Instruments From the Estate of Earl Scruggs Available at Gruhn Guitars

When bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs died in 2012 at age 88, it was no exaggeration to mark it as the passing of one of the genre's founding fathers. The characteristic banjo style he developed still defines the sound of bluegrass today. Fans and collectors now have a chance to own some of the instruments Scruggs used to make that sound. Per a post at Bluegrass Today, two dozen instruments from Scruggs' estate are now for sale through Gruhn Guitars on Eighth Avenue. 

Many of the banjos and guitars were given to Scruggs by Gibson, built to his specifications. Scruggs used all of the items — some in public performance and some just around the house.

The most expensive piece in the collection, priced at $50,000, also has some extraordinary historical significance. It's a Gibson RB banjo that was made circa 1940 for Grand Ole Opry star Uncle Dave Macon. Scruggs bought it from Macon’s son Dorris in 1965, and Scruggs never changed the strings on it. You can hear Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen play it in a duet with Scruggs on the landmark 1972 album Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Perhaps the most interesting item is a Gibson banjo called The Earl, named for Scruggs. One of only five made, it features Scruggs' signature on the truss rod and his portrait engraved on the back of the resonator, and it can be yours for $35,000. The least expensive instrument in the lot is an unlabeled 18-fret open-back five-string banjo, made circa 1925 and priced at $300. Every item comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by store owner George Gruhn and Scruggs' son, Gary Scruggs. 

Below, check out a video in which Gruhn's banjo expert Joe Spann and champion banjo player Charlie Cushman demonstrate a few of the available items.