☆Bill Monroe (September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996)
A mandolinist, singer, and composer known as the “Father of Bluegrass” who established the bluegrass music genre. Raised in a family of music lovers, Bill began playing the mandolin at age 10 and formed the Monroe Brothers with his older brother Charlie in 1934. They gained popularity through radio appearances and local tours, and in 1936, they signed with Victor Records and made their first recording.He later formed his own band, the Kentuckians, which was soon renamed the Blue Grass Boys. In October 1939, they made their first appearance on the country radio program *Grand Ole Opry*, and in 1940, they signed with *RCA Victor*.At that time, their sound was still heavily influenced by traditional fiddle-based string bands, but after moving to “Columbia” in ’45 and welcoming master banjoist Earl Slaggs into the group, the musical style known as “bluegrass” truly blossomed. He is one of the artists who made a tremendous contribution to 20th-century American culture over the course of roughly 60 years.
Instrument used: Gibson F5 Lloyd Loar '23 #73987
◎Gibson F5-L '00
A reissue that reproduces the specifications of the original F5 built by Lloyd Loar between 1922 and 1924. Since its release in 1978, it has enjoyed popularity as a special model.
☆Earl Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012)
A banjo player known as one of the founders of bluegrass music alongside “the Father of Bluegrass,” Bill Monroe.He joined the Blue Grass Boys in 1945, and Scruggs’s exceptional and unique three-finger picking style established him as a pioneer for future banjo players. In the late 1940s, he formed the Foggy Mountain Boys with guitarist Lester Flatt.They produced hits such as “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and remained active for many years as leading figures in country and bluegrass music. He is regarded as a 20th-century master who single-handedly perfected the technique of a single instrument. He passed away this past March due to old age at the age of 88.
Instruments Used: 1931 Original 5-String Granada #9584-2
1949 Gibson (with bow tie inlay parts added)
Rim & Resonator Tone Ring: Original
1958 Mahogany Neck + Rosewood Fingerboard with H&F Inlay
Late 60’s Ebony Fingerboard with H&F Inlay
◎Gibson Earl Scruggs Special '95
All hardware features 24K gold plating. From the headstock to the fingerboard, neck, and resonator, this truly special masterpiece is adorned with luxurious, lustrous abalone inlays!!
◎Gibson Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe '04
A bright, clear sound produced by high-quality maple with exquisite grain. This premium model showcases the attention to detail of the Scruggs Deluxe series with its 24K gold hardware.
◎Gibson Earl Scruggs Standard '07
A standard replica released in 1984, reissuing the Granada model favored by Scruggs. This signature style is so beloved by fans that it has become a classic banjo model in its own right.
☆Ralph Stanley (February 25, 1927–)
Ralph Stanley, a first-generation bluegrass banjo player, continues to perform on stage with vigor even in his 80s. In 1946, he formed the Stanley Brothers with his older brother Carter. Although they initially performed music with strong folk influences, once Bill Monroe began popularizing bluegrass music on the *Grand Ole Opry*, they began to incorporate that style into their own sound.The Stanley Brothers’ attempt to perform bluegrass in the traditional mountain style came to fruition with the formation of the Clinch Mountain Boys. Even after his brother Carter passed away in ’66, he continued to perform energetically as the frontman, showcasing his straightforward, lonesome vocals and razor-sharp banjo tone.
Instruments used: 1928–29 TB or PB-5 converted to 5-string with a mahogany neck finished to look like walnut
. He also had a ball-bearing RB-4
◎Gibson Style-5 '28–'29 (ASK)
A Style-5 converted from a 1928–1929 TB or PB-5 to a 5-string configuration. A top-tier item highly sought after by collectors, featuring the exact specifications used by Ralph Stanley.
