Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello everybody,

I live in Bristol, birthplace of country music and home of the "world's fastest half mile", Bristol Motor Speedway. I discovered OLF about a month ago and I have really enjoyed reading various posts, and learning new tips and tricks. I started building instruments in 1993, so far I've built 17 guitars, 7 f-style mandolins, 1 violin, 1 bazooki, and an upright electric bass. It's just a hobby for me, that I truly enjoy. There are a lot of pickers around here, and a quite a few instrument builders too. This area is just full of music, somewhere to pick every night! We play Bluegrass music at least 3 or 4 nights a week, just informal jam sessions among friends. Ain't I lucky! Anyway, I figured I would stop "lurking" and register on OLF. I am very impressed with all of the instruments that I've seen on OLF, I will try to post some pics of some of my work soon.

Thanks,
Mark L.

Welcome, Mark, to OLF. We really like it here to, and look forward to your contributions.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Hi Mark and a big welcome to the OLF to ya my friend!!!

Even though in your state there probably aren't very many guitars I am sure that you will enjoy the OLF.......

One of our members my bro James WB aka Skin lives in your neck of the woods and I am sure he will say hello to you too.

Welcome mark, Glad to have you.

If for some completely unforeseen reason I ever disclaimed my home state of Texas I would then claim to be a Tennessean. Actually I did my final year of high school and all my college In Murfreesboro just south of Nashville. Besides you guys are the reason we talk this way. Lot of people dont realize the Texas draw is just a transplanted Tennessee twang Because 80% of the first immigrants to Texas were form Tennessee...Not just David Crockett

Please remember, however, that most all Tennesseans started out as Carolinians first. Someone had to cross over the mountains to see what he could see. So the Tennessee Twang started out as a Carolina Drawl, Y'all! Now if we can just keep those English & Scots out of this discussion!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Waddy while the linage is true I have lived on the South Central cost of North Carolina and no body there sounds any thing like Tennesseans more less Texans till you get west of the Piedmont and in to the mountains but that could have been caused by the influx of military from all over the country at Camp Lejeune and Cherry point Blam it on the deivil dogs

Works for me!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Welcome this a great place. Wonderful discussions. Most questions are answered with very sound advice

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Welcome, Mark! I'm new around here too, and your neighbor over in Johnson City. I look forward to seeing you around here.

Michael

Welcome to the rodeo !!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Welcome Aboard Mark! I ended up driving near Bristol one time. I took the wrong way to Boone, North Carolina along some windy road through your area. Took me forever. It was almost like the Dragon down in the Smokies! Good to have you here!

Welcome to the madness Mark.


People have been lumping the southern regions into one accent for years. If you listen you can hear a difference. Granted Oklahoma, Arkansas and Northern Texas run together for me, but for the most part I can still hear the difference after being gone for almost twenty years now. When I first started my new job I was being introduced to everyone in the section. Most were from the west coast, one from Russia and one that I was told was from my neck of the woods. Another Virginian? Cool. As soon as he spoke I smiled and asked what part of Kentucky was he from. Ken smiled, told me and and asked if I was from southern Virginia or northern North Carolina. Later I was asked if Ken and I had already met and spoken or could I really tell where he was from just by listen to two sentences? Diphthongs will give a Southerner away every time.

Waddy, you are talking about my family there.

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Aoibeann

I'm originally from South Carolina. I consider North Carolina, Yankee land, though I live here. But barely, I can be back in SC in about 20 minutes from my house. I didn't say they all sounded alike, I said they started as a Carolina Drawl. I didn't say it didn't change. But many of the Carolina drawls, started as an Irish or Scottish brogue. A flock of my ancestors came to SC through VA and before that Massachusetts. I had some Plymouth Colony direct ancestors, who migrated through VA and on into SC.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'm one of the rare breed of NATIVE Floridians. Although I dont personally have an accent, I understand my guitars definitely have a southern drawl.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Hi Mark, welcome to the OLF! I'm relatively new here, as well as to instrument building. I did, however, spend my first eighteen years in Bristol. My parents lived about two miles from the track. My brother's still there. I'm guessing you know Tim White, since you're a part of the bluegrass scene there. I've spoken with him a couple of times about a 300 ft tall fiddle sculpture he wants to put up off I-81. He wants it to be the "Statue of Liberty of the South". What I know of Tim, he could make it happen.

Also, welcome Michael from JC! I've been living over the mountain in Asheville for a couple of years now. I love it here! Sounds like enough for an OLF newbie get together. Maybe even get Waddy to come...

Ken

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com

Welcome to the forum. I make it down to the KY,TN,VA boarder every year around memorial day, usually staying between the Jellico and Middlesboro areas though. Still probably a few hours drive from you over the mountains, but I've seen enough to know it's a beautiful area.

It's good to have you here - hopefully you'll find it interesting enough to stick around for a while.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Howdy Mark!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! I have had trouble logging in since my first post. VERY frustrating!! I tried using Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer and low and behold, it worked. I still don't know what the problem was with IE. Anyway, I am going to take some pictures of some of my work and post them soon.

Thanks,

Mark L.

IE is Junk! It wouldn't work for me either. At least IE7. I heard some folks say the older version works OK.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

[quote="Aoibeann] Diphthongs will give a Southerner away every time.

[/quote]

You mean duheeeyipfthahwngs, right?

Want to make sure we're speaking the same language...

Stuyeavuh

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Yes Steve you are so right.

I know I'm home when my name goes from Lil lee an to Lil ion. Its amazing.

I have to admit, I still can not say all without thinking about it. If I don't, its awl. Its the dang duheeeyipfthahwngs, I tell you.

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Aoibeann