Larry Benson

Contributed Profile

I have been playing guitar and performing folk music of many types and genres as a singer, musical storyteller, song chaser, lie swapper and strange and unusual rhythm instrument player for #%&$*@$!? years. In 1983, I discovered bones at the Walnut Valley Festival when a friend loaned me a pair of Birl’s and I was hooked. Returning home to Salt Lake, I got a “lesson” from a local musician to my great frustration. But he told me to not to worry, that I would wake up in the middle of the night and “get it” and to immediately get up “do it.” I did, and did it. When I moved to Florida, I ordered 2- pair of Barque’s sent to my new home.

Since then, I always keep bone and wood bones in the “toy box” in my guitar case along with spoons, shakers, kazoos, train whistles, etc. and pull them out whenever rhythms abound around, and there are just so many guitars that they don’t need to add mine. I play mostly one-handed but am learning 2 handed thanks to a recent lesson and encouragement from Bernie Worrell and Jerry Mescher. I also make and sell bones from a variety of local and exotic tone woods which I designed with a flatter ‘curve’ because I can get more variety of tones and ease of play.