Luthier
Mouth of Wilson, VA
In hindsight, Jackson Cunningham’s career as a luthier was meant to be. He began piano lessons with his grandmother at age seven, picked up guitar soon after, and learned to play banjo and fiddle in his teenage years. Around the same time, Jackson’s stepfather introduced him to woodworking. The confluence of these interests brought Jackson Cunningham to the threshold of instrument craft, which he eagerly pursued after moving to Grayson County, Virginia, from his home in southern Oregon. There he found a community in the musicians, luthiers, and craftspeople that stewarded traditional Appalachian music.
Jackson cites a large cohort of mentors and colleagues that have helped him with the finer points of instrument making, including the late Audrey Hash Ham, daughter of renowned luthier Albert Hash, whose stories made Jackson realize he was “tapping into something that had been around a long time.” He received mentorship in building guitars from Don Wilson and Wayne and building banjos from Mack Traynham and Arthur Connor. In addition to swapping skills, songs, and stories, members of the musical community often share access to raw materials. Jackson takes pride in sourcing local wood from Grayson County and the surrounding area, and has even harvested his own red spruce.
Jackson builds instruments under the name Cunningham Handmade Instruments. He keeps busy with custom guitar orders—ranging from 1930s small-body styles to archtops—but still finds time to get out and play music, equipped with instruments by himself and other regional artists. In April 2023, Jackson received a Tradition Bearers Fellowship from the Greater Bristol Folk Arts & Culture Team, supported by Mid Atlantic Arts’ Central Appalachia Living Traditions initiative. He will be in the Appalachian Traditions tent in the Virginia Folklife Area on Saturday, October 14 and Sunday, October 15, and will be performing in the “New Sounds of Bristol” set on Sunday, October 15 at 12 p.m.