Yesterday, we lost one of the great and influential bluegrass fiddlers. Bobby Hicks passed away early Friday morning from complications of a heart attack earlier in the week at the age of 91. I do not think that there is a bluegrass fiddler alive today that does not know who he was, let alone view him as a big influence.
Hicks was born in North Carolina in 1933, and first learned guitar and mandolin. He later picked up the fiddle, and won his first fiddle contest at age 12. He would first play with Jim Eanes band, and did a short stint playing bass for Bill Monroe until Monroe saw how good he was on the fiddle and moved him to that position full time.
After a two-year service in the Army, Hicks returned to the Blue Grass Boys and moved to Nashville. With them he recorded Monroe classics “Big Mon,” “Scotland,” and “Wheel Hoss.” He often recorded twin and triple fiddles with the band alongside Vassar Clemens, Kenny Baker, and Charlie Cline. He later joined Port Wagoner’s band, but soon moved to Las Vegas where he was getting paid much better. It is there that he created his homemade five-string fiddle.
After seven years in Vegas, he returned to NC to care for his ailing mother. While home, he played with some local bands and held private lessons. In 1981, Ricky Skaggs asked Hicks to join his touring band. At the same time, he participated in the first five albums of the legendary Bluegrass Album Band, which included Tony Rice, Doyle Lawson, J.D. Crowe and Todd Phillips.
He retired from Skaggs’ band and touring in 2004 at the age of 71. He continued playing locally in NC and giving occasional lessons. He was inducted into the Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2002, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame in 2017, and was also a member of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. He has 10 Grammy Awards to his credit, and performed for over 50 years on the Grand Ole Opry.
Monroe once dubbed Hicks “the truest fiddler he had ever heard.” I had the honor of meeting Mr. Hicks back around 2011 at the IBMA World of Bluegrass Conference when it was in Nashville. In the Exhibit Hall, he was trying out a number of fiddles at a luthier’s booth. Strangely, there was not that big of a crowd standing around watching this legend test-drive the fiddles. He actually asked me what I thought of one of them once he was finished playing. We chatted for a few minutes, I explained that I was not a fiddler but enjoyed fine playing. I felt honored that he would ask someone he didn’t know an opinion of an instrument.
The masters of bluegrass are disappearing at a sadly fast rate, and with Bobby Hicks now gone, there is not many left for our younger artists to show respect to. He will be sorely missed int eh bluegrass community for not only his talent, but his knowledge that he passed on to many others.
Apologies for being a day late, but this weekend was the one that I visit both the US 12 Longest Yard Sale and the Michigan Fiddlers Association Old-Time Fiddlers Convention.
Friday was the day for the year sale. While they advertise it going from Detroit to the western border at New Buffalo, things don’t start to really show up until after Saline if you travel west on the road. Nothing for knick-knacks this year for me, but I did pick up a few music bargains.
MXL 770 large-diaphragm condenser microphone. I really have no need for one of these, as I just sold off a similar one last year and have an older MXL model that I still keep. However, it was a good price, and it was never used, with a shock mount still wrapped up in plastic. I am sure that I can re-sell it and make a few dollars.
Kustom KLA 10 guitar practice amplifier. Again, I have a few small practice amps already, but I picked it up for next to nothing. These are pretty good, reliable little amps, as Kustom has been putting them out for years. I will probably do a review on this next week.
Jasmine by Takamine S-35 acoustic guitar. I did an overview of my experiences with Jasmine guitars in a previous blog (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/09/30/jasmine-guitars-the-good-as-well-as-the-bad-and-ugly/). This particular guitar was made while Jasmine was still a part of the Takamine company. These are high-quality beginner guitars that can hold up to models costing a lot more (these go for about $100.00 used), and it came with a high-end Road Runner case/gig-bag. I paid $60.00 for the package, which is nearly what the gig bag cost new. The guitar was hardly touched. The seller told me that he purchased it for his daughter in high school and she lost interest rather quickly. When I got home, as I was cleaning out the gig bag, I found some lyrics that the girl must have written while she was still interested in playing and performing. Very cliché lyrics about breaking up with a boyfriend, but I had to smile that she at least tried to write a song. I have another S-35, and I will look at selling at least one if not both in the near future.
