Craft
Booking software for Luthiers
The setup happens with the player there, the restoration without them, and drop-off and collection are two linked appointments.
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The challenges facing luthiers
The setup happens with the player there, the restoration without them
One takes the bench and the person for an hour, the other just the bench for three weeks. They are not the same appointments.
Drop-off and collection are two linked slots
An instrument left with no collection date stays on the shelf. Collection gets booked at drop-off, even if it moves.
Trying an instrument needs a quiet workshop
You do not try a violin while a sander is running. That slot gets booked, it does not get improvised.
The instrument gets described before the visit
Maker, size, age, the problem, how urgent. A three-quarter student violin and a fine instrument do not call for the same preparation.
The player rings while you are at the plane
The workshop runs alone, with nobody on the desk. What books itself online interrupts no work.
How Kagenda helps
The problem
The setup happens with the player there, the restoration without them
With Kagenda
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Hours per service
The problem
Drop-off and collection are two linked slots
With Kagenda
Book a whole course of sessions at once, one after another.
Recurring appointments
The problem
Trying an instrument needs a quiet workshop
With Kagenda
Every session in one place, by day, week or month.
One central calendar
The problem
The instrument gets described before the visit
With Kagenda
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Custom fields
The problem
The player rings while you are at the plane
With Kagenda
Clients book from your page, even while you are with someone else or closed.
24/7 online booking
The features that matter to you
24/7 online booking
Clients book from your page, even while you are with someone else or closed.
One central calendar
Every session in one place, by day, week or month.
Custom fields
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Hours per service
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Email notifications
Confirmed, moved or cancelled — both you and the client are told.
Client records
History, preferences and follow-up notes gathered on one record per client.
Recurring appointments
Book a whole course of sessions at once, one after another.
Automatic reminders
Texts and emails go out before every appointment, with nothing to remember.
Practical guide: Luthiers
- One service per type of work: setup with the player present, drop-off for restoration, trial, valuation. Four durations, four ways of occupying the bench.
- Collection booked at the moment of drop-off. An instrument with no collection date sleeps.
- A trial slot kept for quiet windows, when the workshop is not making noise.
- A required "instrument, size, maker, problem" field.
- An automatic message when the instrument is ready: that is what clears the shelf.
- The client record keeps the history of work done. An instrument seen again five years later is treated better.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a setup at a luthier cost in the UK?
Around £50 to £120 for a setup or restring, £180 to £600 for crack repairs and regluing, and £20 to £60 a month to rent a student violin. Set your own prices.
What should a UK luthier know about protected materials?
Two regimes, and both can stop an instrument at a border. Certain rosewoods, Brazilian rosewood especially, and tortoiseshell are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species: commercial trade and cross-border movement need permits from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, and instruments have been seized. Ivory is now stricter still: the Ivory Act 2018, in force since 2022, bans dealing in elephant ivory with narrow exemptions, one of which covers musical instruments made before 1975 containing less than twenty per cent ivory — and it requires registration of the item with APHA before any sale or hire. Check before you accept export work, and tell customers before they travel.
Can I separate appointments with the player from drop-offs?
Yes, as two services with their own durations.
Can I book collection at the same time as drop-off?
Yes, as two linked appointments.
Can I keep trial slots for quiet times?
Yes, by opening that service only in the windows you choose.
How do I tell a client their instrument is ready?
With an automatic message when you mark it ready.
Ready to simplify your bookings?
Create your account in minutes and let your clients book online starting today.
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