Muddywood

 

The story of a Guitar Born from the Delta Blues 💫

Billy Gibbons, the legendary guitarist of ZZ Top, recounts a unique project that involved creating a guitar from wood salvaged from Muddy Waters' childhood home. The wood, a piece of cypress, was retrieved from the Stovall Farms cabin, which was in danger of being demolished. Gibbons, along with Jim O'Neil, the founder of Living Blues magazine, visited the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi, where they learned of the cabin's plight.

Gibbons brought the cypress wood back to Memphis and enlisted the help of Rick Rayburn and Rick Hancock, the proprietors of the Pyramid Guitar Co., to craft a guitar from it. The project was challenging due to the wood's condition, filled with knots and nails. Despite these obstacles, two guitars were created: a prototype and a finished instrument. Gibbons kept the prototype for personal use, while the finished guitar was donated to the Delta Blues Museum.

John Lee Hooker and Muddywood 💫

When designing the guitar, Gibbons aimed to create an instrument that would be reminiscent of those played by Muddy Waters. He chose a Mississippi River paint scheme as a symbol of the region's significance in the development of the blues. The finished guitar not only sounded exceptional but also played with remarkable ease.

The guitar, named "Muddywood," serves as a tribute to Muddy Waters and the rich musical heritage of the Delta Blues. It offers modern blues musicians an opportunity to connect with the past and pay homage to one of the genre's most influential figures.