Luthier

Bob Kogut, originally from Pennsylvania, says he is “an adopted son of the great state of NC and this is my home!” A licensed physical therapist, he retired after 45 years to build fiddles full time. His driving passion is to create a violin to have the elusive tone. Fiddlers have performed on Bob’s instruments all over the world and as of 2021 he has built 234 instruments. For 14 years he has been a sponsor of MerleFest meeting interesting people and welcoming musicians, professional and amateur alike, to play his fiddles.

Published in 2020

Bob Kogut

Herb Key has spent more than fifty years making, repairing and restoring musical instruments and has played music most of his life. His dad was a carpenter and he built the house Herb was born in. The house was remodeled over the years and Herb helped with this work. That is where he got his start in woodworking which allowed him to work on musical instruments later on. Herb Key presently works one day a week in Wayne Henderson’s Guitar Shop in Rugby, VA repairing and restoring mostly older instruments. The rest of time, he is repairing and restoring instruments in his shop at home in Wilkesboro, NC.

Published in 2016

Herb Key

Legendary banjo player Kyle Creed came from a musical family in Surry County, North Carolina. He began creating banjos at the age of 16 and soon had a list of orders for his custom designs from throughout the United States, Canada, England, Australia and Japan. Kyle was an innovator in banjo building. His innovative ideas, experiments, and playing skills have impacted the old-time banjo builders and players throughout the world. All the banjos Kyle built, around 200, are highly sought after by players and collectors today because of their uniqueness, sound and playability. A fretless banjo that Kyle built especially for Fred Cockerham was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in June 1988.

Published in 2013

Kyle Creed

Born in Whitetop Mountain, VA in 1917, Albert Hash was a skilled instrument maker by trade. The fiddles he built have inspired many generations of craftsmen within the Appalachian region. A veteran string band performer, Hash was a founding member of the “Whitetop Mountain Band” as well as a recording artist. His fiddling and repertoire of tunes, known as the Grayson County style, has been an inspiration to musicians around certain Virginia areas that has become synonymous with old-time string music.

Published in 2010

Albert Hash

Wayne Henderson was born in Rugby, Virginia. He is well known for his handmade, legendary acoustic guitars, his fine musicianship, and musical festival named in his honor to support musical scholarships for local youths. Renowned guitarist, Eric Clapton waited for ten years for a Henderson Guitar. His guitar inspired a book by Allen St. John entitled “Clapton’s Guitar: Watching Wayne Henderson Build the Perfect Instrument”. Today, Henderson Guitars are in high demand and respected for their volume, tone and resonance.

Published in 2008

Wayne Henderson