What does a luthier do?

The word "luthier" comes from the French word luth, which means lute. A luthier originally only made lutes, but the term is now used for a person who makes stringed musical instruments that use a soundbox and neck. These stringed instruments can be divided into 2 groups: ones played using a bow (for example violin or cello) and others where the strings are plucked (for example guitar or banjo).

Some tasks a luthier performs are working with wood (eg machining, glueing and varnishing) and they need good acoustic listening skills to set-up and tune the instruments.