Herb Key

Herb grew up in Wilkes County where he has played music for most of his life and spent more than 30 years making, repairing, and restoring instruments. He has been interested in music all of his life, and he remembers his grandmother cranking up her old wind-up record player for him when Herb was so young she thought he might break it. He listened to old Carter Family recordings and was memorized with Mother Maybelle’s guitar playing. He also listened to radio programs and has fond memories of hearing the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights.

Herb’s mother and father both played traditional music, but his father didn’t particularly encourage Herb to play, as musicians in the area often had a reputation for not being hard workers. But, his mother had a guitar, and his uncle also played, and he showed Herb how to tune a guitar. When Herb turned 16, his parents bought him his own Silvertone guitar, which Herb still owns today. In school he formed a band with other friends in the Future Farmers of America. The group would play a lot of gospel music and other traditional music of the area.

Herb continued playing music, but in the early 1970s he also got interested in building and repairing instruments. He met Jack Williams, a local luthier who built banjos, guitars, and mandolins. Williams helped Herb build his first instrument, a banjo, and Herb was off. Around the same time, he also found out about Wayne Henderson of Rugby, VA, who was beginning to acquire a reputation for making fine guitars and other stringed instruments. Herb made frequent trips to visit Henderson, who helped Herb build his first guitar.

Herb has made a number of instruments through the years, and today he has his own shop at his home in Wilkesboro; however, he spends more time doing repair and restoration work than making instruments. In addition to having his own shop, Herb works at Wayne Henderson’s shop doing the repair work so Henderson has time to build new instruments. Herb also plays music frequently with Henderson and the Elkville String Band of Wilkes County.

Herb Key
1423 Dragway Rd.
Wilkesboro, NC 28697
336-973-3965