Podcast Episode 207: Bryon Knight - Fairhaven Frets

Welcome, South Coast newcomer and the owner-operator of an already local institution, Fairhaven Frets, Bryon Knight. One of our newest friends, supporters, and collaborators. He began his musical career at age 11 and wanted to know more about how instruments were built. Bryon began “hanging around” a shop where a master fiddle maker was producing hand-made violins, violas, cellos, and a few guitars. He "swept the sawdust just to be near the old luthier and glean technical tidbits that would prove to be valuable later in my life." He also began playing in bands and eventually started touring regionally. Did we mention that Byron was from Arkansas and that he also had a 25-year career in television production, producing programs for ESPN, Fox Sports, The Discovery Channel, and The Outdoor Channel? He moved on to join the largest music retailer in the world, Thomann/Sweetwater Sound. After the devastating loss of a friend, he was encouraged by Little Rock Frets, which, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, was the largest string instrument repair shop in the state. His wife, Frances, is a New England Native and wanted to return "Home," and so they did and came to Fairhaven, Massachusetts, where Fairhaven Frets came into existence in 2019. Byron Knight spoke with The Artists Index’s cofounder, documentarian, and podcast host, Ron Fortier, this past April, about how he "always played music and worked on instruments - mostly for the pure love of the art". This episode was recorded at our recording studio at Spectrum Marketing Group at Howland Place in New Bedford.   Bryon Knight Fairhaven Frets 105 Sconticut Neck Road Fairhaven MA 02719 508-433-3738   Email | Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Other   Please consider donating whatever you can to help and assure us in our mission to continue documenting the legacies of South Coast Artists. If you would like to be a guest on The Artists Index or have a suggestion, please let us know!