New England Luthiers

 

Our Mission:  Connect with other builders, share information and expertise, see each other's work and just have a good time.

The New England Luthiers (NEL) is an association of professionals and amateurs brought together by a common love of making stringed instruments.  Our goal is to share our knowledge and techniques with anyone interested in expanding their understanding of instrument making.

The association started in 2004 by Steve Spodaryk and Don Williams.  At first it was a group of friends getting together between ASIA and GAL meetings.  Now it is a monthly get together of a continuously growing circle of friends.  Almost every month, someone new comes to the meeting.  Some are just starting out in lutherie and are looking for advice.  Some are generally interested in guitars and want to see what the group is up to.  Recently, The New England Luthiers have coordinated meetings with their northern counterparts The New Hampshire Guild of Woodworkers lutherie subgroup.

There are no dues to join the New England Luthiers.  All it takes is to show up.  If you are interested in the mailing list, we are currently using a New England Luthiers Google Group to maintain a mailing list.  Please join the list to interact with other members and keep up on our meeting schedule.

The majority of our meetings are held at Architectural Openings in Somerville, MA. Steve Kearns has graciously opened his shop to us and we are grateful! Not only do we get to see many works in progress, we see new tools, jigs and templates.  Several times during the year, we visit member’s workshops.  Many are a corner in a basement, a converted garage or a fully equipped professional shop.

The benefits NEL membership include:

• Access to decades of experience in lutherie
• Guidance and feedback on your projects
• Participation in group purchases

We are using Google groups to maintain a mailing list.  Please join the list to interact with other members and keep up on our meeting schedule.

Please contact or with any questions, or if you are interested in contributing to the organization. We are eager to gather ideas for future meetings and would like help prioritizing the many options we have available to us.

Any correspondence regarding this website should be directed to the . The website is constantly evolving into a useful resource for our members.

Please join the list to interact with other members and keep up on our meeting schedule