About Us – Spampinato Guitars

Matt Spampinato founded Spampinato Guitars in 2016 after completing two years of rigorous study with Edward Victor Dick at the Colorado School of Lutherie and Victor Guitars. Matt is a retired Denver Public School teacher of 25 years, and is the creator of the Thomas Jefferson High School Center for Communication Technology, where he taught subjects as diverse as photojournalism to robotics. A life-long carpenter, Matt has decided to devote his artistry to building custom, handmade guitars and repairing all varieties of plucked instruments. “When I’m building and repairing guitars, I feel as if I am adding to the aesthetic inventory of our musical and artistic community; it’s most rewarding to see a musician play one of my instruments and not only experience the satisfaction with my work, but using that guitar or ukulele to entertain others. It’s rewarding to feel as if a part of me is now part of that performance.” Now with his nephew Mason on board, who not only brings his natural craftsmanship to the table, but also his professional guitarist’s ear to the process, the two have created a formidable, full service luthier shop.

Mason has always had a close relationship with his Uncle Matt and when he expressed interest in the guitar making field, he never knew it would quickly turn into his passion, and as a team they would make this into a new thriving business. Mason got his start playing guitar and bass and attended The University of Colorado Denver for music performance. Since then, he’s completed dozens of national tours with many bands including one of Denver’s premier groups, Eldren. When he’s not on the road, he loves devoting all his time in the shop learning the ins and outs of lutherie. “After years of devotion to musical performance, and now stepping into the other side and really understanding how to make instruments function to their highest capabilities–as well as building custom instruments to provide the subtleties you just can’t get from big manufacturers–has really become my calling,” said Mason. Having a pro player work on your guitar brings an elevated level to the final quality control process that guarantees proper intonation and playability at the professional level. Spampinato Guitar customers highly value that extra level of expertise.

Spampinato Guitars is thrilled to add Charlie Spence to our team. Charlie has been interested in the mechanical side of instruments since his early days as a musician, doing amateur work on his own instruments when the need would arise. One night after a gig playing with The Westway Bells (for which Mason is the bass player), Mason expressed the need for an extra set of hands around the shop, and soon after Charlie started an apprenticeship at Spampinato Guitars. Now having completed his training with flying colors, Charlie exhibits incredible aptitude and craftsmanship as a full-time luthier. “As a player, it’s easy to overlook the detailed parts of an instrument when it is in your hands every night. Learning lutherie skills from Matt and Mason has provided me a new appreciation for music and the instruments used to create it. I couldn’t imagine a more appropriate profession for myself.” Charlie trained privately in jazz and classical guitar studies for 10 years before moving to Denver in 2015. Currently, you can see him and Mason on stage together with his band, The Westway Bells, on Monday nights at Appaloosa Grill where they hold a residency. More great news for players seeking beginning, intermediate, and advanced guitar studies, Charlie has now begun offering lessons at the shop. Please contact him directly for availability information.
You can contact Charlie at 720-638-1944 or charlie@spampinatoguitar s.com