Professional Luthier Tools for Musical Instrument Makers

Elcoda offers specialised tools for making, repairing and restoring musical instruments.

The range is intended primarily for violin makers, guitar makers, bow makers, professional repair workshops, restorers and instrument-making specialists.

The catalogue includes carving tools and gouges, reamers, knives and scrapers, purfling tools, finger planes, specialised clamps, measuring instruments, files, rasps and other professional workshop tools.

Tools for Violin Makers

Violin making requires many specialised tools that are rarely used in ordinary woodworking.

Making and repairing violins, violas, cellos and double basses involves tools for arching, scroll carving, pegs and pegboxes, bridges, necks, ribs and other components.

Precise geometry, a clean cutting edge and controlled removal of very small quantities of material are particularly important.

Herdim

Herdim is one of Elcoda's main professional tool ranges for musical instrument making and repair.

The assortment includes reamers, peg shapers, finger planes, knives, clamps, soundpost tools, measuring tools, templates and other specialised equipment.

Many Herdim tools are designed specifically for work on violin, viola, cello and double bass.

Carving Tools and Scroll Gouges

Carving tools and gouges are used for shaping scrolls, arches, internal surfaces and other components of string instruments.

Different operations require different blade widths, sweeps and cutting profiles.

Profile, steel quality, sharpening geometry and tool control are all important in fine handwork.

Peg and Endpin Reamers

Special tapered reamers are used to prepare holes for pegs, endbuttons and endpins in bowed string instruments.

Elcoda offers professional Herdim reamers for violin, viola, cello and double bass.

Working range, diameter, length, cutting-edge design and especially taper must be considered.

Reamer Taper

Different tapers are used for peg holes. Depending on the instrument and application, 1:20, 1:25 and other tapers may be required.

The reamer must correspond to the peg shaper used for the peg itself.

Incorrect matching prevents proper contact between the peg and pegbox.

Straight and Spiral Cutting Edges

Professional reamers are available with straight or spiral cutting edges.

The appropriate version depends on the material, condition of the pegbox and the work being carried out.

Restoration work requires particular control to avoid removing more original material than necessary.

Peg Shapers

A peg shaper is used to form the tapered surface of a tuning peg before fitting it to the instrument.

Elcoda offers, among other tools, adjustable Herdim peg shapers for violin, viola and cello.

Professional adjustable systems allow diameter and taper to be matched to an existing peg hole, which is particularly valuable in restoration work.

Luthier Knives

Specialised knives are used for bridges, pegs, necks, purfling, body components and many other operations.

Different blade widths, thicknesses and shapes are used for different tasks.

Blade rigidity, steel quality and the ability to produce a very sharp edge are especially important.

Scrapers

Scrapers are used for final wood preparation and can remove extremely thin shavings.

In violin and guitar making they are used on arches, ribs, necks and other surfaces.

Different scraper shapes allow work on flat, convex and concave surfaces.

Purfling Cutters and Cleaners

Special double cutters, knives, channel cleaners and related tools are used to prepare the purfling channel.

These tools help maintain a consistent distance from the instrument edge and a uniform channel width.

After the boundaries are cut, the wood between them is removed to the required depth.

Bending Tools

Violin, viola, cello, guitar and other instrument ribs require controlled bending.

Heated bending irons and specialised forms are used for this work.

Elcoda offers universal solutions suitable for violin, viola, cello, viola da gamba and guitar making.

Finger Planes

Small finger planes are among the characteristic tools of the violin maker.

They are used for tops and backs, arching, bass bars, necks and other components.

Elcoda offers Herdim planes with flat and arched soles, different blade widths and adjustable mouth openings.

Fingerboard Planes

Specialised planes are used to work long fingerboard surfaces while removing extremely thin shavings and controlling the longitudinal profile.

This precision is particularly important when working on cello and double-bass fingerboards.

Assembly Clamps

Instrument making uses specialised clamps designed for small dimensions, controlled pressure and safe contact with delicate surfaces.

They are used for body assembly, gluing tops and backs, crack repair, bridge work and securing internal components.

Elcoda offers professional Herdim clamps as well as specialised solutions for guitar, cello and double-bass work.

