new member

[Dennisthe Menace]

Welcome to the Forum Kathy!

[LHyde]

Hello Kathy. It was very much my pleasure to see you and your husband again at the guitar festival this past Saturday 26 Jan.2013. Wasn't it a great event? Thank you for reintroducing me to Eugene Moles. The last time That I saw him, he was a young boy. He is a wonderful guitar player. His father Gene was one of the most influential guitar players on me when I was very young. I thought the Gruggett guitar collection was the best I have ever seen. I saw my first double neck guitar there. It was like seeing an old friend. It was the guitar that Brian Lonebeck played during the all Gruggett guitar band segment. It would have been really wonderful If your father could have seen this. Bill was a tremendous influence, friend, teacher, counselor, and role model to me for over 51 years and I still miss him. I miss the drive over to Bakersfield every week to see him. Even when we weren't working on guitars we spent the time just talking and sharing experiences over a broad range of subjects. Your father was a super intelligent and intellectual man. He preferred not to let a lot of people know this about himself. He did not have an egotistical bone in his body. He never thought of himself as being special because he could do something that others could not. He was truly an old fashioned gentleman in the truest sense. There were times that he would fix or repair a guitar for someone and not charge them because he new that they did not have very much money. These are the ones that he touched with his gift and got his own self reward for doing so. There will never be another Billy Don Gruggett and those that ever knew or met him were very privileged to have done so. Your father was a wonderful man. I and many others will always remember that. I was most happy to have seen you again, please say hello to your brother Don for me. Best regards your fathers friend (and yours) Lonnie Hyde.

[JBPhoto]

Welcome Kathy,

First let me say I am sorry to hear of your dad's passing. I was referred to him for some help with a Mosrite by Mark Moseley.... he obviously didn't hear the Bill has passed. I had sent a friend request on Facebook as well as an email... only to learn later of the news. That made me feel awful for sending email. Anyway, WELCOME to our forum. Glad to have you!

[kgruggett]

Lonnie- thank you so much for your heart felt words. We did so enjoy the show and seeing you again along with some of my dad's friends I had not met before. Hearing 14 Gruggett Guitars all at once was incredible and thanks for being one of those 14! We just got this evening home from our time away and I cannot wait to see the videos I took of the performance and the photos. I will post some on the Gruggett string of this website so be sure to view them. If ever you would like to get in touch with me please message me here. We really loved some of the musicians we heard that night including Eugene and Deke and plan to watch for when they may play in our area . God bless Lonnie!
Kathy