TLDR: Spampinato guitars is the best luthier and guitar retailer I have ever worked with, 10/10 -…read moreif you don't bring your guitar/bass here for work you're making a mistake. ---- I've been a regular customer of Mason, Matt and Charlie for 2 years. I run a small studio near city park that has 8 guitars that need maintenance, they've worked on all of them. I've always had an interest in guitar building and maintenance - so I've worked with and learned from many luthiers over the years. There is a difficult balance in experience and skillset where you need someone who 1) understands the dynamics and malleability of wood on a deep level 2) understands the tertiary skills needed for guitar maintenance (finishing, fretboard inlays, soldering/electronics, etc.) and 3) *actually plays the instrument at an almost professional level so they understand the balance of playability and tone, especially in relation to different techniques for playing bass or guitar - like slide, slap bass, etc. All three professionals at Spampinato hit that balance perfectly. *Their set ups are so fucking good, I've had professional musicians with custom basses pick up my cheap Squire JP and say they want to buy it because it "plays amazingly"*. In reality, it's just properly set up. I've recently enrolled in their guitar building workshop and seen firsthand how Matt and Mason approach guitar building and maintenance. It's clear that they've researched common techniques and, when they deviate, have clear reasoning and are trying to always provide the best outcome for the customer. They are also patient and have had no hesitation answering my litany of questions. I've referred over half a dozen other musicians to their shop and each one has had a phenomenal experience. If you're able to work with Mason, Matt or Charlie and you go somewhere else you're spoiling a phenomenal opportunity and making a mistake.

Mason is by far the best luthier I've ever worked with, and he also happens to be a great guy and…read moresuper helpful. He installed a new bridge and nut on a guitar of mine, and even fixed an unknown issue with the wiring in my guitar free of charge. Seriously great set up on the guitar too. Thanks Mason

Excellent, professional service. Jay, the luthier clearly has a massive amount of experience and…read moretreated my instrument with the utmost care. Communication was seamless--quick to respond to text, upfront about pricing, and gave great advice. It's hard to find a shop with this level of craft and efficiency. I took two high-end bass guitars in for new strings and setup; he did a wonderful job and Jay is indeed a musician's man, he is also a bass player. I own 16 basses/guitars and Jay will be my go to guy from now on. Highly recommended! Recommend!

Repair looked like it was done by school children. Huge…read moremistake trusting this unqualified tech.

Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Extremely helpful in finding a new violin for our advanced…read morestudent.

My mom brought my violin to this place to have it repaired for me as a graduation present…read more My violin has never played like this! I am so impressed with the quality of the repair. Not only does my violin sound better than it ever has, it's easier to play too. They also did some cosmetic work, and it really does look much nicer. When we went to pick the violin up, we returned our rental and we were greeted with an opportunity to go to a practice room and test it out. Everyone was extremely kind and helpful, and I could really tell that they cared about my satisfaction with the repair. They also gave me great care advice when I asked. I'm so thrilled to have my violin sound so nice and for it to be so well taken care of. For any string instrument repair, I would extremely highly recommend. I am sure their lessons are top notch too, though I haven't experienced for myself.

I started studying with John in Oakland just before he moved to Denver. He made such an impression…read moreon me in those first few lessons that we decided to continue instruction via Skype after his move. That proved to be an excellent choice. John is a gifted teacher who takes his own playing very seriously. This means that he is constantly growing as a musician and sharing those lessons with his students in a way the they can relate to. He meets the student where they are, but does not give in to the temptation to cater exclusively to their wants; John preaches balance in playing and practicing and will not hesitate to prescribe work in weak areas. Every time I see John in person, he has grown as both a player and a teacher. He is at the forefront of 'ukulele education on the national and international stage. If you are interested in deepening your understanding of the instrument, you should run - not walk - to Ukulele Inspired Studios.

This review is long overdue! I took ukulele lessons with John when he was based in Oakland, from…read more2015-16. I was brand new to the uke, and needed to start with the basics. There were many things I loved about my lessons with John. First off, his positive energy and enthusiasm made our lessons such a pleasure. Something else that made John's approach totally unique was that his lesson content is very student-driven; rather than assigning me songs to practice, he would ask me what I wanted to learn. I would show him songs I was interested in, and he would help me figure out how to play them. In the weeks when life was busy and I didn't have a song in mind, he would make suggestions that I could choose from. He also challenged me by incorporating musical theory into our lessons, and took into account my prior knowledge from playing piano and singing. Another unique aspect of John's teaching is that he would video record new finger work or strum patterns, and share the videos with me. This way when I was practicing at home and didn't remember how to play something, I could always rewatch the videos. If you're at all considering taking ukulele lessons, I highly recommend that you work with John!

A great place. Very welcoming staff, an amazing inventory and a dedicated luthier for when things…read morego wrong.

I'm not a Colorado local, but I visit this shop every time that I am in town. I had not been in a…read morewhile due to the pandemic, but recently was able to return. This time the shop had moved to a new location. I was staying downtown and was able to hop on the rail and arrive within a reasonable, but m,operate walk from the train stop. It wasn't necessarily an ideal walk front eh train, but definitely manageable. This shop is always packed with cool stuff - in this newer location they have much more space and Heaven more great stuff. New and used, they have lots to look at. I was definitely impressed with the guitar pedals that they keep in stock. Really appreciate the ability to check out some uncommon stuff that I have been interested in potentially adding to my pedal board. The folks here are always friendly and obviously love talking about music equipment as much as I do. Definitly A+ for Flipside Music shop!

Following retirement, I decided to pursue a life long dream of learning an instrument. I taught…read moremyself to play ukulele using YouTube videos. Unfortunately, I was unable to develop any significant improvement. I enrolled with Smoky Hill Music and love my weekly classes. My music teacher is amazing. His patience and love of his craft pushes me to become a better player. I play all the genre of music that I enjoy and my skills have dramatically improved. Thanks, Smoky Hill Music!

Great place to learn guitar and ukulele! Me and my son have taken lessons here for years. The…read moreinstructor is very patient and great with kids - and adult students too! We learn our favorite music and all the theory and technique too. Highly recommend!

Are you a drummer looking for a sweet, local drum shop? Look no further! This place is sick! I live…read morea block away and never stopped in until today and I'm glad I did. It is a small shop but they have warehouses to store the rest of their inventory so if you don't see something there, definitely ask about their warehouse storage. Given the space they're at, they still have an impressive selection with very reasonable prices. Support local businesses! Tim and Perry helped me out while I was there and were both very helpful and nice. They answered my many questions with expertise. I look forward to going back soon!

Our son has been building a drum kit. He wanted some mid-level equipment to replace his entry-level…read moreset. Today he wanted to get a better Hi-Hat set. His ultimate goal was to get the Zildjian New Beats Carter Beauford rocks. Little did he know that when he walked into this shop, they would have not only 1, but 2 used sets available! He was very pleased to be able to trade some unneeded cymbals and hardware towards the purchase. The shop is jam packed with guitars, drums, and equipment. We found out this store has been here 60 years, with the second generation of the same family owning it. I'm not sure which of the Kae brothers--Jason or Tim--helped us, but it was a pleasure doing business with him.

The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and the kindest of humans! Thank you so much for your help…read more Support local!

I cannot speak highly enough about this place for instrument repair. I have a background in music…read moreeducation and am extremely picky about who fixes my instruments. I hadn't played flute in many years but was asked to at church and could tell my instrument needed some adjustments. These guys have my utmost confidence from here on out-I drove up from centennial and the way their shop is set up, the knowledge base of their staff, and the professionalism are all well worth the drive. I won't go anywhere else.