Making Guitars Play Their Best: Bryan Parris

In this episode of Knox Guitar Box, host Andy LeGrand sits down with Bryan Parris, owner and luthier at Parris Guitars, to discuss the craft, technology, and personal attention behind a great-playing instrument.Bryan shares how his home-based repair business grew into one of East Tennessee’s most trusted guitar shops. The conversation explores professional setups, fretwork, refrets, structural repairs, restoration, PLEK technology, and what musicians should know about caring for their instruments.Andy also demonstrates “the spider,” a left-hand exercise he learned from his college instructor. The exercise helps guitarists develop finger independence, dexterity, and a stronger mental connection between finger movement and fretboard placement. A downloadable diagram is available on the Knox Guitar Box website.Whether you’re a guitarist, music student, teacher, instrument enthusiast, or simply curious about the work that keeps guitars playing their best, this episode offers practical knowledge and a closer look at one of Knoxville’s respected musical craftspeople.Knox Guitar Box is an FMX production with support from FlintMeryl Music and LeGrand Music.Donate Herehttps://parrisguitars.comhttps://flintmerylmusic.com/pages/podcasthttps://www.knoxvilleclassicalguitar.com/https://www.legrandmusic.org/