The process for commissioning an instrument begins with meeting you, listening to your current instrument if any, and understanding what your needs are. Then, usually a discussion on which instrument model and size might give you the sound you want, and enable your physical technique will follow. For guitars the materials can be more varied, for violins and violas and cellos it tends to be more conservative. However it is possible to make violas and cellos from a variety of back and side woods other than maple quite successfully.