Artisan Guitars

Fred Foster is a legendary name in Nashville music history. His role first as a record promoter then producer helped the careers of many performers and resulted in hundreds of hit recordings. He began working for Mercury Records in 1955 and played a vital role in the early careers of Roy Orbison and Dolly Parton. Among the artists he produced were fellow NAMM Oral History interviewees Billy Grammer, Chip Young and Charlie McCoy. His impressive career also included songwriting such hits as "Me and Bobby McGee" (with Kris Kristofferson) for Janis Joplin and establishing Monument Rec

Joy Hood Weaver is widely known for her 1977 gospel album Jesus Is The Cornerstone, which served as an influence for Contemporary Christian artists who followed. The album, recorded at LeFevre Sound Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, by engineer Stan Dacus, was followed by a live appearance on the Grand Ole Opry. Joy began winning contests as a vocalist at a very young age, including the Freddie Miller Talent Contest when she was just 13 years old. She sang on several early television programs including the Georgia Jubilee with future stars Ray Stevens and Jerry Reed.

William Warmoth and his wife Ellen opened a small guitar shop in Franklin, Tennessee, with the dream of providing acoustic guitars to music makers of all ages.  Their small shop has grown over the years in size and reputation; in fact it is a hang out for country and rock artists alike.  William sought to bring unique product lines as well as some of the better known brands together with first class customer service built on creating lifelong relationships.

WT Warmoth is currently an Industrial Design major at Savannah College of Art & Design and has dreams of becoming a guitar luthier.  As the son of William and Ellen Warmoth, the founders of Artisan Guitars outside of Nashville, WT has learned the art and craftsmanship of guitar builders from some of the country’s best known luthiers.  With a strong musical background, WT is also a great salesman for the store, which was presented a NAMM Top Dealers Award at the time of his interview in July 2012.

Chip Young was one of the best known recording session guitarists in Nashville. His thumb picking style can be heard on countless recordings and hundreds of hit records made in Nashville between the early 1960s into the 2000s. Chip's thumbing can be heard on Vern Gosdin's 1984 hit "I Can Tell by the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight)," among others. One of his longest associations was with Elvis Presley. He began recording with Elvis in 1965, continuing until Elvis's passing in 1977. In fact, towards the end of his life, Elvis had Chip produce two albums including Moody