CunniNgham Handmade Instruments
Guitar Raffle 2025
The Handmade Music School at The Floyd Country Store and Southwest Virginia luthier Jackson Cunningham are announcing another chance to win one of Jackson’s beautiful custom-made guitars.
TICKET SALES HAVE ENDED
Join us at the Friday Night Jamboree on November 14th for the winner announcement! If you can't make it to the show, watch the announcement on our livestream beginning at 6:30pm EST at the link below.
About
The Guitar
The 2025 Cunningham Raffle Guitar has a lot to offer the player and the listener, and as in years past, the guitar has a heavy influence of regional timbers harvested and sourced from around the high country of Southwest Virginia.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in September 2024, salvage efforts around the region allowed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The wood used for the top of this guitar is old-growth red spruce from a Hurricane Helene salvaged, blowdown tree from the high country of Grayson County, Virginia. This tree was over 200 years old, salvaged and processed by Cunningham Handmade Instruments, it has been air dried over the last year and now has made its way to a beautiful Cunningham flattop guitar to be raffled off in support of traditional music education and programming at The Handmade Music School.
With its long 25.34 scale length, and jumbo slope-shoulder body, this guitar has a robust and powerful tone with plenty of midrange and note separation suitable for flatpicking. It also has a sweet low and full tonal register that would support a singer’s voice. The clarity of the highs add to the note articulation of this guitar and will make it stand out in a stringband ensemble setting.
Details
As mentioned above, the wood used for the top of this guitar is old growth red spruce from a Hurricane Helene salvaged blowdown tree from the high country of Grayson County, Virginia. This tree was over 200 years old, salvaged and processed by Jackson Cunningham of Cunningham Handmade Instruments, it has been air dried over the last year and now has made its way to this beautiful Cunningham flattop guitar.
“Red Spruce from Whitetop Mountain, has a long storied history with instrument building in SWVA, and it’s an honor to have the privilege to work with it.” – Jackson Cunningham
The brace wood used for this guitar is also very special, the red spruce brace stock was harvested from the same region over 20 years ago, it has seasoned to perfection over the last two decades, and now hand carved to gain ultimate sonic response from the guitar.
The back, sides and neck woods of this guitar are also Virginia tonewoods: beautifully figured red maple. This maple was carefully selected to give a striking appearance and to balance out the red spruce construction.
The bridge and fingerboard are made of old Martin factory Brazilian rosewood, acquired years ago from another luthier and set aside for a special project, this old tonewood rings like a bell and has a distinct and sought after spiderwebbing appearance.
Describing a guitar’s tone is always interpretive but it’s quite easy to say that this guitar has a lot to offer the player and the listener. With its long 25.34 scale length, and jumbo slope shoulder body, this guitar has a robust and powerful tone with plenty of midrange and note separation suitable for flatpicking. It also has a sweet low and full tonal register that would support a singer’s voice. The clarity of the highs add to the note articulation of this guitar and will make it stand out in a stringboard ensemble setting.
Picking up the guitar and feeling the graceful profile of the neck as well as holding the body of this guitar will be a welcome experience to the player. The neck has a 1 3/4 nut width and is profiled to a very comfortable C shape. The classic slope shoulder body is the perfect shape to make a large guitar feel at ease.
The guitar is presented with a sunburst finish, cream colored vintage bridge pins and end pin, bone nut and saddle, and Waverly tuning machines.
Specifications
- Hurricane Helene salvage Virginia Red Spruce top
- 20 year old Virginia Red Spruce braces
- Virginia Sugar Maple bridge plate
- Virginia Red Maple back/sides/neck
- Old Growth Martin Factory Brazilian Rosewood bridge, fingerboard
- Honduran mahogany neck/end blocks
- Basswood kerfed linings
- Hide Glue construction
- 25.34 Scale length
- 1 3/4 nut width
- 2 3/16 string spacing at the bridge saddle
- Bone nut and saddle
- MOP pearl inlay script and FB dots
- Jescar nickel frets
- Waverly vintage oval tuning machines
- Antique Acoustics bridge and end pins
- Traditional compression truss rod
- Celluloid bindings
- Full body sunburst with nitrocellulose lacquer finish
The CASE
Once again, Cedar Creek Custom Case Shoppe has graciously provided us with a custom, 5-ply hardshell, case from The Harptone Case Company‘s Redline reissue series that is as protective as it is beautiful. Harptone is located in the heart of Virginia and made in the USA.
