STEVE PARKS Musician, Luthier, Woodworker, Housedad (not necessarily in that order)

Instruments	Octave Mandolins	Tenor Guitars	Mountain Dulcimers	Music
Gallery	Other Woodworking	In Stock	Education Programs	Home
	Thomasson Tenor	Parks & Driver	Plectrum Gutiars

Howdy and Welcome! This site tells a little bit about the work I do when I'm not out doing stuff with my kids and family- play traditional American music, build fine stringed instruments along with other woodworking, and do educational programs at schools and museums.

In 1972, at the age of fourteen, I first heard a mountain dulcimer, and was completely entranced. Two days later I bought a kit, slapped it together and my life has been ruined ever since. A few more kits, then a couple from scratch (along with a few piles of kindling), learning to play the mandolin and some other instruments, knowing all along that one couldn't hardly get away with doing this for a living. For several years, I did as much wood carving, cooking, odd jobs, instrument making and playing music as a transient hippie can on kitchen tables and back porches. In 1983 I started work at Colonial Heritage Reproductions in Hinton, Virginia, building fine custom Queen Anne style furniture, doing a lot of carving and restoration and the occasional instrument on and off for ten years. By my mid-thirties, after trying several professions while playing music on the side, I realized this was what I should have been doing all along, so, with lots of support from my long-suffering wife, dove back into instrument making and performing whenever I wasn't chasing the kids around. Life is good.

So, have a look around- be sure to visit the gallery of some of my work.

Feel free to contact me at: swparks@northriver.coop  (540) 867-0225 10001 Rooster Ridge Ln. Dayton, VA 22821

Here are a few favorite links: Mark Barrere's Shenandoah Music site- performance post, song collection, links galore, you name it Musical Instrument Maker's Forum- discussions and info on anything lutherie related Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia- living history with an international scope, with which I've been associated off and on for many years now Disk jockey and music historian Tom Morgan's wide-ranging site My picking buddies the Mando Mafia. Check out Tenor Guitar.com to keep up with the world of the tenor guitar, The Guild of American Luthiers- a great organization.

Instruments	Octave Mandolins	Tenor Guitars	Mountain Dulcimers	Music
Gallery	Other Woodworking	In Stock	Educational Programs	Home