2002 Made in Mexico Fender Stratocaster. Despite being over 20 years old, it still had the cellophane on the pickguard and wammy bar cover. All I can figure that it sat for all of that time because the nut is cut too low on the B string, so the original owner never bothered to fix it. That’s a $20.00 job if I do it myself, probably $50.00 or so if I get a shop to do it. We shall see if I budget my time, and it’s not like I have to do it right away. I still got a decent deal on it, and while I don’t play electric guitar much, I know a deal when I see it.
There is not a lot of music equipment available along the strip of sales, mostly clothes, old toys, and possible collectible antiques. But I have been going every year since before COVID, and I will surely take the day off from work to go again next year.
Saturday I spent a few hours at the Old-Time Fiddle Convention in Hastings, Michigan. While this is not a big event, those that attend for the three days are extremely loyal fiddlers interested in old-time music and jamming with others. I probably could have more time there, but traffic accents and construction took a lot of my Saturday morning time. I caught the end of the Sing-Along workshop by Glen Warners, then watched the Michigan Fiddle Tunes workshop hosted by Dave Langdon. Dave is a great old-time fiddler, playing left handed. However, his instructional skills are less than satisfactory. While the class worked on two simple fiddle tunes, and most everyone there were competent with the tunes, Dave tends to just play a part of the tune and then have everyone join in. There is very little discussion on notes, and he doesn’t even give a count to start the song, he just jumps in and expects everyone to catch what he is doing. There were a few instances that students had to point out that he wasn’t following the sheet music verbatim, but said that he had his own style. Fortunately, everyone in attendance was very friendly and appreciative of the workshop.
I was able to make a simple video of the Langdon workshop with my older video camera (I’m still having problems with the video camera I purchased last year, and the instruction manual is all in Chinese, so I still have a lot to learn with it). I will post it on my YouTube page later this week.
I would love to see more people at the convention. Unfortunately, Hastings is not that easy to drive to, and people interested in old-time fiddle music are usually going to hit more popular events such as Galax in Virginia. The MFA doesn’t do much to advertise the event either, so attendance depends mostly through word-of-mouth from previous attendees. I have chatted this event up to many other bluegrass musicians and fiddlers, but just about everyone feigns interest. I do plan on going next year, as well as hitting the old-time fiddle contest in New Boston this October.
So, the announcement was made this past week that the IBMA World of Bluegrass Conference will be held in Chattanooga, Tennessee for the 2025 through 2027 seasons. The choice surprised a few in the bluegrass community, as most thought that it would be moved back to Kentucky.
The IBMA stated that it would make the announcement much earlier in the year, so being this late made many lose interest in where the conference would be located in the future. Once the announcement was made that 2024 would be the last year that WOB would be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, the bluegrass community was talking heavily on a new location, which included Louisville, Lexington, or Owensboro, KY, Dayton, OH, or even St. Louis, MO. Very little talk was of Chattanooga, but one can see a few positives to the choice:
More centrally located. While still in the South, Chattanooga is closer to other bluegrass-oriented cities such as Nashville, Knoxville, Louisville, and Dayton. As a mileage note, Chattanooga is about a 9.5-hour drive from Detroit, while Raleigh is closer to 13 hours (I still don’t plan on going, more on that later).
Investment. Chattanooga is planning on investing $25 million into promoting tourist and convention marketing. We are fully aware that conferences such as WOB can pull in millions of dollars to a city’s economy, so I would venture that with WOB being there for three years, it will be a hefty return on investment, not even considering other conventions and tourism outside of WOB.
Weather. During WOB’s tenure at Raleigh, there were two instances where hurricanes affected the conference, with one cancelling a large amount of events or forcing re-scheduling. A fan registered for WOB that just paid a few hundred dollars to attend, as well as hundreds more for hotel and food, expects a whole week of entertainment without Mother Nature screwing up things. Yes, maybe a day can be a disappointment (we’re used to it at bluegrass festivals), but to be in fear of dangerous weather the entire time is not worth the trip.
