The Sound
Learning To Play
2025 Workshops and Camps Are you looking to attend a music camp or workshop this year? Camps and workshops are a great way to study with top professional players and talented instructors. Camps and workshops also provide you the opportunity to meet new friends and jamming partners. Below is a list of camps and workshops…
Kelley Mandolins
Banjo Slayers Today, many small-shop mandolin builders produce what have come to be called “boutique mandolins.” The mandolins of one of those craftsmen, Thomas “Skip” Kelley, have been mentioned on the online blog, MandolinCafe.com in conversations with other high-end names. The website, Mando Mutt, is the exclusive dealer for Skip Kelley mandolins. Mando Mutt’s owner,…
Daniel Patrick
Much More Than “Mandolins and Beer” Photos by Doug Julian Over the course of the last five years, Daniel Patrick has made a name for himself in the mandolin world by hosting the very popular “Mandolins and Beer” podcast. Having produced and published over 250 podcast episodes, he has interviewed most all of the top…
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…