Asociación Mundial de Luthiers

Worldwide Association of technicians in musical instrument construction, tuning, repair, regulation, and rebuilding

Recognition of Luthiers

AMLuthiers professional levels are titles awarded by the association to recognize professional levels and specialties. Luthiers recognized in professional level 3 (TS), 4 (AP), o 5 (LM) may add the title to their name " Juan Fulano, TS ".

(TS) AMLuthiers professional level 3 is comparable to these recognitions by various associations
•MPTA (Inglaterra) Piano Forte Tuner's Association
•RPT (EEUU) Registered Piano Technician, Piano Technicians Guild
•ARPT (Australia, NZ) Australasian Piano Tuners and Technicians Association

Application for Professional Membership Please complete the form and click "send"
Charges are based on what needs to be done to process your application, including observations, examinations and assessments. You can pay with a card using the secure button.

First, middle name

Last name

Email

City, country

Languages

Citizenship

Education

Experience, career

Profesional association certification
Appropriate degree from an institution of higher education
Possess legal and fiscal ability to develop this activity professionally
Evaluation and recommendation by Professional Members
New members who wish to obtain the designation of Professional Member, who do not have any recognitions specified above will have the opportunity to be accepted after submitting alternative qualifications, and/or observations and assessments administered by the AMLuthiers
Certificates are awarded to recognize each specialty approved.

LEVEL OF RECOGNITION

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 2 Tuner 3 Technician 3 Tuner/technician 4 Craftsman 5 Master Craftsman

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

humidity control 1 2 3 4 5
termite control 1 2 3 4 5
marketing 1 2 3 4 5
tuning 1 2 3 4 5
regulation 1 2 3 4 5
repair 1 2 3 4 5
keys 1 2 3 4 5
strings 1 2 3 4 5
harpsichord 1 2 3 4 5
clavichord 1 2 3 4 5
pianoforte 1 2 3 4 5
square grand 1 2 3 4 5
refinishing 1 2 3 4 5
wood working 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
moving 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
piano manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5
Organ
Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 2 Tuner 3 Technician 3 Tuner/technician 4 Craftsman 5 Master Craftsman

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

humidity control 1 2 3 4 5
termite control 1 2 3 4 5
marketing 1 2 3 4 5
tuning 1 2 3 4 5
regulation 1 2 3 4 5
repair 1 2 3 4 5
free reed 1 2 3 4 5
pipe organ 1 2 3 4 5
refinishing 1 2 3 4 5
wood working 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
moving 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
organ manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Strings
Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

bow repair 1 2 3 4 5
violin 1 2 3 4 5
viola 1 2 3 4 5
refinishing 1 2 3 4 5
wood working 1 2 3 4 5
violincello 1 2 3 4 5
double bass 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Brass Instruments

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

trumpet/cornet 1 2 3 4 5
trombone 1 2 3 4 5
french horn 1 2 3 4 5
tuba/euphonium 1 2 3 4 5
refinishing 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Woodwind Instruments

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

clarinet 1 2 3 4 5
saxophone 1 2 3 4 5
oboe/english horn 1 2 3 4 5
bassoon 1 2 3 4 5
flute 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Guitar Family

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

classical 1 2 3 4 5
steel string 1 2 3 4 5
bass guitar 1 2 3 4 5
charango 1 2 3 4 5
ukelele 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Percussion Instruments

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier
Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

mallets 1 2 3 4 5
Directly struck idiophones 1 2 3 4 5
Indirectly struck idiophones 1 2 3 4 5
Plucked idiophones 1 2 3 4 5
Friction idiophones 1 2 3 4 5
Blown idiophones 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Traditional Instruments

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier
Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

plucked strings 1 2 3 4 5
bowed strings 1 2 3 4 5
flutes 1 2 3 4 5
percussion 1 2 3 4 5
clay, ceramic 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Electronic Instruments

Overall Level applied for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

1 Apprentice 2 Repairman 3 Luthier 4 Craftsman Luthier 5 Master Craftsman Luthier

Specialty. Please select a level for each specialty you are applying for

guitars 1 2 3 4 5
keyboards 1 2 3 4 5
synthesizers 1 2 3 4 5
amps/mixers 1 2 3 4 5
speakers 1 2 3 4 5
rebuilding 1 2 3 4 5
design 1 2 3 4 5
instrument manufacturing 1 2 3 4 5
parts or tools manufacture 1 2 3 4 5
teaching technicians 1 2 3 4 5
other 1 2 3 4 5

Ecuador
La educación superior se imparte en dos niveles: pregrado y posgrado. En el sistema de la AMLuthiers, niveles 1, 2, 3 son "pregrado". Especializaciones y estudios advanzados son niveles 4 y 5.