☆Reno & Smiley (Don Wesley Reno: February 21, 1927 – October 16, 1984; Arthur Lee “Red” Smiley: May 17, 1925 – January 2, 1972)
One of the legendary “golden bands” that helped shape bluegrass from its formative years through its mature period. The duo featured Dan Reno—hailed as a banjo virtuoso on par with Scruggs—and Red Smiley, known for his sweet vocals. There was a particular charm in the interplay between Red Smiley’s deep, understated baritone vocals and Dan Reno’s tenor vocals, which made effective use of seventh and ninth chords.In addition, banjo instrumental numbers showcasing Dan Reno’s virtuosic technique—such as “Steel Guitar Rag,” “Follow the Leader,” and “Double Eagle”—also garnered significant attention.Although they tend to be overshadowed by the so-called “Big Three” of bluegrass (Bill Monroe, Flat & Scruggs, and the Stanley Brothers), their skill and talent as successful entertainers in the Piedmont region stretching from Virginia to North Carolina are truly remarkable.
Instruments used: 1934–5 Original RB-75 Mahogany Banjo
Leave & Rose Inlay on Headstock and Flying Eagle Fingerboard Original “That Way”
1948 Traded his Granada for this ’75 with Earl
◎Gibson RB-75 Black Jack '05
The Black Jack, which goes one step beyond J.D. Crow’s Standard Signature model—a direct successor to Dan Reno’s RB-75. A masterpiece that exudes luxury with its gold-plated hardware and intricate headstock inlays!!
☆Jim & Jesse (Jim McReynolds: February 13, 1927 – December 31, 2002; Jesse McReynolds: July 9, 1929 – )
The McReynolds brothers are known as a duo consisting of older brother Jim on guitar and younger brother Jesse on mandolin. Beginning their careers in the late 1940s, they formed a unique ensemble within the bluegrass scene by omitting the banjo. Jesse’s style—which incorporated banjo techniques into his mandolin playing as if to compensate for the banjo’s absence—was groundbreaking and had a profound influence on future mandolinists.Unbound by conventional styles, they created their own unique brand of bluegrass. Their ensemble, celebrated for its innovative originality, garnered the support of many fans and became widely beloved. They disbanded in 1963.
Instrument used: Gibson F5 Style
◎Gibson F5 '66–'69
The F-5 reigns as the classic model featuring an asymmetrical body with a scroll. It is a masterpiece that carries on Mr. Lloyd’s tradition, delivering a superb tone from vintage maple.
☆Osborne Brothers (Bobby: Dec. 9, 1931–, Sonny: Oct. 29, 1937–)
The Osborne Brothers were centered around the older brother, Bob (mandolin), and the younger brother, Sonny (banjo). Jimmy Martin (vocals), who had left Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, joined forces with Bob—whose high-tenor vocals were a major draw—and Sonny, a traditional bluegrass banjo player, formed “Jimmy Martin and the Osborne Brothers” in 1953. Following a split with Jimmy, the Osborne Brothers officially began their activities in 1955.Characterized by a style that blended standard bluegrass with just the right amount of pop appeal sought after at the time, the trio’s ensemble and harmonies—abundant with original compositions, as exemplified by “Once More”—gained widespread popularity and brought them into the spotlight.
Instruments used: 1931 Original 5-string Flat Head Granada #9584-2
Original 5-string “Stored Away” with a neck made by Frank Neat
He also had a Style 3 and a Vega Vox (which Kenny Inglam now plays)
◎Gibson Granada Flying Eagle '04
A Flying Eagle that follows the pre-war Granada style. A masterpiece model featuring a 20-hole flat-head tone ring and a 3-ply hard rock maple rim!!