The first WOB in Chattanooga is scheduled for September 16-20, 2025. Oddly enough, that is usually the same week that the Americana Music Association schedules its AmericanaFest conference in Nasvhille. While there is not a lot of conflict, some bands and fans do attend both conferences, so one would wonder how much of a loss either association would feel if both were to be held on the same week. I would imagine that the AMA would probably hurt more, albeit not a large amount. Also, would anyone even consider the two-hour drive between the two cities to attempt to attend both? Highly unlikely.
As I stated above, I don’t plan on attending WOB in the near future, unless drastic changes are made in the philosophies of the IBMA, especially its political leanings. Because they moved so far left in thought since the George Floyd riots, I not only stopped becoming a member, but also resigned my position as a member of Leadership Bluegrass. Granted, I have also left the Americana Music Association for similar reasons, so whatever happens to the conferences over the next few years does not concern me. What I care about is the quality of music, not the diversity/equity of the artists. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at SPBGMA this past January because there was no politics, just a bunch of people enjoying music and jamming, and it allowed me to network without having to deal with conflicting attitudes.
In a related note to end this blog, I was going through some thumb drives a few evenings back, and came across a folder marked “IBMA 2011.” I believe this was one of the last years that WOB was held in Nashville, as well as one of the last times that I attended. One of the themes that year was Del McCoury’s 70th birthday. The Del McCoury Band performed live outdoors near the Ryman Auditorium and had a number of special guests, including Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, and Dierks Bentley. I actually got to hang out with Dierks for a while after his appearance, which he proved to be a true gentleman. I remember taking this photo and sending it back to two female co-workers. They were so jealous that they wouldn’t talk to me for days!
Three important names in music passed away this past week, with two of them being big influences on my musical life.
First, let’s look at the passing of John Mayall. He was a student of the blues long before the British Invasion that gave us the Rolling Stones, the Animals, and the Yardbirds. He, along with Alexis Korner, brought Chicago-style blues to young Brits in the early 1960s. His proteges included Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie among many others. His 1966 album John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, often called the Beano album as it featured Clapton reading the Beano comic book on the cover, is considered legendary. He had many chances to gain great success in the US if he would dilute his strict blues style, but he refused. He became a cult hero among blues purists, and his original material was off kilter, not writing about usual blues subjects such as drinking and infidelity, but instead choosing political and environmental themes. He was active until very recently, passing away at the age of 90.
Next, we look at Abdul “Duke: Fakir, tenor singer and last original member of the Four Tops. Motown was a big part of my growing up, and much of that came from the smooth vocals from the talented groups on the label. The Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, and Martha & the Vandellas were all top notch, but my favorite of them all was the Four Tops. Lead singer Levi Stubbs was amazing to say the least, but the icing on the cake was the tight and timely harmonies provided by Lawrence Payton, Renaldo Benson, and Duke Fakir. Listen to classics such as “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch).” “Bernadette,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” and “It’s the Same Old Song.” These four guys were bridging doo-wop with R&B energy.
Then there was the look. The four members, especially Fakir, had absolute class and style in the way that they presented themselves. In the beginning, they wore tailored, matching suits that gave them a gentlemanly look. As the 60s progressed on into the 1970s, they began to make individual fashion statements. Even after leaving Motown, they still had hits with “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)” on ABC and “When She Was My Girl” on Casablanca. One has to remember that these four performed together from 1953 to 1997, the longest tenure for any band with original members.
Fakir never left Detroit long-term, He owned much property in the city, and ran a successful restaurant on the Detroit River. He passed away on July 22 of heart failure at the age of 88.
My other big influence that we lost this past week as acoustic guitarist Harry Peter “Happy” Traum. Born in 1938 in the Bronx, he was part of the Washington Square/Greenwich Village scene during the early 1960s, where he would become friends with a young Bob Dylan. Along with Dylan, Pete Seeger, and the Freedom Singers, they recorded Broadside Ballads Volume 1 for Folkways Records. He actually cut the first version of Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind.”
