How to commission a handmade instrument from a luthier

Commissioning an instrument is a long conversation more than a single purchase. You describe how you play and what you want to hear, the maker translates that into wood, dimensions and setup, and then you wait, sometimes for years. When the instrument arrives, it still needs time and small adjustments before it settles.

Every maker runs this differently. Some take a deposit to hold a place on a waiting list, some take nothing until the work starts, and some draw names once a year. Trial periods, refund terms and aftercare all vary. The examples in this guide come from makers' own published terms. They show what to ask, not what any maker owes you.

This guide covers guitars, the violin family and other wooden instruments. It walks through the order of decisions, the specification, the contract, the trial and the paperwork worth keeping.

Key takeaways

• Start from how you play and the sound you want. A good maker turns that into a specification with you.
• Waiting lists range from months to years. J. Romero Banjos quotes around five years for its custom banjos and does not guarantee a build date.
• Deposits in published terms run from none (Roger Hargrave, for standard orders) to 10% (John Dilworth) and 25% (McElroy Guitars). Check what happens to the deposit if either side pulls out.
• Ask for a written contract with the specification, price, deposit and estimated finishing time. Dilworth describes exactly this.
• Agree an approval period before you pay in full. Published examples include two weeks (Dilworth) and seven days (McElroy).
• Keep the contract, specification, label or serial details and care instructions together, and record any protected materials used.

Start with how you play

Before you look at wood samples, write down what you need the instrument to do. A violinist choosing between a bright solo voice and a darker chamber sound needs a different conversation from a fingerstyle guitarist who plays at home. Violin maker John Dilworth says the first step in his process is deciding what type of instrument and sound the client is seeking.

Useful things to tell a maker:

• what you play, where, and with whom;
• instruments you have played and liked or disliked, and why;
• any physical needs, such as hand size, a short reach or left-handed playing;
• your budget, including the case and any setup work.

Roger Hargrave, a violin maker, describes starting every order by discussing the player's individual requirements and explaining the options when the client needs help deciding.

Waiting lists and lead times

Waiting lists are normal for independent makers, and their length says little about quality. It reflects how many instruments one person can make in a year and how many people are asking.

Maker	What their published terms say
J. Romero Banjos	Waitlist opens once a year on 1 January, names are drawn, wait of around five years, no guaranteed build date
John Dilworth (violins)	Contract states an estimated finishing time, deposit secures a place on the waiting list
Roger Hargrave (violins)	Client is placed on the waiting list once details are agreed, contacted again when work starts
Lowden Guitars	For guitars built to order, the team confirms the specification and a lead time with the buyer

Ask two questions about time. When will work on your instrument start? And how will the maker tell you if that moves? Romero, for example, says it does not need your specification at the point of ordering and works it out with you when your build comes up.

Deposits and payment

Published deposit terms vary widely:

• John Dilworth asks for 10%, which secures the client's place and covers early material and preparation costs. For highly individual designs, he asks for full payment in advance.
• McElroy Guitars asks for 25% of the estimated price to reserve an instrument, with the balance due before delivery.
• Roger Hargrave says he does not usually take a deposit, except for unusual orders such as left-handed instruments or copies of lesser-known makers.
• J. Romero Banjos takes a non-refundable deposit when your name is drawn and guarantees the base price at the time of ordering, but not the price of options.

Before paying, ask whether the deposit is refundable, whether it counts towards the final price, and what happens if the maker cannot start or you change your mind. For more on staged payments, see our guide to payment schedules for commissions.

The specification

The specification is the list of decisions that define your instrument. Makers differ in how much they want you to decide and how much they prefer to guide you.

Model and size

For violins, violas and cellos, Dilworth notes that the model is often chosen first by size. He bases his designs on classical makers from Cremona, Brescia and Venice. Hargrave offers copies of Italian instruments as well as new instruments based on classical patterns. For guitars, McElroy describes helping clients choose a model, wood combinations, rosette style and binding details.

Tonewoods

Taylor Guitars says the soundboard wood plays a key role in defining the overall tone, while back and side woods act as natural tone controls. Taylor also says wood is one part of a larger musical recipe, and that how the maker works with it matters. A maker you trust can tell you how they use each wood, which is more useful than a general table of tone descriptions.

