30th Year Photos/#35

The Rocky Mountain Gang
The bible says we sometimes entertain angels unaware.  In this situation, I knew who they were!  After suffering for 18 months with severe back problems, doubting I would ever be able to return to the workshop to build instruments, an idea started running through my head – why not get another craftsman to build them for/with me?  Mark Tindle had built gorgeous mountain dulcimers for years part-time.  He had moved to Estes Park, Colorado (one of my favorite places in the world) so I gave him a buzz just to see if he was the least bit interested.  As it turned out, not only he but his brother, Steve, a fine craftsman as well, were interested.  I flew up there (aw, shucks, do I have to?), we worked things out, rented a small shop on the edge of town and Master Works was birthed.  I’ll never forget every trip Merla and I made to that bit of American Bavaria and getting to work with these wonderful gentlemen.  It was a great beginning for a startup folk music business.  After a while, their father, Paul, and a young man, Kia, worked part-time with them.  They built just shy of 700 instruments in three years before expenses and the arid environment ran us out of the mountains.  They were dead set on staying there and I could not blame them – it may be the closest place to heaven here on earth and they were surrounded with family.  So, Master Works moved to Bennington, OK.  They are all doing well and blessed with wonderful families full of children – lots of them – a sure sign of blessing from the Lord.  If your Master Works dulcimer has a serial number less than 680 or so, these guys were your craftsmen!  Check out photo #49