However, Traum is best known by many, including my introduction to him, for his work in creating guitar instructional books, tapes, and videos through his Homespun Music company. As a guitar teacher in New York City, he first wrote the book Fingerpicking Styles for Guitar in 1965. He was soon making tapes for his students based on transcriptions in the book. Due to the popularity, he formed Homespun with his wife and began advertising in various music magazines. Soon he was releasing instructional tapes from fiddler Kenny Kosek and banjo whiz Bill Keith.
By 1983, Homespun was releasing VCR lessons, which was eventually followed by DVD and online downloads. In 1995, Hal Leonard Corporation took over the massive distribution job. Other artists that Traum recorded for lessons included Chet Atkins, Norman Blake, Rick Danko, Donald Fagen, Jerry Douglas, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Doc Watson, even musical comedians Steve Martin and Steve Allen. Each video was produced by Traum, starting off in his living room and eventually in a small studio. Many of these videos featured Traum interviewing the presenters, offering insightful questions that would pique the artist’s curiosity and make the student truly interested in the information beyond fingering and picking technique.
While Homespun was Traum’s main passion, he still continued to record his own material, releasing his final recording, “Just for the Love of It,” in 2015 and appearing on Dylan’s Another Self Portrait a year earlier. He passed away on July 17 at the age of 86.
There is not much surprise here. The usual suspects appear in a number of categories, such as Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Del McCoury, and Sister Sadie. The one category that I am glad to see some fresh faces is New Artist of the Year, even though most of them have been around a while and have great PR. However, I do think that it is time that the IBMA has recognized The Kody Norris Show in that category. After years of endless touring and a number of SPBGMA wins, Kody and his band deserve more “mainstream” bluegrass spotlight.
As far as instrument/vocal awards, the names seem the same as previous years, whether the performer has done any recording or extensive performing. In fact, there is only one name in all of the categories that is brand new (Gaven Largent – Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year). Over the past few years, I tend to lose interest in these categories, and can probably guess who will win way before the show.
As for the Hall of Fame inductees, all three are deserving. Alan Munde has played influential banjo for decades. What can be said about the dobro genius Jerry Douglas that has not been said already. And Katy Daley has been an amazing voice in bluegrass publicity and broadcasting for as long as I can remember.
Not much else to say. Other than hoping my friends in the Kody Norris Show win at least one of the two categories, I really have little interest in the outcome. I only wrote about it this week because I didn’t have any other topic to write about off the top of my head.
Everybody over 40 (and quite a few under 40) years of age knows that song. It was an anthem at stadiums, sports bars, and weddings for so many years. How many of us would wait for the “Giddy-up! Pa-pa-ooh-pa-pa-ooh-mow-mow!” bridge in the song? One of the great voices of that country/pop standard left us earlier this week.
Joe Bonsall, tenor singer for the Oak Ridge Boys from 1973 to his retirement in earlier this year, passed away on July 9th from complications of ALS (known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Known for his bushy moustache and wide grin, he was a favorite of fans for his sense of humor and dedication to The Lord. He adored his family, and especially loved his pet cat. He and the Oak Ridge Boys were stalwarts when it came to live performances, never giving a bad show and extremely warm to the fan base.
The history of the group actually dates back to the 1940s, performing primarily as a gospel quartet. By the time Bonsall joined in 1973, they were starting to delve more into mainstream country, and were finding minor success on the country charts. However, the release of “Elvira” in 1981, along with “Bobby Sue” (1982) and “American Made” (1983) gave them their biggest claim to fame.
The incarnation of Bonsall, Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban were how most people remember the quartet and they were at their finest. Along with a number of country records, the group recorded many gospel and Christmas albums. They were one of the few acts to tour the Soviet Union before the fall of Communism, and recorded with other acts such as Roy Clark, Paul Simon and Jimmy Sturr. In 2010, they even recorded a country-ish version of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” They became members of the Grand Ole Opry in 2011, and were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bonsall was also the author of children’s books, and wrote a story about his mother and father meeting for the first time called GI Joe and Lillie in 2003. He also wrote about the Oak Ridge Boys and the group’s touring adventures. At the time of his death, he was writing a semi-autobiography called I See Myself.
