About
The Guitar
Anyone who follows my work knows that I like to use locally sourced tone-wood, and woods that have a story or history behind them. The Virginia mountains are home to some of the most prized tone woods, and the Virginia mountains also have been home to generations of old-time music makers. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to think some of these trees have grown up in the presence of the very music they will make when they are built into fine instruments. I felt it was very fitting to use these timbers for this years Handmade Music School/Cunningham guitar fundraiser raffle. The Handmade Music School continues to focus on teaching and encouraging regional music and dance, and a big part of the music in SWVA has been its strong tradition of instrument making.
Details
For the design of the guitar I went with the traditional 1930’s jumbo slope shoulder body shape, Made of presentation grade figured Sugar Maple it has the traditional depth to the body: 4” 13/16 at the end block, and 3” 7/8 at the neck block. The bracing on the back of this guitar are the thinner/taller “Knife” braces, the guitars top is Grayson County Appalachian Red Spruce, and is built with an X brace, with two tapered tone-bars, single finger braces, a transverse brace along with a small “popsicle brace” run along the neck end of the top. All the brace work is done in a delicate fashion, emphasizing taller and thinner profiles, with the finish work done by sharp edge tools, all braces are Appalachian Red Spruce from Virginia. The sides or “Ribs”, are re-enforced with cloth strips and solid 1/8 X 1/2 Mahogany linings like those in some classic 1933 models.
This guitar features a throwback design for the neck and headstock reminiscent of the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Made of fine Maple, the neck is carved to a nice “C” shape with a smooth round over on the binding and fretwork that is very pleasing to the touch, and has a french heel carve. The fretboard has a 10” radius at the 1” 3/4 nut, and tapers out to a 2” 3/16 string spacing at the bridge.
A full body sunburst brings the entire combination of woods together beautifully, and guitar is adorned with white/black celluloid binding, double bound on the body, double bound on the neck with tortoise side position dots, double bound headstock and celluloid tortoise pick guard. The guitar will be strung up with DAddario Nickel Bronze medium strings. We will proudly present this guitar in a Virginia-made Harptone professional guitar case graciously donated by Harptone.
Specifications
- Virginia Red Spruce top (Haw Orchard Mountain, harvested by Jackson Cunningham in 2011)
- Virginia Red Spruce bracing (Whitetop Mountain, harvested by Virginia luthiers Tom Barr and Albert Hash in 1982, passed down from Gerald Anderson)
- Virginia Sugar Maple neck (Virginia luthier Audrey Hash Hamm in 2011)
- Appalachian Sugar Maple back and sides (sourced from Dickenson county, Virginia)
- Old Ebony fingerboard (from the workshop of Albert Hash)
- Old Ebony bridge, and headstock veneer
- Old seasoned Sugar Maple bridge plate
- Old growth Honduran Mahogany neck/end blocks
- Old growth Honduran Mahogany solid linings
- Mother of Pearl dot inlays
- Bone Nut
- Bone saddle
- Celluloid binding
- Hot hide glue construction
- Nitrocellulose instrument lacquer
- Antique Acoustics bridge pins and endpin
- 2 3/16 string spacing at bridge
- 1 3/4” nut width
- 10” fingerboard radius at nut
- 24 3/4” scale length
- Jescar medium frets
- Compression truss rod
- Waverly high ratio nickel vintage oval tuners
- D’Addario medium phosper bronze strings
- High quality Hardshell case from Virginia-made Harptone
About
Jackson Cunningham
Jackson Cunningham Handmade Musical Instruments is based in Grayson County, Virginia, USA.
Raised in rural Southern Oregon, Jackson grew up in a home where music and woodworking were a way of life. His father was a master craftsman and these skills were passed down at a very young age. Family ties and a love of music brought Jackson to Southwestern Virginia where he began building instruments full time with the generous help of many local luthiers. His driving inspiration has always been the instruments his musical heroes used to perform classic American roots music.
After 15 years, the shop remains a one-man operation and handwork is still the foundation of each build. From selection of tonewoods, construction, custom neck profiles, and down to the final fit, finish and setup, Jackson ensures each step is taken with meticulous care. His instruments are sought after by collectors, and have been played by musicians on stages around the globe. They have also been featured at the world’s premier instrument retailers, including Gruhn’s Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee and Folkway Music in Ontario, Canada.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LUTHIER TRADITIONS
SW Virginia has a rich tradition of instrument making, and within this tradition Jackson learned to build first hand under the generous guidance of Audrey Hash Ham, daughter of pioneering fiddle maker Albert Hash. Working with Audrey inspired Jackson to pursue building instruments full time and led to visits with other talented local luthiers including Floyd County banjo maker Mac Traynham, Grayson County guitar maker Wayne Henderson and Floyd County fiddle maker Arthur Conner as well as many others.
$25 Per Ticket
On sale April 16 - June 9, 2023
A winning ticket will be selected on June 9th during the Friday Night Jamboree.
Our Goals
To feature the beautiful craftsmanship of Jackson Cunningham; Celebrate and perpetuate the traditions of instrument building from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and beyond; To sell at least 1000 tickets and raise funds for Programming and The Share the Music Scholarship Fund at The Handmade Music School.
All proceeds will benefit programming and the Share The Music Scholarship Fund at the Handmade Music School at The Floyd Country Store. The Handmade Music School is a nonprofit institution dedicated to teaching old time, bluegrass, and traditional music and dance from Floyd County, Virginia and throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Handmade Music School
The Handmade Music School strives to cultivate and strengthen community through experiences in music and dance rooted in our Appalachian traditions.
Handmade Music School is dedicated to teaching old time, bluegrass, and traditional music and dance from Floyd County, Virginia and throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. The philosophy of The Handmade Music School is to “hand down” the songs and dances from the teacher to the student, phrase by phrase and step by step, the way it’s been taught in the Blue Ridge Mountains for centuries.
Raffle Rules
- Raffle ticket is for the handbuilt guitar by Jackson Cunningham advertised
- All proceeds support The Handmade Music School
- There is no limit on the amount of tickets that can be purchased
- Ticket sales are prohibited to residents of Alabama, Utah, or Hawaii
- The guitar will be shipped free to the winner worldwide. A valid shipping address must be provided. The winner is responsible for international customs fees.
- The winner must be present at the Friday Night Jamboree, tuned in to the livestream, or respond within 24 hours of announcement in order to win the instrument. Winner is to contact Handmade Music School at (540) 251-2571 or info@handmademusicschool.com.