The Sound

Modern Day Dobro Construction from a Traditional Perspective Photos By Jake’s Visuals In our world of bluegrass and acoustic music, the news travels quickly when a young master emerges on the scene. The sound of the Dobro1 in this artist’s hands puts the icing on the cake, or in this case the Gravy (self-penned moniker)…

The D-MA from Preston Thompson Guitars in Sisters, Oregon has almost no interest in impersonating a vintage D-18. And that’s exactly what makes it such a compelling and distinctively modern flatpicking guitar. Even though it shares the basic D-18 DNA of a mahogany dreadnought body with a forward-shifted, scalloped-braced, tap-tuned Adirondack top, the Thompson D-MA…

I first met the double-genius, Dr. Benjamin “Tex” Logan, in the mid ’60’s. My long-time friend and guitar player, Bernie Coveney, and I had recently discovered bluegrass music (in New Jersey of all places!) as we searched for a radio station in the car and ended up on WWVA and the Wheeling, WV Saturday Night…

Bluegrass Builders Photos By Kristen Ellis Photographer Not only is Kentucky home to legendary bluegrass musicians like Rosine’s Bill Monroe, Lexington’s J.D. Crowe and Cordell’s Ricky Skaggs, but many lavish luthiers as well, whether it be Russell Springs’ Frank Neat, who’s built custom banjos for the likes of Earl Scruggs to the aforementioned Crowe and…

Jimmy Cox Defines Quality And Craftsmanship Photos By Jamie Alexander 1,100 miles and 60 years perfecting a craft. From Wolf Creek, Kentucky to Topsham, Maine, banjo maker and innovator Jimmy Cox left his boyhood home in the bluegrass state for a life in the northeast, carrying with him a love of bluegrass music and the…

Gibson Master Luthier Photos By Jake’s Visuals The Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, is legendarily linked to a Gibson F-5 mandolin. Its label was signed on July 9, 1923 by Acoustic Engineer Lloyd Loar. Loar implemented violin F-holes and raised fingerboards, and he introduced long maple necks to the fretted-instrument world. He took the existing,…