Randy Wood is an American master luthier, instrument builder, and music entrepreneur known for his influence on the modern vintage-instrument industry and the bluegrass and roots music community. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Wood has built and repaired instruments for many of the biggest names in country, rock, and bluegrass while also operating one of the South’s most respected acoustic music venues.

Randy Wood grew up in a musical and woodworking family. His father was a carpenter and woodworker, and music was a common part of family life, with relatives frequently playing and singing together. Those two influences—woodworking and music—would shape Wood’s lifelong career as a luthier.

By the 1960s, Wood had begun developing his craft of instrument repair and building, quickly gaining a reputation for meticulous work and a deep understanding of acoustic instruments.

In the early 1970s, Wood moved to Nashville and became a founding partner in GTR, Inc., a pioneering vintage instrument shop located behind the Ryman Auditorium. The business was started with fellow musicians and dealers Tut Taylor and George Gruhn, and it later evolved into the famous Gruhn Guitars.

Because of its proximity to the Grand Ole Opry and Nashville recording studios, the shop quickly became a gathering place for musicians needing repairs, vintage instruments, or simply a place to pick. During this period, Wood built and repaired instruments for legendary performers including Bill Monroe, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Eric Clapton, and Keith Richards.

Wood later partnered with Taylor to open the original Old Time Pickin' Parlor, a combination music store, repair shop, and performance space that became a hub for bluegrass musicians and fans in the early 1970s.

In 1979, Wood sold the Nashville business and returned to coastal Georgia. For many years he operated a small workshop and mail-order business while building custom instruments.

Over time he produced more than 1,500 handmade instruments, including guitars, mandolins, banjos, dobroes, and violins, many of which are used by professional musicians around the world.

In 1999, Wood established Randy Wood Guitars, a guitar shop, repair center, and instrument workshop near Savannah. He also built a small concert venue called Randy’s Old-Time Pickin’ Parlor, an intimate hall known for hosting world-class acoustic performers in bluegrass, country, and Americana music.

The venue has become a regional destination for roots music fans and regularly features nationally recognized artists in an intimate setting.

Randy Wood is widely regarded as a pioneer of the modern vintage instrument business and one of the most respected repairmen and builders in acoustic music. His influence extends beyond instrument making; through his shops and the Pickin’ Parlor, he helped create gathering places where musicians could meet, jam, and share traditions that shaped American roots music.

Early Life and Musical Roots Nashville Years and the Vintage Instrument Boom Return to Georgia Randy Wood Music and the Pickin’ Parlor Legacy