1. El nivel de pregrado tiene, a su vez, tres niveles de formación:
▪ Nivel Técnico Profesional (relativo a programas Técnicos Profesionales).
▪ Nivel Tecnológico (relativo a programas tecnológicos).
▪ Nivel Profesional (relativo a programas profesionales universitarios).

2. La educación de posgrado comprende los siguientes niveles:
▪ Especializaciones (relativas a programas)
⁃ Especialización Técnica Profesional
⁃ Especialización Tecnológica
⁃ Especializaciones Profesionales)
▪ Maestrías.
▪ Doctorados.

Alemania
” Gesellen-Brief" (certificado de notas) “journeyman's certificate”
In Germany there are four professional levels - Fachmann (professional or expert): En el sistema de la AMLuthiers, "Apprentice" incluye niveles 1 (principiantes), y 2 (aprendices trabajando con supervisión); nivel 3 es para técnicos independientes, y niveles 4 y 5 para los que se especializan y/o siguen estudiando y progresando.
• Apprentice (Lehrling)
•Journeyman (Geselle)
• Expert (Experte)
• Artisan (Fachmann und Meister)

1.2. Apprentice (Lehrling)
You make a 3-5 year paid apprenticeship in a workshop or in a factory. In the workshop the focus in on rebuilding, in the factory the focus is on production. The final exam is the very same for both groups. Twice a year you attend the vocational school for 6 weeks (3 months each year).

3. Journeyman (Geselle)
After the exam you are entitled to call yourself "Klavierbauer or Klavierbauer-Geselle”. The official title for all trades in Germany is the Gesellen-Brief, which is a kind of diploma. Klavierbauer-Geselle: tuning, regulating, voicing, nearly every aspect of repair and complete rebuilding. A Klavierbaumeister should have a deeper understanding of piano construction, running a business and of training his apprentices.

4. Expert (Experte)
Next step is the "Klavierbaumeister": traditionally, you work 3 - 5 years after having acquired the Gesellenbrief as Klavierbauer. After these working years you attend the vocational school again, but this time it´s the master class and it takes one year full time. There you learn piano construction, some business skills and some educational skills for training apprentices. After the exam you are Klavierbaumeister. The official title (for all trades) A Klavierbaumeister should have a deeper understanding of piano construction, running a business and of training his apprentices.

5. Artisan (Fachmann und Meister).
after that step is the "Meisterbrief”. To train apprentices, you still need to have the Meister degree.

Since 2004 you don´t need a Meisterbrief as Klavierbaumeister to run a workshop anymore. Everybody may repair pianos now, even without any training. Piano tuner or piano technician is not a "trademarked" profession title. Everybody is entitled to tune or repair pianos (even without any training), but you may not use the term Klavierbauer or Klavierbaumeister. Instead you may use piano technician or tuner. The authority that monitors these activities and that bestows the titles is the chamber of handicrafts, a quasi governmental organisation. 

That system of learning a trade in the German speaking countries is called Dual System. Dual because of the combination of workshop and school. As far as I know, it´s unique in the world. It´s highly regulated and monitored by the authorities. It stems from the system of the mid-age guilds of trade. Fortunately some things have changed since then. The major change might be that in the mid-age it was usual to pay the master to get his training. Nowadays the apprentices get paid for the work they do in the workshops. There is an old saying: in the first year, the apprentice costs money. In the second year, he acquires the money he costs. In the third year, he brings money for the company. Traditionally, we start an apprenticeship in younger years. Usually in the age of 16 - 22 years.

The Europiano Technician Degree (ETD) has been developed, and is now accessible in its first level – “Europiano Technician.” The ETD is designed for, and is available, for members of those associations who do not have their own standardised education and exam equal to or above the EPTD. These association are at the time being: AIARP(Italy), ASETAP(Spain), NPTF(Norway), SPTF(Sweden), EKK(Estonia), DPIF(Denmark), APM(Russia), CKS(Check Rep.), ABPT(UK), SPSF(Poland).
Examination regulations in German
CONTENIDOS DEL EXAMEN.pdf
EUROPIANO Reglamento.pdf