instruments influenced by European designs. In the modern era, instrument making encompasses a wide range of approaches, from traditional handcrafting to the use of advanced technology like CNC routers. While many makers innovate or replicate historical designs, others focus on creating folk instruments that reflect their personal style. The craft can be both a fulfilling hobby and a professional pursuit, with makers often selling instruments or repairing existing ones, balancing artistic expression with business considerations. The internet has facilitated broader access to both handmade instruments and mass-produced options, enriching the global musical landscape.
Musical Instrument Making
History
Making and playing instruments satisfies human needs that have been present since prehistoric times. The first wind and percussion instruments were made of bone, shell, seedpods and bird quills. Some Native Americans and other indigenous cultures continue to carry on these ancient traditions, while many craftspeople and musicians across cultures find the simplicity of such instruments charming and powerful.
From a single piece of sinew strung across a bent tree branch, humans went on to develop a host of stringed instruments. The art of crafting fine stringed instruments developed through the guild system in Europe. Many Renaissance craftsmen made a significant and lasting contribution to the world of music, including the Amati family of Cremona and Antonio Stradivari.
Fine European lutes, violins, violas, cellos, and harpsichords traveled across the Atlantic Ocean with the colonists. As the instruments wore out or became damaged, musicians and woodworkers along the Eastern seaboard learned the art of instrument repair and restoration along with the techniques for building instruments from scratch. The apprenticeship system became the standard means of learning valuable European techniques. For many journeymen, this required a trip back to Europe, where the highest quality string instruments continued to be crafted throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Folk instruments, including the banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mountain dulcimer, were more often crafted by self-taught musicians and woodworkers who handed down the skill along with the oral tradition of folk music. Experimentation led to standardization of designs and techniques, although folk instruments often reflect the unique personality of the artisan.
Advancements in woodworking tools and machinery resulted in the growth of instrument factories, first in France and Germany, and then in the United States. The mass production of instruments yielded an abundance of affordable violins, guitars, and other instruments, yet often also resulted in lower quality. While factories began to employ various synthetic materials, master craftsmen continued to produce fine instruments using the best natural materials.
Today, a wide range of approaches to making instruments exists in the United States. Enthusiasts are often attracted to the hobby for the opportunity for individual expression. Many are accomplished musicians who want to save money or to craft an instrument that meets their specifications and whims. Most agree that musical instruments are objects of beauty and joy, and find the craft highly rewarding.
Things to Look For
Musical Qualities:
- Pleasing intonation. This will result from the overall design, the selection of materials, and construction techniques.
- Absence of unwanted, extraneous noises such as buzzes, rattles, or vibrations that can be caused by loose parts, gaps, clogged soundholes, misshapen fingerboards, strings not properly attached, and a host of other problems.
- Ease of tuning.
- Adequate dynamics.
- Suitable action.
Design and Construction Qualities:
- Wood choices, including color, texture, and grain, should be compatible and pleasing.
- The finish should be smooth and free of dried glue, nicks, and scratches.
- Inlaid materials should be secured well.
- All components should fit together properly.
Trends
Instrument makers tend to represent a wide spectrum of personalities. Some craftspeople welcome technological advances, such as computer numeric control (CNC) routers and other digital woodworking tools and high-tech music accessories, while others use only hand tools and a tuning fork. Some instrument makers only replicate traditional designs, while others value innovation. Synthetic components continue to gain ground, although many craftspeople shun all but the finest natural materials.
The traditional music revival has sparked interest in creating instruments from other cultures, such as the nyckelharpa, bodhran, and didgeridoo.
Musical Instrument Making for Fun vs. Profit
While hobbyists may build an instrument for their own use or purely for the pleasure of the craft, it is common for makers to sell their creations, if only for the funds to start their next project. Many small-scale instrument makers combine their craft with other part-time work as performers, songwriters, teachers, and other musical endeavors. Many instrument makers also repair and restore instruments, or do other woodworking-related jobs. Some instruments, including mountain dulcimers, flutes, and whistles, can be marketed at arts and craft fairs as well as to musicians.
When a builder's reputation as a quality craftsperson spreads and their client list begins to grow to the point where a lengthy waiting list forms, instrument making may turn into a full-time business. Yet for hobbyists and professionals alike, profits on individual instruments can often be relatively slim compared to the labor involved, especially depending on the expense of materials used and the state of the market at the time. Many major instrument manufacturers began as small operations but eventually expanded to mass production to take advantage of economies of scale. On the other hand, well-known master builders can command very high sums for their work, though competition is steep. Handmade instruments also compete with the proliferation of instruments made available by globalization, especially as online sales have made quality new and used instruments more accessible than ever before. Yet the internet has helped to open up markets for smaller instrument makers around the world.
Learning More
Organizations
American Musical Instrument Society <http://www.amis.org/>
Guild of American Luthiers <http://www.luth.org/>
Association of Stringed Instruments Artisans <http://www.guitarmaker.org/>
National Music Museum <http://nmmusd.org/>
Books
Botermans, Jack, Herman Dewit, and Hans Goddefroy. Making and Playing Musical Instruments. Seattle: Univ. of Washington Press, 1989.
Cumpiano, William R. Guitarmaking, Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design and Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar and the Classical Guitar. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1993.
Johnson, Chris and Roy Courtnall. The Art of Violin Making. London: Robert Hale, 2007.
Kimball, Dean. Constructing the Mountain Dulcimer. NY: David McKay Co., 1975.
Robinson, Trevor. The Amateur Wind Instrument Maker. Amherst: Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 1980.
Waring, Dennis. Great Folk Music Instruments to Make and Play. New York: Sterling, 1999.