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BY LANCE GAITHER

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

Luthier and owner of Frazzell Guitars Brandon Edwards, has new signature line of guitars, the Frazzell Wildberry Double Cutaway. The guitar features a body of flamed maple and Honduran mahogany with a neck made of zebrawood. Edwards first started to create the design when he was in luthier school.   

“One of our projects was to do an original body design,” Edwards said. “I loved the design and made a prototype but I wasn’t happy with it. I figured out what I liked and didn’t like and went back to the drawing board. I put a of effort in to this design and I love every ounce of it.”

Edwards gained a love of music at a young age from his father’s wide range of music taste. He had a particular interest in guitars.

“I always wanted to learn to play the guitar,” Edwards said. “Being a performer is a lot of hard work. I knew I couldn’t cut it as a performer, there are too many people out there. I still wanted some part of the guitar world. When I was in high school I would watch videos on how to build guitars everyday.”

To follow his dreams after high school he attended the Musicians Institute Guitar Craft Academy in Nashville.

“It was an incredibly great opportunity,” Edwards said. “I worked with some of the best guitar builders in the world. The guy who taught the electric program, Brian Nutter, he played 16 years with Kieth Urban, on the road with Lonestar. I worked with so many people who were titans of the industry. They were the ones people would send their million-dollar guitars for repairs.”

After he graduated, he was hired at the Gibson Custom Shop.

“I always worked hard in school and got a job at the custom shop, I wanted to own my own shop but you have to get some experience,” Edwards said. “Gibson was a great place to learn. There were a lot of people there who have done so many cool things. I got to see the guitar that Chuck Berry used to record Johnny B. Good. So many guitars that could be in museums.”

While working at Gibson, Edwards knew he wanted to open a business back home. When he would come home from Nashville people would have him repair their guitars.

“To be honest, I would get tired of coming home to visit family but instead spend all my time fixing guitars,” Edwards said. “Eventually, a buddy called me up and asked when I was going to come home and start making my own guitars. I loved Gibson, but I wanted to build my own thing.”

Edwards hopes he can inspire the next generation of musicians.

“Music isn’t appreciated enough sometimes,” Edwards said. “I want to give back the community and instill music eduction for the kids. I want to bring back the experience where you can walk in and see me building a guitar. I want American craftsmanship to not just be something you see at amusement parks and tourist traps.”

Edwards named his business after his grandmother.

“She died when my mom was 20 years old of colon cancer,” Edwards said. “My mom was always telling me how proud she would have been with me going to college and having a business. All the love and care she gave over the years will never be forgotten.”