Lutherie Collectives: The Wisdom of Crowds

Luthiers who work alone have many different ways of connecting with colleagues, from joining Facebook groups and participating in online forums to attending conferences and exhibitions and being active in professional associations. But being a solo maker can be isolating, and some of the business practicalities of working alone, of finding and renting a suitable workshop space, growing a client base, marketing, establishing contacts with dealers, and travelling to international fairs, can be time-consuming and expensive. Some makers have decided that forming collectives offers both social and commercial advantages. They’ve found that a small group of like-minded individuals can provide camaraderie and support, an environment for sharing knowledge and expertise, the drive to organise events, and the ability to pool resources, such as splitting the rent on a showroom, or sharing a workspace.