He had missed a number of tour dates starting in 2022 due to health concerns, and finally announced his retirement on January 3, 2024. His last performances were made sitting on a stool and he had to be assisted on and off stage. After the announcement of his passing, a number of country artists such as Travis Tritt and Blake Shelton paid tribute to Bonsall on social media.
I was connected to Bonsall through LinkedIn. We had messaged back and forth a few times, but mostly I watched his posts. He was almost always holding his cat, and his posts were always about faith and love. I remember his announcement of his retirement, and one of his last was a picture of him with his daughters. He also loved to play banjo, and would often post photos of him plucking the five-string.
Joe, your voice, your smile, and your heart will be missed in this world. Now teach the angels to song “Elvira” for me.
During the guitar workshop at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival last month, some of the discussion centered on hand therapy, such as caring for aches and pains from carpal tunnel and other discomforts. Dalton Harper stated that one of his therapeutic reliefs is an electronic hand massager. They are about the size of a cantaloupe cut in half, and you put your hand in the device for 10-15 minutes for stress relief on your fingers and palm. These devices range from $25.00 to over $100.00 on Amazon, and Dalton recommended paying for the better quality models.
When I got home, I checked Amazon, and found one on sale for around $80.00. I got it in this week, and tried it out. Wow! I thought that it would merely vibrate around on your hand. No, this contraption squeezes, pushes, and rubs your hand and fingers the way that a masseur would work it. On the model that I purchased (Cincom CM-026H) has two different modes of massaging, three different intensities, and optional heat. It is USB rechargeable, and even comes with some disposable gloves in case you put on hand cream beforehand.
I get carpal tunnel in my hands from typing at work, and the first finger on my left (fretting) hand is starting to get arthritic. I have used a small hand warmer on it for temporary relief, but this hand massager made it feel good for hours afterwards. I highly recommend any musician starting to feel some aches in the hands to get one of these items.
Ever since coming back from Charlotte and helping out at the kid’s petting zoo, I have been checking out prices for guitars, mandolins, fiddles and dobros for beginners. Guitars are pretty easy to come by for under $100.00, as well as mandolins. Of course, these will not be great quality instruments, but with the right setup, they are easily playable. Fiddles can be more hit-and-miss. The one that I purchased from Glarry last year turned out to be a great buy. However, I have seen ones that were higher priced that what I paid that sound horrible. Moreover, fiddles need a lot more work setting up than a guitar. You could spend $100.00 for a student violin, then spend more than that just to get it in playable condition.
Then there are the dobros, or resonator guitars. The cheapest that I saw for a beginner model was over $200.00, and that is one with a rounded neck, more suitable for playing like a regular guitar. They can still be played lap-style, but you will have to get an extension nut available at Elderly Instruments or on eBay for about $10.00). In fact, for the absolute beginner, a good alternative may be to just get a regular acoustic guitar and use one of these nut extensions until an actual dobro can be purchased. As for a true square-neck dobro, expect to pay over $500 for a beginner model. I figure that with all of the interest in learning a musical instrument during COVID, prices for guitars and other instruments would go up just like everything else with inflation. With sommer here, I’ve been driving slow past yard sales to see if there are any guitars or violins no longer being played that I can snage for a cheap price. Of course, the US 12 World’s Longest Yard Sale is coming up in early August!
Finally, here’s a unique story. A friend of mine was hit by a car while riding her bike earlier this week and was checked into the hospital a few blocks from my house. When I went to see her, a male nurse named Chris took me to her room. He saw that I was wearing one of my many bluegrass-themed T-shirts, and it turned out that he is a fan as well, which he plays mandolin and hits bluegrass shows when he can. I gave him my number, and we’re hoping to get together soon to do some jamming. Bluegrass fans are few and far between, so it was a pleasant surprise to find another one in the strangest of places.
