More for guitarists (and luthiers, and instrument buffs)

Sandy Hatley's major article 'Lincoln Hensley and the pursuit of Earl Scruggs’ guitar' on Bluegrass Today is the kind of story that one would expect to find in the Fretboard Journal. It centres upon the 1955 Martin D-18 played by Earl Scruggs during his partnership with Lester Flatt, its subsequent history, and the determination of Lincoln Hensley (better known as a highly talented young banjo-player continuing the legacy of Sonny Osborne) to master the style in which Scruggs played and to find a guitar as similar as possible to the one he used.

The article includes two YouTube videos of Earl playing the guitar. Anyone interested in historic bluegrass instruments, their vicissitudes, and their care and restoration, should find it rewarding.

© Richard Hawkins