Case features include:
- Vintage, hand-laminated, arch-top & sides
- Vintage, soft, protective lining
- Protective hinge covers
- Vintage draw bolts
- Vintage, deep-grained, Durahyde covering
- Enhanced dual neck cradle support
- Spacious accessory compartment
- Vintage leather handle
- Vintage keylock
- Fully-compensating, protective, body cushioning
Anyone who follows my work knows that I like to use locally sourced tone-wood, and woods that have a story or history behind them. The Virginia mountains are home to some of the most prized tone woods, and the Virginia mountains also have been home to generations of old-time music makers. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to think some of these trees have grown up in the presence of the very music they will make when they are built into fine instruments. I felt it was very fitting to use these timbers for this years Handmade Music School/Cunningham guitar fundraiser raffle. The Handmade Music School continues to focus on teaching and encouraging regional music and dance, and a big part of the music in SW Virginia has been its strong tradition of instrument making.
About
Jackson Cunningham
Jackson Cunningham Handmade Musical Instruments is based in Grayson County, Virginia, USA.
Jackson grew up in a home where music and woodworking were a way of life. His father was a master craftsman and these skills were passed down to him at a very young age. Through the years he began building musical instruments full time with the generous help of many local luthiers around Southwest Virginia. His driving inspiration has always been to recreate the instruments his musical heroes played and performed on.
For over 15 years, his shop has remained a one-man operation and handwork is still the foundation of each build. From selection of tonewoods, construction, and to the final fit and finish, Jackson ensures each step is taken with meticulous care. His instruments are sought after by musicians, collectors, and enthusiasts all around the world. Jackson’s instruments have also been featured at some of the industries premier instrument retailers, including Gruhn’s Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee and Folkway Music in Ontario, Canada. All inquiries are welcomed and encouraged.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LUTHIER TRADITIONS
SW Virginia has a rich tradition of instrument making, and within this tradition Jackson learned to build first hand under the generous guidance of Audrey Hash Ham, daughter of pioneering fiddle maker Albert Hash. Working with Audrey inspired Jackson to pursue building instruments full time and led to visits with other talented local luthiers including Floyd County banjo maker Mac Traynham, Grayson County guitar maker Wayne Henderson and Floyd County fiddle maker Arthur Conner as well as many others.
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 26 - NOVEMBER 14
Ticket Sales Have Ended
Join us at the Friday Night Jamboree on November 14th for the winner announcement! If you can't make it to the show, watch the announcement on our livestream at the link below. The livestream begins at 6:30pm EST.
Our Goals
To feature the beautiful craftsmanship of Jackson Cunningham; Celebrate and perpetuate the traditions of instrument building from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and beyond; To strengthen community through experiences in music, dance, and arts rooted in our Appalachian traditions; To raise funds for programming and the Share the Music Scholarship Fund at The Handmade Music School.
All proceeds will benefit programming and the Share The Music Scholarship Fund at the Handmade Music School at The Floyd Country Store. The Handmade Music School is a nonprofit institution dedicated to teaching old time, bluegrass, and traditional music and dance from Floyd County, Virginia and throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Raffle Rules
- Raffle ticket is for the handbuilt guitar by Jackson Cunningham advertised
- Proceeds support The Handmade Music School
- There is no limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased
- Ticket sales are prohibited to residents of Alabama, Utah, or Hawaii
- The guitar will be shipped free within the United States. A valid shipping address must be provided. If the winner lives outside the United States they will be responsible for transporting the guitar and all international customs fees.
- The winner must be present at the Friday Night Jamboree, tuned in to the livestream, or respond within 24 hours of announcement in order to win the instrument. Winner is to contact Handmade Music School at (540) 745-2110 or info@handmademusicschool.org.
About The Handmade Music School
The Handmade Music School strives to cultivate and strengthen community through experiences in music and dance rooted in our Appalachian traditions. We are dedicated to teaching old time, bluegrass, and traditional music and dance from Floyd County, Virginia and throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. The philosophy of The Handmade Music School is to “hand down” the songs and dances from the teacher to the student, knee-to-knee, phrase-by-phrase and step-by-step, the way it’s been taught in the Blue Ridge Mountains for centuries.