Readers know that I am a big fan of the bass guitar. It was the first real instrument that I learned (I’m not counting the three horrendous years of saxophone in grade school), and I write a lot of my early songs on the bass before I picked up and learned guitar. I have always been a supporter of teaching the bass guitar to younger students, as one is learning one note on a fretboard is easier to comprehend first before attempting chords on a guitar.
I have seen many times young players with small arms and hands attempting to use a full-scale 34-inch bass guitar with great difficulty. It tells me that the parents did not do much research on purchasing a properly sized bass for the student, but just bought the cheapest bass they could find or let the store salesman talk them into it, saying “They’ll grow into it.” There are a number of shorter-scale bass guitars on the market, many of them very affordable, that can make lessons and performance for the young musician a lot easier.
I recently purchased two short-scale bass guitars made by Glarry to test them out and see if they are worthwhile for the student as far as value, comfort, playability, and performance. Both retail for under $100 on the Glarry website, but I was able to snag each one a lot cheaper through shopping at eBay and Amazon.
The first is the GW101 36-inch Kid’s Electric Bass Guitar. This bass is incredibly small, as the 36 inches refers to its entire length. The scale from nut to bridge is 25.5 inches. That’s actually the scale length of a Fender Stratocaster or Martin acoustic guitar! The body is a lot smaller as well. One YouTube video review of this bass showed the player gripping the entire body of the bass with one hand. If playing with the thumb or fingers, the player can actually rest the rest of the hand on one of the body curves and not need a resting piece mounted on or near the pickups.
Speaking of pickups, there are two Jazz Bass style pickups, and the controls are wired like a standard Jazz Bass (one volume for each pickup, and a single tone control). Since the pickups are so close to each other, there is very little difference in the tone that each creates, so going with a Precision Bass type pickup or a single pickup with two controls (volume and tone) might have brought the price down a bit. The light weight makes it very easy on the back, even a child will not have a problem with it strapped around him/her. The neck is also comfortable, with fret ends filed down so as not to snag on the hand.
The playability was good, not fantastic. The output is typical of a lower-end bass, giving a decent sound but nothing shattering. The dual pickups do serve as a humbucker mode, so some humming noise does cancel out, but not completely. It doesn’t take long to get used to the very short scale, although setting intonation may take a little effort. Besides a suitable bass for a young student, this would also make a good travel bass if needed.
My big complaint is the finish on the body. It was not sanded well, so running your hand over it feels like a piece of rough-cut wood, fearing getting a splinter. The paint job looks like it was done with some spray cans real fast just to cover up the wood. I would recommend rubbing in some good polish to the body so it feels a bit smoother.
The other bass guitar checked out is Glarry model 30-inch GB Electric Bass Guitar. This is a direct copy of the Fender Squier Bronco Bass, with a Mustang-style body and 30-inch scale, a length found on the Hofner 500/1 “Beatle” Bass as well as some Gibson and Epiphone models. The balance is OK, considering the smaller size, as many full-scale basses from Glarry and other Asian manufacturers use a lightweight wood for the body, so the weight of the headstock will pull down and put stress on the shoulder. This one has a slight problem like that, and could have used a smaller headstock. There is only one single coil pickup, and two controls for volume and tone.
The finish on the body and back of neck are quality. Running the fretting hand back and forth along the back of the neck was a smooth endeavor. The paint job is much better than the GW101, and is definitely comparable to upper-grade basses.
I like the playability and comfort of this bass a bit more. My first bass was a 30-inch scale, so I have always been able to play moving bass lines a lot better with my fretting hand, even though I’ve used mostly full-scale basses for the past 30 years. The pickup does kick out some hum noise, but not an annoying amount. The neck is also well finished with no snagging fret ends. This would be a definite first choice for a younger teen student, or even an adult with smaller hands. I have known many female bass players that play this type of bass due to the hand size. As with the GW101, an adjustment with the bridge saddles for proper intonation will be necessary.
