Photos by Mackenzie Moore Situated amid the honky-tonks of Nashville’s lower Broadway is Gruhn Guitars, a legendary shop that boasts one of the best collections of new and vintage instruments in the Western world.  American Songwriter, along with country-folk singer Andrew Combs and guitarist Jeremy Fetzer, stopped by recently and had privileged access to the [...]

Every Wednesday and Thursday around 5:30 p.m., guitarist J.D. Simo walks down the alley and enters Robert’s Western World through the backdoor. It’s not just any alleyway, mind you, as it runs alongside the Ryman Auditorium, the so-called Mother Church of Country Music. Once inside, J.D. says a quick hello to the bartenders and heads [...]

Photo Credit: Robb D. Cohen, courtesy of collingsguitars.com Austin, Texas-based guitar shop Collings Guitars has a decidedly artist focus. They’ve made guitars for such acoustic luminaries as Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, and, of course, Lyle Lovett. Zac Brown also has a healthy collection, and they make one of the best mandos in the biz. [...]