Artists We Love
Pickin' Circle Picks
Music is at the heart of everything we do at Guit'R Done. This page is our front-porch tribute to the artists, bands, and pickers who inspire us — the ones who make you want to sit a spell and listen a little longer.
Go give these folks a listen. Support live music, buy their records, and spread the word.
Sierra Hull
A mandolin prodigy turned boundary-pushing artist, Sierra Hull blends bluegrass roots with jazz and folk influences in a way that's nothing short of breathtaking. Her musicianship is world-class and her songwriting is deeply personal.
Justin Moses
A multi-instrumentalist of the highest order, Justin Moses plays mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and more with jaw-dropping precision and feel. A Nashville session legend and a joy to watch live.
Molly Tuttle
Molly Tuttle is redefining what bluegrass can sound like — fearless flatpicking, warm vocals, and songs that stick with you. A Grammy winner and a true torchbearer for the next generation of acoustic music.
Tommy Emmanuel
There may be no more joyful guitarist alive than Tommy Emmanuel. His fingerstyle playing is a force of nature — he makes the guitar sound like a full band, and every performance is a celebration.
Doyle Dykes
Doyle Dykes is one of the most gifted fingerstyle guitarists in the world — a player whose technique is breathtaking and whose heart is even bigger than his talent. A man of deep Christian faith, Doyle brings a warmth and grace to his music that sets him apart. Whether he's playing a blazing original, a tender hymn, or a jaw-dropping showcase of his signature style, every note Doyle plays feels like it comes from somewhere real. He's a favorite here at Guit'R Done, and if you've never heard him, you're in for something special.
Paul Moseley
Paul Moseley is one of the finest thumbstyle guitarists playing today — a Kentucky-born picker who taught himself to play at age 10 by studying Chet Atkins records and watching him on television. That early devotion paid off in a big way. Moseley went on to win both national and international thumbpicking competitions in 1990 and 1991, and in 2006 he was inducted into the National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame.
Known among his peers as “Mr. Smooth” for his silky tone and effortless delivery, Paul has shared the stage with some of the greatest names in thumbstyle guitar — including Paul Yandell, Eddie Pennington, and Tommy Emmanuel. He remains one of the most respected Chet Atkins-style players of his generation, and every note he plays reflects a lifetime of love for the instrument.
▶ Watch Paul Moseley play on YouTube
Billy Strings
Billy Strings is a phenomenon. His flatpicking is ferocious, his improvisations are wild and free, and his ability to honor tradition while blowing the doors off it is something special. If you haven't seen him live, put it on your bucket list.
Mo Pitney
Mo Pitney is the real deal — a traditional country singer with a voice that sounds like it was born in another era. Honest songwriting, genuine heart, and a refreshing antidote to the mainstream.
Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs is one of the most gifted and versatile musicians country and bluegrass music has ever produced. A child prodigy who played with Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley as a teenager, Ricky went on to become a country superstar before returning to his bluegrass roots with a vengeance. His mandolin playing is ferocious, his vocals are impeccable, and his commitment to the music is total. A true living legend.
Vince Gill
Vince Gill is simply one of the finest musicians Nashville has ever produced — a guitarist's guitarist, a singer with one of the purest tenor voices in country music, and a songwriter of rare depth and honesty. Whether he's playing a blistering guitar solo, singing a heartbreaking ballad, or picking bluegrass with old friends, Vince brings a grace and musicality to everything he does. A multiple Grammy winner and a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, he remains as relevant and beloved today as ever.
The Purple Hulls
We had the privilege of spending three days with the Purple Hulls at Banjo Ben's Cabin Camp, and it's an experience we won't soon forget. Sisters Penny Lee Gimble and Katie Lou Clark — along with their incredibly talented bass player, Sarah Birkeland — are as genuine and down-to-earth as they are gifted. This Texas-based group brings tight harmonies, deep roots, and a warmth that fills whatever room they're in. If you love traditional bluegrass and gospel with a real family feel, the Purple Hulls are the real thing. Go find them and show them some love!
Banjo Ben Clark
We know Ben personally, and we can tell you — he's as good a guy as he is a musician, and that's saying something. Brother to Penny Lee and Katie Lou of The Purple Hulls, Banjo Ben has deep musical roots and a remarkable story. He played alongside a young Taylor Swift early in her career, and today he channels all that experience into teaching the next generation of pickers.
We were fortunate enough to be part of a small group that Ben taught guitar to at his Cabin Camp — and it was nothing short of incredible. Learning directly from someone of his caliber, in that setting, is the kind of thing you don't forget. Whether you can make it to a camp or not, his online lessons are world-class and we can't recommend them highly enough.
Summerlyn Powers
We had the pleasure of meeting Summerlyn Powers at the All Nashville Roadshow in Evans, GA, and she left quite an impression — incredibly talented and genuinely one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Keep an eye on this one; she's going places. If you get a chance to catch her live, don't pass it up.
Trey Hensley
Trey Hensley is one of those players who makes your jaw drop the first time you hear him. A Tennessee native who was picking stages before most kids were picking up a backpack, Trey has the kind of natural gift that only comes along once in a generation. His flatpicking is blazing fast but never sloppy — every note has purpose and feel. He's worked alongside some of the biggest names in bluegrass and Americana, and his own recordings show an artist who is only getting better. If you haven't heard Trey Hensley yet, you're in for a treat.