☆J.D. Crowe (August 27, 1937–)
A banjo player considered the most legitimate successor to the Earl Scruggs style. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1937, James Dee Crowe began playing the banjo at age 13. In ’56, he joined the Sunny Mountain Boys, led by Jimmy Martin.After six years with the group, he formed the Kentucky Mountain Boys with Red Allen and Doyle Lawson. The band later changed its name to the New South, recruited renowned guitarist Tony Rice, and released *Bluegrass Evolution* in 1972.He cemented his popularity with hits such as Lester Flat’s “Rock, Salt & Nails” and the album *J.D. Crowe & the New South* (1975), which showcased Tony’s playing—which rivaled that of Clarence White.Unfortunately, earlier this year, news broke that J.D. Crow & The New South had disbanded and that J.D. Crow had retired, citing his desire to “retire while I can still play well.”
Instruments used: No-hole Flat Head TB or PB-3 converted to 5-string
20-hole Flat Head TB or PB-3 conversion
1935–6 Original RB-75 #7054-2
Original 5-string stored away; Frank Neat made a neck
◎Gibson RB-75 J.D. Crowe '03
The RB-75 J.D. Crowe Signature Model, featuring a striking Flying Eagle inlay. Characterized by its mahogany neck, this is a wonderful guitar with a warm, mellow tone!!
☆Sam Bush (April 15, 1952–)
Sam Bush, a master of the mandolin and fiddle, was one of the driving forces behind the New Grass movement of the ’70s. He formed the New Grass Revival, taking the musical sensibilities of the Bluegrass Alliance to the next level. In 1971, he shot to stardom in the bluegrass scene with his cover of Jerry Lee Lewis’s rock ’n’ roll number “Fireball Rock.”Contrary to the image typically associated with bluegrass musicians of that era—and despite their style of long hair, baggy jeans, and T-shirts—their sharp, refined sensibilities and technical skill exuded a powerful appeal that drew many rock fans into the world of bluegrass music. He continues to be active across a wide range of genres today with a flexible, genre-defying approach. He is regarded as one of the finest heirs to the Bill Monroe style.
Instrument used: Gibson F5 '34
◎Gibson F5 Sam Bush Model '00
An early-spec version of the Sam Bush Model from the era supervised by the late Charlie Dellington. A masterpiece that produces a sweet, rich Gibson sound with wonderful reverb!! A must-have item for bluegrass players!!
[The Early Days]
Around the 17th and 18th centuries, the origins of what we now call Old-Time Music were formed by blending the traditional music of the Scotch-Irish (people who migrated from Scotland to the Ulster region, now Northern Ireland) who settled in the Appalachian region of the United States with the music of African Americans who were working as slaves in America at the time.Later, in the 1920s and ’30s, the spread of records and radio gave rise to many professional musicians. Thanks to the contributions of Jimmy Rodgers, the Carter Family, the North Carolina Ramblers, and the Monroe Brothers—led by Bill Monroe, who would later be called the “Father of Bluegrass”—Old-Time Music, known as “Mountain” or “Hillbilly” music, gained mainstream acceptance.
Among these, the most popular radio program was *The Grand Ole Opry*, broadcast from WSM in Nashville, Tennessee; since Roy Acuff’s appearance in 1938, an entertainment style emphasizing star power became the mainstream.In the 1940s, as hillbilly music evolved into country music, Bill Monroe—a master mandolinist who had gained popularity with the Monroe Brothers—began performing in a style that further advanced the genre. Named after Kentucky’s nickname, the “Bluegrass State,” Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys were formed in 1939.They introduced up-tempo rhythms and virtuosic instrumental techniques, experimenting with an innovative playing style unlike anything heard before. In December 1945, the band’s sound was perfected with the addition of Earl Scruggs, a genius banjo player from North Carolina. This marked the beginning of bluegrass music.Scruggs played with great emotion using his unique three-finger picking style, immediately causing a sensation among the audience at the “Grand Ole Opry.”
