For nearly three decades, Colfax Guitar Shop has been the address Colorado musicians and touring players alike look to when a guitar needs real attention rather than a quick fix. Located at 3220 East Colfax Avenue in Denver’s Bluebird District, the shop pairs a curated selection of new, used, and vintage stringed instruments with a working repair bench staffed by luthiers who handle everything from routine setups to full restorations and custom builds. The business describes its approach as rooted in craft and driven by tone, a fitting summary for a shop that treats guitars as tools to be maintained and improved rather than products to be moved off a shelf as quickly as possible.
The instrument selection covers a wide range of players, from beginners looking for a solid first acoustic or electric to collectors hunting for a specific vintage model, and the shop keeps left-handed guitars in stock as a standard part of its inventory rather than a special order, a detail that matters to the notable share of players who get overlooked at shops built entirely around right-handed instruments. Banjos and other stringed instruments round out the catalog alongside the guitars, and the shop also handles strings and accessories for players who just need to keep their current instrument in playing shape. Customers can buy, sell, consign, or trade instruments through the shop, which keeps a steady flow of interesting used and vintage pieces moving through the store rather than limiting stock to new inventory alone.
What sets Colfax Guitar Shop apart from a typical retail music store is its identity as a working repair shop first. Acoustic setups, electric intonation and fret work, vintage instrument restoration, and custom guitar construction are all handled in house, which means a well loved but neglected guitar can come back playing better than it has in years rather than simply being traded in. That kind of hands-on expertise is part of why the shop has built a reputation with working and touring musicians across Colorado who need reliable, specialized repair work rather than a generic setup. The shop also hosts informal Tiny Shop Concert performances, turning the retail floor into an occasional small venue and reinforcing its role as a gathering point for the local music community rather than just a place to make a purchase.
The Bluebird District location puts the shop in one of East Colfax Avenue’s more walkable stretches, within reach of the neighborhood’s mix of music venues, restaurants, and independent retail that has made the district a destination in its own right. Colfax Guitar Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Sunday and Monday, giving working musicians a dependable weekday and Saturday window to drop off repairs or browse the floor. Shoppers can reach the shop directly at 303-394-0099, or follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, where the team posts repair demonstrations, instrument features, and updates on upcoming in-store events.
In short, Colfax Guitar Shop is Denver’s longtime specialist in guitar repair, custom builds, and curated new, used, and vintage instrument sales, serving Colorado’s music community from its Bluebird District storefront on East Colfax Avenue.
