Playing Since: 1959
Experience Level: Intermediate

Interests:
[Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]

Occupation: Retired

Gender: Male
Age: 83

My Instruments:
A curly maple flathead with a modified fingerboard which I got from Bill Sullivan, the pot is a Cox wood rim from First Quality, a 1933 Gibson prewar archtop with a Mitchels Tonering Mate and a brass flange and tension hoop which I got from Bob Cathey. An all curly maple banjo with 24 fret neck and Mitchels archtop tone ring and ToneRing Mate, with unplated brass flange and stretcher band (again from R. Cathey) with Christian symbol inlays (see my pictures), a Walnut banjo with rim, flange and stretcher band from FQMS and a Price tone ring with Christian inlays and ascending Christ on the peghead - got a semi-finished walnut neck from Melrose Music. Also a 1927 Epiphone Recording B. Originally a tenor that I made a 5-string neck for. East Indian Rosewood neck, Ebony fingerboard and Paua Abalone inlays.

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Earl Scruggs, Sonny Osborne, Osborne Bros band, Blue Highway, Hot Rize, Pete Wernick, Allen Shelton, .....

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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 10/17/2006
Last Visit 8/15/2025

Grew up in a Christian home. Dad played mostly mandolin, but also played banjo, and I guess guitar - which I never heard. He played for square dances, so much of the music I heard was "hillbilly music". I fell in love with folk music - especially that with banjo in it. Then I got the Flatt & Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Banjo" record and my whole world changed. That was in 1961 and I've been hooked ever since. I've been in several bluegrass bands - but played mostly bass. I've been blessed to have met a lot of very good musicians, who have tolerated me. I find as I get older the new licks and songs take a lot more work, and don't sound as good as those I learned in early years - but maybe it's just the 45 plus years of practice on some of them!