Crack-Repair Clamps

Small specialised clamps are used to hold repaired areas accurately during crack gluing.

They are particularly useful in restoration work, where intervention in the original construction should be kept to a minimum.

Clamps for Guitar Makers

Guitar making requires specialised clamping tools.

They are used for bridge gluing, body repairs, bracing work and instrument assembly.

Elcoda's range includes, among other products, specialised Ibex guitar bridge clamps.

Measuring Instruments

Accurate instrument making requires continuous measurement of thicknesses, distances, radii and component positions.

Workshops use thickness gauges, calipers, precision rulers, profile gauges, templates and other specialised instruments.

Plate graduation particularly requires accurate control of thickness at different points.

Thickness Gauges

A thickness gauge can measure areas that cannot be reached with an ordinary caliper.

Such instruments are used during making and restoration of tops and backs and for analysing existing instruments.

Templates

Specialist templates help control body geometry, component shapes and repeatability of workshop operations.

They can be used for violin, viola, cello and other instrument making.

Files and Rasps

Files and rasps are used for necks, pegs, nuts, bridges and other components.

Different shapes, sizes and cuts are selected for different operations.

For an instrument maker, controlled material removal in a very small area without damaging adjacent surfaces is particularly important.

Bridge Tools

Fitting a bridge requires accurate work on the feet, upper profile, thickness and individual details.

Knives, files, specialised clamps, measuring tools and other equipment are used for this work.

Tool dimensions and working methods differ for violin, viola, cello and double bass.

Soundpost Tools

Special setters and gripping tools are used to install, remove and adjust a soundpost.

The tool must allow controlled positioning through the f-holes of the instrument.

Appropriate lengths and shapes are used for different instrument sizes.

Tools for Guitar Makers

In addition to violin-making tools, Elcoda offers specialised equipment for guitar making and repair.

These include bridge clamps, fingerboard and fret tools, measuring equipment, bending tools and other workshop devices.

In professional repair, using a tool designed for the exact operation helps reduce the risk of damaging the guitar's finish or construction.

Tools for Bow Makers

Bow making and repair also require specialised tools.

Work may include frog fitting, head repair, rehairing, pearl fitting, winding and other operations.

Corresponding materials are available separately in the Bow Parts and Materials section.

Tool Sharpening

The performance of a knife, gouge, chisel or plane depends directly on the condition of its cutting edge.

A professional workshop therefore requires not only good cutting tools, but also a reliable method of maintaining correct sharpening geometry.

Suitable stones, guides and sharpening systems are used for different blades.

Special Tools

Many instrument-making operations require tools that do not fit ordinary woodworking categories.

Elcoda offers specialised equipment for fitting and repair, glue heating, clamping, measurement, setup and other professional operations.

Tools for Repair and Restoration

Restoring a historical or professional instrument differs from making a new instrument.

Controlled material removal, accurate pressure and preservation of existing geometry are particularly important.

Adjustable reamers, peg shapers, small clamps, measuring instruments and specialised fixtures are therefore especially useful in restoration workshops.

How to Choose Luthier Tools

Start by defining the exact operation: new instrument making, repair, restoration, peg fitting, bridge fitting, body work, neck work or bow repair.

Then check working dimensions, adjustment range, cutting material, tool design and compatibility with the particular instrument.

In a professional workshop, measuring and cutting tools should provide repeatable and controllable results.

If the Required Tool Is Not Listed

Elcoda's range is not limited to products currently displayed on the website.

If you are looking for a specific professional tool for violin making, guitar making or bow work, provide the manufacturer, product name, part number or describe the operation for which it is required.

Elcoda will try to check whether a suitable tool can be sourced from the manufacturer or another available supplier.

Materials and Parts for Instrument Makers

In addition to professional tools, Elcoda offers tonewood and instrument-making materials, fittings for bowed string instruments, bow parts and materials and specialist literature for musical instrument makers.

International Delivery

Elcoda is based in Germany and supplies professional tools, workshop equipment, materials and components to violin makers, guitar makers, bow makers, repair workshops, restorers and other professional customers worldwide.