Tom Jr. - Posted - 08/18/2025:  14:46:21

Last week I took a trip down to Nashville to see the Dolly Parton musical which was fantastic. One of my "must do" stops of course is the legendary Gruhn guitars. I did not have the foresight to pack my finger and thumb picks or a bar. I did however have a flatpick and a pocketknife. If memory serves me correctly, Tut Taylor was one of the three founders of the store so it was only appropriate that I muddle about with his flatpicking style. Takes some getting used to but I could at least enjoy the tone of those awesome instruments. I really liked the Josh Swift model. Very sharp looking and killer tone. All total, I played a quarter million dollars worth of instruments in an hour and a half or so and two really struck my GAS bone. A pristine National tricone for $4,500 that just sounded so cool and a early 1900s Gibson mandolin for $7,000 that sounded great to my ears. I did pick up a Collings mandolin that had an ear broken off the headstock and repaired poorly but is wasn't structural and the price was good for a Collings. Turns out it was in the SOLD pile. I don't have any new instruments but did have a splendid afternoon.

Edited by - Tom Jr. on 08/18/2025 14:47:20

Brad Bechtel - Posted - 08/19/2025:  07:42:13

That's always a fun place to dream.



I hope you got a chance to visit Carter Vintage Guitars just up the road from there.

MarkinSonoma - Posted - 08/19/2025:  10:50:50

I have yet to go to Gruhn Guitars in the newer location. The last time I was in Nashville several years ago the schedule was packed too tight and I never made it to either Gruhn or Carter.

A memory of visiting Gruhn a number of years ago after Rob Ickes' ResoSummit when the store was still on Lower Broadway was test driving some dobros. I stayed at a friend's house in Franklin (who had moved from my town here in Sonoma County) for a couple days after the conference and he took me to downtown Nashville to check out the scene on  Broadway and visit The Country Music Hall of Fame.

They had a very ornate RQ Jones, one of the prettiest I'd seen - no doubt one of Rudy's fanciest efforts. It had what I would call "tree of life" inlays on the fretboard. I A/B'd it against a Beard Mike Auldridge in classic black and white. My buddy is an accomplished musician, a singer/songwriter along with his day job and we had played in a church band together for a few years. Since moving to the Nashville area years ago he played one time on the Opry after winning a songwriting contest and has played a number of times at The Bluebird Cafe.

I have played a handful of RQ Jones guitars over the years, some better than others - we've all heard Jerry Douglas playing some of his best stuff for many years on a Jones.

But between the Jones and the Beard, we both agreed that day at Gruhn that the Beard MAS blew the Jones out of the water.  So that episode pretty much permanently cured me of ever "jonesin' for a Jones."

Edited by - MarkinSonoma on 08/19/2025 10:51:31