Leonard Glenn

Leonard Lucky Glenn, a resident of Watauga County's Laurel Creek community, near Beech Mountain, was one of the area’s most respected instrument builders. He began building traditional fretless mountain banjos as a young man, inspired from his father who also built banjos. But, Leonard's instrument-making skills were largely self-taught. His banjos were made almost entirely of wood--maple, walnut, and cherry mainly--and featured a small head of animal hide, usually squirrel.

Many traditional banjo players prefer the softer sound of Mr. Glenn's instruments to the ringing-out of the heavy, metallic bluegrass-style banjo. The wood and skin instruments provide perfect accompaniment for singing with family and friends. The absence of frets allows for the sliding and shading of notes--qualities that also fit the local singing style.

In the 1950s, Leonard and Clifford, his son, began building dulcimers when the instrument's popularity was boosted by post-war folk music and craft revivals. "I just decided," he said, "to get me some wood and go in on the dulcimer business and the first dulcimer I ever made I just studied it out for myself and made it." As noted by his son Clifford, who has also taken up the instrument-making craft with great success, "I think we were sort of pioneers. There weren't many making the dulcimer back then."

Leonard spoke of his grandpa, Eli Presnell, getting a dulcimer pattern from a Kentuckian who passed through in the mid-1800s. This is one of the first dulcimers known in the area. Eli made one for his son Ninevah, which was copied by Leonard’s father.
Leonard was also an expert player of the instruments he made and was regularly asked by visitors to pick a tune. Leonard recalled playing the banjo for dances as a young man, often without the accompaniment of other musicians. For years, Leonard and his wife Clara, and Clifford and his wife Maybelle, taught and entertained a steady stream of musicians and school children, who came looking for a taste of the old-time mountain culture. They were unfailingly generous with their time and as friendly as could be.

Leonard’s instrument building legacy still rings in the region today, as a number of his instruments are still played by local and regional musicians. While crafting instruments that were prized for their superior sound, the Glenns helped preserve some old and wonderful Appalachian folk arts.