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. 10/22/08- Boy, that introduction looks old. The kids are teenagers in high school, lots of instruments have been made and played and finances have necessitated getting a day job in a shop building fine custom cabinets. A lot has been good but not all of it. Because of health problems I'm closing down the business end of instrument making. The web site will stay up for a while- it's nice to show off and hear from folks from all over. Feel free to ask questions, tell stories and such but I'm no longer accepting orders. My friends have set up a web site about this. I'm not soliciting anything, but you're welcome to have a look: http://www.parksfamilyfund.com Thanks! Steve

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) 810-5532 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