Yes, I see the little guy’s face is blurred. Great photo…and especially fascinating because it’s a modern day tintype. I was pleasantly surprised years ago, when I thought to see what would happen when I scanned a tintype of my grandmother…to see how beautifully and clearly it turned out. Your’s is a wonderful photo to have. I must say though, in the photo you don’t look like your GF avatar. 
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Got older waiting for the Glowforge.
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you and me both, brother.
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Have you ever been to the Apple Valley Festival in Winfield, KS? Finally made it a few years ago when I stopped teaching and could take off. Really some amazing music, people, fun and community.
Pretty sure the second someone gets a beta unit and is allowed to talk about it. We’ll know.
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@rpegg Howdy from a fellow Appalachian American! I grew up in Wise County, VA - Now near Richmond. Do you have any recordings available online?
Other than engraving scroll work and serial numbers/makers marks, any actual instrument parts you have plans for?
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Have a couple close friends that are make banjos, fiddles, guitars. One makes and sells playable instruments as folk art. Cigar box instruments and the like. The other makes quality banjos and guitars. We have talked about using the laser for cutting inlays, designs, f-holes, bridges and other stuff. Gotta see what it will do first. I dabble in instruments, mostly repair and adjustments. Replacing banjo heads, neck adjustments other minor repair. I want to try to put images or designs on banjo heads as a first project. Might only work on real skin heads but want to try some of the fiberskin materials. The music we play is mostly oldtime string music. The type you might hear at square dances and the like. Not all that entertaining to an audience as a music form but great for background music at folk events, festivals, some of the tourist spots and the like. We get paid to play but God only knows why.
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My introduction to bluegrass was the fiddler’s conventions in N.C. and Virginia.
Every campfire had a banjo, fiddle and guitar ringing out. Enjoyed those far more than any rock and roll concert I ever went to.
That was quite a revelation for a long hair hippy.
Oldtime is what bluegrass evolved from. But there is a lot of crossover. The largest oldtime music festival in the world is the Appalachian Stringband Festival in WV. Of the 4000+ people that attend every year, easily 3000+ are musicians. It’s not a sit and listen type of festival. It’s a play all night for a week in a hundred 5 to 8 person jams around the grounds. A lot of current day hippies mixed with old masters. I go every year. This video is a 30 minute documentary about the festival but just watch the first minute if you don’t have time. It’s everything I’ve come to love about WV.
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Yep, that takes me back!
I so enjoyed the “old masters”… some of these guys had so much moonshine they would have difficulty walking, but wouldn’t miss a note of Foggy Mountain Breakdown!
Thanks for that video!
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Makes me miss home
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That is very cool Rick. Even saw a Canadian fiddler in the mix. Great post! Thanks. 
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I’ve just been to Winfield. This looks like as much fun.
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Just got back from the Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White & Ry Cooder show here in Ottawa. Unbelievable!
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Have you been to the fair in Hinton? They have it when CSX runs the New River train. I went this year, it was an amazing trip
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