3 Luthiers & Builders - Virginia



I began making instruments with my dad as a means to pay off my law school loans and ended up loving it so much I decided to put a pin in me endeavors to pursue a career in environmental law and instead learn all I can from my dad in order to preserve and carry on his incredible trade. I had no idea I would enjoy making instruments for people as much as I do, but since it has become such an exciting pastime I have decided to try my hand at being a luthier. Nestled here in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, I am surround by incredibly talented musicians and instrument builders, the most talented of which being my dad, Wayne Henderson.



The process of crafting many "Hinkle Ukulele" begins with a fallen tree. I harvest logs from trees that have come down and might otherwise become firewood. I mill planks from the logs and air-dry them for years before re-sawing the wood for ukulele parts. The parts are made and assembled in my little woodshop - music studio. Each individually crafted ukulele is then finished and set up with quality strings and tuners. The last part of the process involves a little breaking-in jam with each instrument to make sure it plays well and sounds good.



At Sparrow Ukuleles their goal is to provide world class quality at a reasonable and accessible price. All of there instruments are designed and manufactured in Richmond, Va. Their focus on steel string, magnetic pickup ukes that sound and play wonderfully. The Alnico magnet pickups are custom designed and hand wound their our shop to provide rich, warm tone and sonic versatility. In addition to our standard models, they also take custom orders, so feel free to inquire! Be sure to stop by and check out Sparrow Ukuleles!