I watched in delight as he ably played old-time tunes on his own fiddles made from cigar boxes, gourds, a whiskey tin, and more. It turns out he has also made banjos, ukuleles, guitars, basses, "plus some that I'm not sure what to call." I recently got in touch with him to learn about his craft.
Morris grew up in the Washington, D.C., suburbs and worked in government until retiring and moving with his wife to West Virginia 21 years ago. Having previously played electric guitar in rock and pop cover bands, it was in the Mountain State that he "became interested in acoustic, traditional Appalachian music." He now plays acoustic guitar, banjo, fiddle, and bass. "I play with a couple of different groups and at local jams whenever I can."
On to the instrument-making...
How did you get started making fiddles? Are you self-taught?
I had already made some banjos and ukuleles when I came across an etching by Edwin Forbes of a Civil War soldier in front of his camp playing a cigar box fiddle and I was curious about how it might have sounded. That etching got me going on making them and researching other homemade fiddles.
Tell me a little about the instruments I've seen you play on the Fiddle Tune Video Library.
Most of these instruments came about through researching homemade fiddles. Plus, I have a friend named Shane Speal who collects these things and finds old photos he sends me if he comes across something interesting.
The "Faux Stroh":
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Bluegrass Fiddling
Mac Magaha-Nashville's Dancing Fiddler
The Intrepid Fiddler
Busking in the Digital Age
Isle of Birds
Scottish Fiddling with Pete Clark
Jody's Column
"Broken Down Gambler" as played by The Skillet Lickers
Tunesmiths
A Favorite Tune and its Mysterious Title
On Improvisation
In this On Improvisation column, we'll be discussing Mr. (or Ms.) Pinky, as he (or she) is known to his (or her) friends.
Ingredients of Fiddle Tunes
After several years of teaching and playing at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington, Marc Savoy, accordion maker and player, said he did not want to return.
Glen Harrell - Turn up the Volume
In just a little over 10 years since its formation, Volume Five has become one of the most popular bluegrass bands in the industry. The reason is obvious: distinctive, strong vocals, quality instrumentation, well-chosen bluegrass and gospel songs in its repertoire, and a dedicated leader of the band.
Violin Maker's Corner
Fundamental Friction Facts for Fiddler Folks
Murray Kuun: Non-traditional Violin Maker
Murray Kuun is a woodworker and luthier living in South Africa, where he builds violins and other instruments. In a recent interview, he told us about his path to becoming a maker of instruments with innovative designs.