Alison Krauss
Few voices in American music are as instantly recognizable — or as purely beautiful — as Alison Krauss. A fiddle prodigy who signed her first record deal as a teenager, she went on to become one of the most decorated artists in Grammy history. Whether she's fronting Union Station, dueting with Robert Plant, or playing a solo fiddle break, everything Alison touches turns to gold. She is the standard by which bluegrass and acoustic music is measured.
Cole Goodwin
Cole Goodwin is a young guitarist turning heads in the bluegrass and acoustic world with a maturity of playing well beyond his years. His flatpicking is clean, confident, and full of feel — the kind of player you want to keep your eye on as he continues to grow. If you haven't come across Cole yet, now's a great time to start listening.
Bill Monroe ✦ In Memoriam
There is no bluegrass without Bill Monroe. The Kentucky-born mandolin master didn't just play the music — he invented it. With his Blue Grass Boys, Monroe forged a sound that was entirely his own: driving rhythms, high lonesome vocals, and a fire in the playing that has never been matched. Every artist on this page — and countless others across generations — owes a debt to the Father of Bluegrass. We lost Bill Monroe in 1996, but the music he created will never die. If you're new to his work, start with The Essential Bill Monroe and let it change your life.
Chet Atkins ✦ In Memoriam
If there is a Mount Rushmore of American guitar, Chet Atkins is on it. Known the world over as “Mr. Guitar,” Chet was the architect of the Nashville Sound and one of the most influential musicians in the history of recorded music. His fingerstyle technique — built on the Travis picking foundation and elevated into something entirely his own — set the standard for generations of guitarists, including many on this very page. Beyond his playing, Chet shaped the sound of country music as a producer and RCA executive, guiding the careers of Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and countless others. A Country Music Hall of Fame inductee and multiple Grammy winner, Chet Atkins was the complete article. We lost him in 2001, but his recordings are timeless. Start anywhere — you can't go wrong.
Doc Watson ✦ In Memoriam
Doc Watson is the father of modern flatpicking guitar, plain and simple. Born blind in Deep Gap, North Carolina, Doc taught himself to play with a ferocity and fluency that redefined what the acoustic guitar could do. His recordings are a masterclass in tone, timing, and taste, and his influence runs through virtually every flatpicker who came after him — including many of the artists on this very page. We lost Doc in 2012, but his legacy is as alive as ever. Start with Southbound or Doc Watson on Stage and prepare to be amazed.
Merle Watson ✦ In Memoriam
Merle Watson was Doc's son, his right-hand man on stage, and a gifted guitarist in his own right. The two were inseparable in performance — Merle providing the steady rhythm and warm accompaniment that gave Doc's flatpicking room to soar. Their recordings together are some of the most treasured in acoustic music, full of the easy chemistry that only a father and son who truly love playing together can produce. We lost Merle far too soon in a tragic accident in 1985, at just 36 years old. The MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina — one of the premier acoustic music events in the country — was founded in his honor and stands as a lasting tribute to his life and spirit.
Roy Clark ✦ In Memoriam
Roy Clark was one of the most naturally gifted musicians America ever produced — a guitarist, banjo player, and entertainer of the highest order who made it all look effortless. Best known to millions as the co-host of Hee Haw, Roy's warm humor and down-home charm made him a beloved television fixture for over two decades. But behind the laughs was a player of staggering ability — a man who could blaze through a classical piece, swing through jazz, and tear up a country breakdown all in the same evening. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009, a recognition long overdue. We lost Roy in 2018, but his joy for music — and his gift for sharing it — lives on in every performance he left behind.
Merle Travis ✦ In Memoriam
Merle Travis gave the world a gift that keeps on giving — a fingerpicking style so distinctive and influential that it bears his name to this day. Travis picking is the foundation upon which countless guitarists have built their sound, from Chet Atkins to Doyle Dykes and beyond. A Kentucky coal miner's son, Merle brought the working man's story to life through his guitar and his songs — most famously "Sixteen Tons" and "Dark as a Dungeon." We lost Merle in 1983, but every time you hear those alternating bass notes and melody dancing together on a guitar, you're hearing his legacy live on.
Thom Bresh ✦ In Memoriam
Thom Bresh inherited his father Merle Travis's gift and made it entirely his own. A virtuoso fingerstyle guitarist, entertainer, and showman, Thom carried the Travis picking tradition forward with joy and flair. He was also a gifted painter and a warm, generous spirit who loved sharing his music with anyone who would listen. We lost Thom in 2014, but his recordings and performances stand as a testament to a life fully devoted to the art of the guitar. If you love Merle Travis, you owe it to yourself to discover his son.
Tony Rice ✦ In Memoriam
Tony Rice was, simply put, one of the greatest flatpickers who ever lived. His tone, his timing, his taste — there was nobody quite like him. From his groundbreaking work with the David Grisman Quartet to his solo recordings and beyond, Tony redefined what was possible on a flattop guitar and influenced generations of pickers who came after him. We lost Tony on Christmas Day 2020, but his music lives on in every note played by those he inspired. If you've never sat down with a Tony Rice record, do yourself that favor today.