Luthiers, however, do not make harps or pianos; these require different skills and construction methods because their strings are secured to a frame.

Early producers of lutes, archlutes, theorbos and vihuelas include the Tieffenbrucker family, Martin Hoffmann and Matteo Sellas.

Two luthiers of the early 19th century connected with the development of the modern classical guitar are Louis Panormo and Georg Staufer.

His designs for a family of arch top instruments (mandolin, mandola, guitar, et cetera) are held in high esteem by today's luthiers, who seek to reproduce their sound.

[citation needed] Concurrent with Fender's work, guitarist Les Paul independently developed a solid-body electric guitar.

His son Nicolò (1596–1684) was himself a master luthier who had several apprentices of note, including Antonio Stradivari[8] (probably), Andrea Guarneri, Bartolomeo Pasta, Jacob Railich, Giovanni Battista Rogeri, Matthias Klotz, and possibly Jacob Stainer and Francesco Rugeri.

[citation needed] Gasparo da Salò of Brescia (Italy) was another early luthier of the violin family.

[citation needed] Da Salò made many instruments and exported to France and Spain, and probably to England.

He had at least five apprentices: his son Francesco, a helper named Battista, Alexander of Marsiglia, Giacomo Lafranchini and Giovanni Paolo Maggini.

From Venice[10] the luthiers Matteo Goffriller, Domenico Montagnana, Sanctus Seraphin, and Carlo Annibale Tononi were principals in the Venetian school of violin making (although the latter began his career in Bologna).