Both basses came shipped with a cheap gig-bag, low-end strap, cables, pick, and hex keys for adjusting the neck and bridge saddles. The gig bag for the GW101 was really extremely low-quality, basically a glorified trash bag. When zipping it up with the bass inside, it could barely close around the headstock unless you put the tuning gears in a flat position, which means re-tuning the bass when playing again. Unfortunately, it will be nearly impossible to find a good gig bag or case for this size bass. Maybe a large ukulele gig bag?
As for the cables, the GW101 came with a very low-quality one. After a dozen uses, this type will start to crackle and short out. I am not sure if it was a packaging error, but the GB bass came with a good-quality webbed-covered 10-foot cord, which usually go for about $20.00 at Sweetwater or Guitar Center. Both have bridges and tuning gears that are expected on lower-priced instruments. They serve their purpose, but are not high quality, so if the bass was being used extensively, replacement would eventually be necessary. However, they work fine for a student that is just beginning to learn the bass.
At the bluegrass festival last weekend, at least three bands had bass players using electric basses instead of the more traditional upright bass. So playing an electric bass is not as unusual as expected in bluegrass. For the parents having a young child or teen interested in playing bass in bluegrass, or any other format, these two basses are worth considering. They are extremely affordable, and there is not a lot of investment lost if the kid loses interest and the instrument goes on the garage sale block.
A day late, but I just got back from the Charlotte Bluegrass Music Festival. This year, I went the whole three days, and I am glad that I did.
While not much is different from last year’s festival (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/06/25/charlotte-bluegrass-festival-2023/), there were a few high points. Returning acts included Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Williamson Branch, and one of my all-time favorite bands, the David Mayfield Parade. I cannot say enough great things about Mayfield and his band. Amazing musicians, fantastic songs, and the humor that Mayfield spills out between songs, as well as when he takes a guitar solo, is beyond energetic. They were such a big hit last year that they were booked for two days this year. That was four sets that saw only one or two songs repeated due to audience requests. I implore you to check them out on YouTube and follow them however you can. They have a new album coming out later this year, produced by Tim O’Brien. Their version of the classic instrumental “El Cumbanchuro” will leave you breathless!
There were a few stalwart bands that made a return after a few years away. Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers did two good sets, and are one of those bands that never disappoints. The same goes for The Grascals. Founding member Jamie Johnson has returned after eight years away, and he is honest to tell his audiences that it was due to some drinking, family, and other personal problems that he and The Lord were able to sort out. That takes a lot to feel comfortable emough to tell thousands of strangers, but bluegrass audiences are extremely supportive of performers in any situation.
One of my personal highlights was seeing Dale Ann Bradley. She has one of the most perfect voices in bluegrass, and can make any song from a slow ballad to a moving rocker sound soulful. On top of that, she is an absolute sweetheart to her fans. I haven’t talked to her in over 10 years, but she remembered that festival where we last met as well as we talked about some mutual friends. And absolute sweet lady!
I was also happy to see David Peterson & 1946 perform two sets. Long before Jerry Douglas formed The Earls of Leicester to pay tribute to the early Flatt & Scruggs days, Peterson was performing old Bill Monroe, F&S, and Jimmy Martin tunes nuance for nuance, and appearing on stage dressed for the part. Watching the 1946 band is literally like watching and listening to a bluegrass tent show from that period, as they sing and play around a single microphone and choreograph steps to control the sound.
Two bands that performed, which I have not seen before but caught my attention. The first was Highway North, a quartet of young pickers from North Ontario, Canada that made their first appearance at the festival. While the vocals were a bit laid back, the instrumental prowess on guitar and mandolin was phenomenal. Another great act was Dalton Harper. He is a singer/songwriter and a fantastic guitar picker as well. His style reminded me of Josh Williams (as it turned out, they are good friends and have performed together on occasion). I was truly impressed with his performances. I asked if he was going to be participating in the scheduled guitar workshop, and he told me that he wasn’t aware of the workshop. Sure enough, he got roped into leading the workshop the next day, and was joined by Taylor LaBreche and Jake Lavzon of Highways North for some great discussion and even better three-guitar jamming.
