The Sound

Justin Branum and masterfiddle.com

Fiddler Justin Branum was one of these musicians.  Before the pandemic, Justin was on the road with Lee Ann Womack, but it wasn’t just the pandemic that prompted him to come off the road.  In 2019 he got married, had already been teaching fiddle for many years, and he had also had success producing a…

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Building New/Old Vintage

There is a mystique around guitars built prior to World War II in what is widely considered the golden age of guitars.  If you have ever heard someone pick a Martin or Gibson from that era, then you know they are something special. Guitars from that period are prized by players and collectors alike, and…

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John Holder’s Good Ears Are Apparent In Blue Ridge Sound

Sound systems are an integral part of any musical event. No matter how talented the musicians, they are dependent on competent sound engineers to make sure their instruments and voices are heard in the best possible way. North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Sound, owned and operated by John Holder, is a valuable commodity for promoters and…

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Kevin Fennessey with his restored 1922 Gibson A-2 Mandolin

Restoring a Special 1922 Gibson A-2 “Snakehead” Mandolin

My love for everything mandolin started 60 years ago at age 16, when I bought my first Orpheum A model .  Since that time I have bought and sold many mandolins through the years. Oddly enough, my playing doesn’t come close to what it should be after all that time!  This story is not about…

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Kentucky Morning by Darrell Scott

Written by multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Darrell Scott (“You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive”), “Kentucky Morning” is a decidedly southern song that oozes family—and Kentuckian—pride. Scott has just released the song on his album Old Cane Back Rocker (August 2023). It was also released by the late, great Kentucky native…

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TylerGrant & ArtistWorks

Photo by Jessie Bell Photography/Adrift Dinosaur Background Tyler Grant has been a name familiar to flatpicking guitar players since he emerged onto the acoustic music scene in the early 2000s performing with bands like Adrienne Young, the Two-Stringers (with Christopher and Casey Henry), Canadian fiddler April Verch, old-time banjo player Abigail Washburn, and the Drew…

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