Guitar and violin repair workshop
Repair, set up and restore guitars, violins and other stringed instruments from a small rented workshop.
- A$10k-45k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.
What it is
A small workshop that fixes cracks, refrets, replaces bridges and nuts, does setups, and restores older instruments. You can also sell strings and accessories and build the occasional custom instrument.
Your first three steps
- Build repair experience through an apprenticeship, a luthier course or helping a local repairer, and decide which instruments you will cover
- Compare rents on small units or shared workshop spaces near music shops, schools and busy suburbs
- Introduce yourself to music shops and school music departments and offer them trade pricing for repairs
Who pays
Local musicians, school music programs, parents of students, teachers, collectors and music shops that outsource repairs.
How it makes money
Fixed prices for common jobs like setups and restrings, quoted prices for bigger repairs, plus accessory sales and trade work for music shops and schools.
Skills that help
- Precise hand and fine-tool work
- Diagnosing instrument problems
- Knowledge of guitars and bowed instruments
- Customer service and clear quoting
Watch out for
- Public liability insurance, plus cover for customers' instruments while in your care
- Check council zoning and permits for your premises and your lease terms
- Valuable or sentimental instruments carry risk, so use written quotes and condition notes
- Glues, solvents and finishes need ventilation and safe storage under your state's work health and safety rules
- Repair demand can be uneven across the year, so build in some buffer
🔒 Full research report for Australia
Real cost breakdown with current prices, licences and registration checklist, local competition, pricing, break-even and a 30-day launch plan, with sources.
Coming soonOther ways to run this business
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