I helped out on the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association’s “Petting Zoo” Saturday morning. This involved having a number of acoustic instruments laid out for kids to try out to see if they would be interested in playing one at home, then talking to parents about cost and lessons. I had one young girl that was totally interested in the dobro. Fortunately, her parents are also hobbyist musicians, and encourage the daughter to pursue music as an interest. My big gripe is that a few adults show up and start jamming in the area so that kids cannot hear what they are doing, and can be overpowering when showing the kids some techniques that the kids cannot comprehend yet. Let the kids have fun first!
I stayed away from the food vendors for the most part, as the prices are way too high, and so is the grease! And of course, due to having to take insulin shots, I stayed in a nearby motel instead of camping. All in all, I will be heading back next year. Since I am not able to hit many multi-day festivals over the year, this one has a special place in my schedule.
So even though I haven’t even started on the two guitar kits I already have, I purchased a third kit. This kit comes from Leo Jaymz, and is pretty similar to the Fesley kit I purchased a few weeks ago (https://luegra.design.blog/2024/05/19/inexpensive-guitar-kits/).
The big difference with the Leo Jaymz kit is the Strat-style body. They have routed it for the customizer, with spaces for humbucker pickups in the neck and bridge positions. The pickguard is still set up for three single coils, and wiring has connectors, so no soldering is needed. The instruction manual has no text, only pictures showing how to install each component. It really could not get any easier, I guess.
I had to take a second look at the body, though. As pretty much with all electric guitar bodies for this low price, it consists of poplar pieces glued together, then cut with a computer-controlled router. The grain of all of the pieces should be running length-wise from bridge to horns. However, this particular body seems to have a slight angle to the grain. It’s not drastic, but is noticeable to someone looking a little closer.
I still want to stain one of these guitars a unique transparent color, so I have to look all three bodies over. As stated previously, the Fesley body is ready for finishing, while the Ktaxon Tele needs a lot of fine sanding before any finish work. This Leo Jaymz body is sort of in between the two as far as surface texture. It is somewhat smooth, but could probably use a buffing with some super-fine steel wool to get it ready.
I am still interested in looking at and reviewing some bass guitars for young students to work with. I did order through eBay a really short-scale (25.5-inch) mini bass put out by Glarry. I plan on reviewing it here, and possibly on my YouTube channel, once it comes in. I was going to purchase the Ktaxon Fender Bronco copy bass that I briefly discussed in a blog three weeks ago (https://luegra.design.blog/2024/05/25/ktaxon-the-latest-cheap-guitar-brand/). I had recently won a gift card for Amazon, and when I went to the Amazon website, I saw that the bass had a price cut from $59.99 to $49.99. A nice incentive to purchase, so I clicked on the order. Well, shipping for the sale-price bass was $29.99, while shipping for the regular-price bass was $19.99, so there was no difference in the final cost. I wrote to Amazon about this, but have not heard back from them. Hopefully, no one fell for this hidden scam.
Finally, this past Thursday I went to see a bluegrass legend perform at the Kentuckians of Michigan hall in Romulus, MI. Larry Sparks, who has been performing for over 61 years as a solo artist, as well as with the Stanley Brothers, Ralph Stanley, and the Lonesome Ramblers, has had to cancel a few previous performances due to health concerns. I figured that I better go to this show, even though it was on a weeknight, because The Man may stop touring altogether. I was even able to talk by bluegrass buddy Ken to go, as he keeps missing local bluegrass shows for numerous reasons.
Larry was just doing a few shows, no festivals booked, with a small combo. No banjo player at this show, so we actually got to hear his smooth vocals and distinct guitar playing a lot better. He is definitely old school, playing a three-minute song, then bantering for 10 minutes more. However, he is a legend, and you listen to every word he has to say because he has great stories to tell and is somewhat of a rural philosopher. I am so glad that I got to see Larry perform, and it was worth going to work Friday morning on about four hours sleep.
Next week’s blog will probably be a bit late, as I will be at the Charlotte (MI) Bluegrass Festival all weekend.
Luegra 