Liutaio Mottola is the non-commercial enterprise of a former engineer, R.M. Mottola. Mottola started making stringed instruments in 1994 after an illness left him unable to work. Since then he has used a methodical approach to the investigatation of instrument design and construction. His research has led to articles about instrument acoustics, ergonomics, materials and construction. Mottola is not a luthier who follows tradition for its own sake. Instead he examines the evidence behind traditional instrument making techniques, with sometimes surprising results.

His website is a goldmine for the aspiring luthier, with plans, tutorials and technical articles. Mottola is the technical editor and a contributing editor for American Lutherie, the journal of the Guild of American Luthiers.