The Sound
Collings’ Hill Country Guitars
Formally announced at this year’s IBMA, Collings’ Hill Country Series of guitars continues the company’s move to stretch the acoustic guitar envelope by re-instituting labor-intensive hand-building construction components. The product of more than 24 months of research and development (resulting in multiple prototypes for both the D and OM sizes), the Hill Country line is…
A New Era for Gallagher Guitars
Photos Courtesy of Gallagher Guitar Company Gallagher is a name that for nearly sixty years has been associated with finely crafted acoustic guitars. For nearly that same length of time, Gallagher Guitars has also been tied to one of the finest flatpicking guitar players to ever put a pick to strings—the legendary Doc Watson. The…
A Small Business With Big Impact
The old saying “good things come in small packages” rings true for Lowe Vintage Instrument Company in Burlington, North Carolina. The small store front located beside a photography studio and vintage vinyl record store in the historic downtown district appears neat, clean, and quiet from the outside, but it’s what’s on the inside that draws…
Endless Fields of Bluegrass
The Colorful Origins of the Songs of Bluegrass Music Bluegrass roots run deep. Many of the songs picked and sung on bluegrass stages predate the band members by generations. Several sailed across the ocean with the early immigrants from England, Scotland and Ireland. As settlers ventured out from Jamestown and nearby villages, some headed toward…
The Ome Banjo Finds a New Home with The Gold Tone Group
Photos Courtesy of The Gold Tone Group In 1961 Chuck Ogsbury and friends started the Ode Banjo Company and made banjos under that name until 1966 when the company was sold to Baldwin Piano. In the summer of 1971, Chuck and three other partners—Ed Woodward, Kelly McNish and Ken Whelpton—started the Ome Banjo Company. Their…
Price Sisters
Becoming a Part of the McCoury Family Photo by Allen Clark With the release of their latest album Between The Lines, Lauren and Leanna Price have recorded a project that they feel truly captures where they are right now on their musical journey. With Ronnie McCoury producing, and their band with them in the studio, the Price…