[The First Golden Age]
In the 1960s, the folk boom that swept the East Coast prompted Southern musicians to move to the cities, and many bluegrass bands participated in the “Newport Folk Festival,” held in 1958.In particular, the appeal of Doc Watson and Clarence White’s guitar playing, Earl Scruggs’s banjo, and Bill Monroe’s mandolin attracted more and more urban audiences and garnered widespread support. Around this time, urban musicians began reaching out to Southern artists
grew increasingly active, and the Southern scene began to revitalize itself through collaborations such as those between David Grisman and Red Allen, as well as the addition of Bill Keith, Peter Rowan, and Richard Green to the Bluegrass Boys.Later, as the folk boom began to subside, folk and country music took on a rock influence, and bluegrass musicians such as Clarence White, Peter Rowan, and Richard Green began to make notable appearances in rock bands like The Byrds and Sea Train.Then, in the late 1960s—when Flat & Scruggs made their first visit to Japan at the height of their popularity—bluegrass entered the “New Grass era,” which produced artists such as Sam Bush and Tony Rice.
[The New Grass Era]
In the early 1970s, as American rock music became mainstream, bluegrass evolved into a new movement known as “Newgrass.”Numerous innovative bluegrass bands and groups emerged, including Sam Bush’s New Grass Revival; J.D. Crow’s New South, featuring Tony Rice; Country Gusset, which spun off from the Flying Burrito Brothers; and Country Cooking, led by Tony Trischka and others.Bands like Mule Skinner and Old & In the Way, featuring Clarence White and David Grisman, as well as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, also gained popularity through their ties to rock music. In the ’70s, the original Bill Monroe himself visited Japan, leading to an increase in bluegrass circles and live music venues across the country, which in turn gave rise to a new generation of young guitarists and banjo players.
In the late ’70s, as swing jazz was experiencing a revival on the West Coast, David Grisman—who was exploring a fusion of jazz and bluegrass—developed a musical style called “Dawg Music,” which weaves a unique sense of drive and swing using acoustic string instruments.This was fully demonstrated on the album *David Grisman Quartet* (1977), which boasts an overwhelming level of perfection.Incidentally, the prevailing theory is that the name was derived from the initials of Grisman’s first and middle names. Grisman’s decision to invite figures from the jazz world—such as Stéphane Grappelli and Eddie Gomez—into his circle served as an opportunity for bluegrass fans to discover artists like Django Reinhardt, leading bluegrass music to take on a diverse and fluid character.
[Back to the Roots—Toward Further Development]
Sam Bush, aiming to bring the New Grass Revival into the mainstream, formed a powerful lineup featuring the top players of the time—Bella Fleck, John Cowan, and Pat Flynn—to deliver impactful “grass-rock.”Bella Fleck, a key figure in that New Grass Revival, formed the Nashville Bluegrass Band—featuring Pat Enright and others—at the Nashville live music venue “Station Inn.” Meanwhile, Grisman released the album *Traditional Bluegrass*, which brought together both veteran and up-and-coming players; thus, the 1980s became a period of returning to the roots and moving toward further development.
From the ’90s onward, female bluegrass musicians—including Laurie Lewis, Kathy Carrick, Alison Krauss (who gained attention for her collaboration with former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant), Lynn Morris, Dale Ann Bradley, Alison Brown, and Kate McKenzie—began to take center stage, showcasing strength and elegance that rivaled that of their male counterparts.This trend has continued to the present day, evolving from a boom into a firmly established genre. Additionally, young male bluegrass musicians such as Tony Fattard, Scott Nygard, the McCollie Brothers, Tom Rosam, and Tom Hanway have emerged, carrying on the tradition of bluegrass with a spirit of “learning from the past to innovate for the future.”
Bluegrass, which took shape in 1945 thanks to Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flat, and others, marked its 67th anniversary this year, 2012. On March 28, Earl Scruggs—one of its founders and a great banjo player—passed away at the age of 88. Needless to say, his contribution to bluegrass is immeasurable
. By now, he is surely busy jamming with Bill Monroe, who passed away on September 9, 1996. …Why not take this opportunity to explore bluegrass music while reflecting on its long history, sustained by its founders and countless other artists? You might just find new inspiration and discoveries.
Source: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Bluegrass