Music Makers: 15 Colo. Mfrs. Behind the Sounds
By Eric Peterson | Jul 15, 2018
Colorado is known for venues like Red Rocks and artists from John Denver to The Lumineers, but it's also home to many talented craftspeople who make the music possible. From amplifiers to vinyl masters, here are some of the state's most notable manufacturers of instruments and other sonic products.
Aardvark Record Mastering
Paul Brekus is nationally known for cutting vinyl masters on rare vintage lathes. He's made the masters more than 10,000 records in his Denver studio.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/aardvark-mastering
Bashkin Guitars
In Fort Collins, Michael Bashkin utilizes his experience as a scientist and an artist to craft stunning guitars. His background in forestry gives him an understanding of the mechanics of wood and how it impacts the sound of a guitar.
Curt Mangan Guitar Strings
The namesake founder's Cortez manufacturer takes a craft approach to guitar strings, with a vast catalog and machines and designs developed in-house.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/curt-mangan-guitar-strings
Freenotes Harmony Park
Based in Durango, Freenotes specializes in oversized, interactive instruments for parks and other public places. The company has installations on five continents and in all 50 states.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/freenotes-harmony-park
Henriksen Amplifiers
Henriksen debuted the JazzAmp in 2005 to fill a void in the market for the genre's guitarists. The company's Arvada-made amps are now industry standards for jazzmen.
Kent A. Bailey Guitars
Master woodworker and classical guitarist Kent A. Bailey makes playable works of art at his Florissant shop. When he's not making acoustic instruments, he carves a wide range of projects for residential and commercial clients.
McClostone Amplifiers
Aaron McCloskey's tube amps ooze vintage style, but they are built for sound. He crafts them to spec to match the style of his customer, whether their forte is blues, rock, or country.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/mcclostone-amplifiers
Miles Phillips Custom Guitars
The eponymous Carbondale-based maker has crafted acoustic and electric instruments for touring artists like Thievery Corporation and other high-profile musicians.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/miles-phillips-custom-guitars
Mullen Guitars
Del Mullen started making pedal steel guitars on Colorado's Eastern Plains in the 1970s. He's made thousands of guitars for high-profile clients that make up a who's who of pedal steel players in country music.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/mullen-guitars
O'Brien Guitars
Robbie O'Brien is both a luthier and an educator. He started making guitars in the 1990s in Brazil and has since taught hundreds of students the skills of the trade.
OME Banjos
Founder Chuck Ogsbury started making banjos during the folk explosion of the 1960s. His team at OME has handcrafted thousands of high-end banjos for performers all over the world in the decades since.
www.companyweek.com/company-profile/ome-banjos
Taikos.com
Founded by the husband-and-wife team of Jesse and Carla Maddux, the Palmer Lake-based manufacturer uses ash, oak, or exotic wood, steel, and rawhide to handcraft Japanese-style taiko drums. The end results can be massive: Some drums measure more than four feet in diameter.
Todd Perkins Guitars
Denver's Todd Perkins takes blank guitar bodies and transforms them into works of visual art. His instruments have featured everything from Scrabble tiles to license plates to a Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy.
Victor Guitar
Edward Victor Dick has built thousands of instruments since the 1970s, namely guitars and his own guitar-banjo hybrids, Victor Banjolas. He sells his instruments along pre-owned consignments at his shop on South Broadway in Denver, home to the Colorado School of Lutherie.
William Nesse Guitars
A retired University of Northern Colorado professor, Greeley-based Bill Nesse makes ornate acoustic guitars with time-tested traditions and tools. He studied under a luthier in Spain, and is known for his attention to detail. The rosette on his guitars alone -- inlaid around the hole on the body -- features more than 6,000 pieces of wood.
Photos by Jonathan Castner except where otherwise noted.
