The Colorado Luthiers group came into being some time in about 1999 when Alan Dunwell and Randy Reynolds decided to get together and swap lies and information. Several other luthiers also came along and over time the group got larger and a bit more formalized.
Today the group is composed mostly of Colorado Front Range builders from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and points in between but is open to all stringed instrument builders in the state. We are a very informal guild with skill levels ranging from professional builders to amateurs that have yet to build an instrument and folks of all skill levels are welcome and encouraged to join.
Our mission is to encourage new builders, and to be a repository of information on instrument building.
We have at least four get together meetings each year, usually at one of our shops where we get to see how "it is done" by that particular luthier. At each meeting we usually have a swap type exchange of goods and/or tools and often a Tips and Tricks contest. It is with information from these gatherings that our Tips and Tricks page is generated.
When the situation is right we also try to do Group Buying to purchase items at a discount or to meet expensive minimum order requirements.
In January of 2007, Alan Dunwell stepped down from the head position of the group and became Pinwheel Emeritus. Patrick Aslakson became the the new Head Pinwheel as the leader of the group.
Feel free to contact Patrick Aslakson if you would like further information or wish to join the group.