A
luthier ( ) is someone who makes or repairs
string instruments generally consisting of a neck and a sound box. The word
luthier comes from the
French word , which means
lute. The term originally referred to makers of
lutes and is now used interchangeably with any term that refers to makers of a specific, or specialty, type of stringed instrument, such as
violin maker,
guitar maker,
lute maker, but excluding makers of instruments such as harps and pianos, where strings are secured to a frame, and which require different skills and methods of construction. The
craft of making string instruments, or
lutherie (sometimes spelled
luthiery), is commonly divided into two main categories: makers of stringed instruments that are
plucked or strummed and makers of stringed instruments that are
bowed. Since bowed instruments require a bow, the second category includes a subtype known as a
bow maker or
archetier. Luthiers may also teach string instrument making, either through
apprenticeship or formal classroom instruction.