Some woods carry extra rules. McElroy lists Brazilian rosewood as an option at a surcharge, and also states that CITES and other import and export rules are the owner's responsibility. If an instrument will cross borders, ask which species are in it and what paperwork comes with it.

Neck, scale and playability

For guitars, the neck shape, scale length, nut width and string spacing affect how the instrument feels under your hands. These are personal. If you can, play instruments with different necks before you commit, and give the maker measurements from one that suits you.

Finish and appearance

Dilworth varnishes to the player's specification, fresh or antiqued. Hargrave notes that copies are usually antiqued with light wear, while some clients prefer an instrument that looks new. Decide this early. It affects the look for decades.

The contract

Dilworth describes offering a contract that sets out the details of the work, the estimated finishing time and the cost. That is a useful minimum. A good contract also covers:

• the final specification, with any options and their prices;
• the deposit, payment stages and what is refundable;
• the approval or trial period and how a return works;
• what adjustments are included after delivery and for how long;
• delivery, shipping and insurance;
• what happens if the specification changes during the build.

If you change your mind about a detail after work starts, expect it to affect the price or date. Our guide to change requests during a commission explains how makers usually handle this.

Trial, approval and returns

Many makers let you live with the finished instrument before you pay in full.

• Dilworth gives a two-week approval period, during which adjustments are made. At the end, full payment is due or the instrument is returned. If it is returned, he resells it and refunds the deposit once it sells.
• McElroy describes a 7-day right of first refusal. Standard instruments are refunded promptly, and custom instruments are refunded once resold, with no guarantee of timing.
• Hargrave says he does not insist that a client buys a finished instrument.

Use the trial period well. Play in the rooms where you normally play, ask a teacher or colleague to listen from a distance, and note anything that feels wrong so the maker can adjust it.

Setup and adjustments

Setup is the set of small adjustments that make an instrument play well: neck relief, nut slots, string height and intonation. Luthier Dave Helmer, writing in Premier Guitar, sets neck relief first, then nut slots, then string height, with intonation as the final step.

Instruments move after delivery. Martin notes that the top of a guitar rises and falls with temperature and humidity and that action changes over time, and recommends taking action adjustments to an authorised service centre. Roger Hargrave says he changes playing adjustments free of charge for a year and recommends a check and adjustment during that time.

Ask your maker what is included, for how long, and who can do the work if you live far away. Hargrave mentions a network of colleagues for distant clients.

Humidity during the first year

A new instrument is most vulnerable in its first dry winter. Martin recommends 45–55% relative humidity, and both Martin and Taylor recommend keeping a guitar in its case with a humidifier when the air is dry. Our guide to humidity and wooden instruments covers the ranges, symptoms and fixes in detail.

What to keep

The paperwork is part of the instrument. Keep it together, ideally both on paper and as scans:

• the contract and final specification, including wood species;
• the label, stamp or serial details. Martin, for example, etches the model and serial number on the neck block, and its serial lookup dates the instrument;
• invoices and proof of payment;
• care instructions and the recommended humidity range;
• a record of adjustments and repairs, with dates;
• any documents about the origin of protected woods or materials.

This record helps with insurance, repairs and resale. For how makers and owners build that record, see provenance records for handmade objects.

Sources

• Commissioning new instruments, John Dilworth Violins: first consultation, contract contents, 10% deposit, model and wood choice, varnish, two-week approval period, returns
• Ordering an instrument / Commissions, Roger Graham Hargrave: discussing requirements, waiting list, deposit only for unusual orders, models and antiquing, one year of free adjustments
• Ordering, McElroy Guitars: 25% deposit, help with model and woods, wood options, 7-day right of first refusal, CITES as the owner's responsibility
• Ordering a custom banjo, J. Romero Banjos: annual waitlist draw, around five-year wait, non-refundable deposit, price guarantee, specification at build time
• Taylor tonewoods, Taylor Guitars Wood&Steel: role of the soundboard and of back and side woods, wood as one part of the sound
• How to set up a guitar, Premier Guitar: order of setup steps
• Care and feeding guide, C. F. Martin & Co.: 45–55% humidity, action changes over time, top movement, adjustments by authorised service centres
• Frequently asked questions, C. F. Martin & Co.: serial number on the neck block, dating by serial number
• FAQs, Lowden Guitars: specification and lead time confirmed individually for guitars built to order
• 5 guitar care essentials, Taylor Guitars Wood&Steel: case and in-case humidifier in dry conditions