2019 AGS Magazine_V5
Magazine for the 2019 Artisan Guitar Show
Magazine for the 2019 Artisan Guitar Show
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hand my guide lines and allow slight variations to occur, as I<br />
think they add life to the designs.<br />
Glenn Carson has been building banjos since 1975 and<br />
struggling to learn the art of design and engraving since<br />
1977. When not working on banjos or engraving, he manages<br />
several large RCRA groundwater remediation projects<br />
or is in a river somewhere with a fly rod. He lives in Mt. Holly<br />
Springs, PA.<br />
Froggy Bottom guitars – Inlays by<br />
Andy Mueller, engraving by G. Carson<br />
Banjo and inlay by Dan Drabek,<br />
engraving by G. Carson<br />
Thoughts on the fine work<br />
of Glenn Carson<br />
As a luthier working on instruments since the early ‘60s<br />
and seeing many examples of fine carving and engraving<br />
on the earlier Fairbank’s as well as other engraved banjos,<br />
I have never seen any work that surpasses that of Glenn<br />
Carson. Another bad habit I have is owning and shooting<br />
fine English Shotguns. There is another place to see beautiful<br />
engraving although in metal. This makes me comfortable<br />
in expressing and opinion on the amazing work on<br />
mother of pearl and abalone by Glenn Carson.<br />
Harry M. Sparks, Architect<br />
In an age when mechanical reproduction is readily available<br />
and widely employed, Glenn’s work is a rare treat.<br />
Working within the constraints imposed by the shape and<br />
material of an inlay piece, Glenn strives and succeeds at<br />
keeping his work fresh and inventive. As a result, each<br />
headstock logo or set of fingerboard inlays he engraves is<br />
different from the last. By now I’ve seen maybe a hundred<br />
examples of his work on our guitars, all unique. And his<br />
execution boggles the mind!<br />
Andy Mueller, Froggy Bottom Guitars<br />
We 1st met Glenn at Clifftop old time music festival in<br />
West Virginia years ago where we were vending our claw<br />
hammer banjos that my husband Will Fielding built using<br />
native hardwood primarily from Vermont, where we lived.<br />
We immediately had a rapport for each other’s work and<br />
decided to collaborate, with Glenn engraving a design on<br />
a banjo in progress. It was a match made in banjo heaven<br />
and they worked on many more after that!<br />
Will and Glenn had the same sensibilities and love for<br />
elegant yet understated designs that only enhanced the<br />
beauty of Glenn’s engraving, contrasting with the wood<br />
using a minimum of finishes so as to honor the trees.<br />
Poetry in motion!<br />
Paula Fielding, Fielding Banjos<br />
“OME Banjos has offered hand-engraved Motherof-Pearl<br />
inlays on it’s banjos since early 1971 and Glenn<br />
Carson’s engraving is simply the finest we have ever seen!”<br />
Tanya Ogsbury<br />
Experience the culture of fascinating destinations in small group<br />
settings with expert guides, always with the focus on music.<br />
EXPERIENCE IRELAND AND ITS MUSIC AS THE LOCALS DO<br />
EXPLORE THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPAIN<br />
JOIN US FOR A MUSICAL JOURNEY THROUGH CUBA<br />
“I have traveled a lot,<br />
but never before with<br />
a focus on music.<br />
That focus made this<br />
particular trip into one I<br />
will never forget. Just go!”<br />
—MONICA<br />
JANUARY 2018 PARTICIPANT<br />
WWW.WINGERTGUITARS.COM • (310) 522-9596<br />
Colin Vance banjo/inlays – engraving by G. Carson<br />
LEARN MORE AT STRINGLETTER.COM/TRAVEL<br />
36 | artisanguitarshow.com<br />
artisanguitarshow.com | 37
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