Rural Missouri - February 2023 - 29

WHITTLES AND FIDDLES
by Jessica Jainchill |
T
Fiddle-maker shares his passion for music
info@ruralmissouri.coop
photos by Zach Smith | zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop
he radio is where it all began for Chester, an
83-year-old fiddle-maker who resides near Sullivan.
Inspired by the music he heard with his family,
Chester picked up his first instrument at 14.
" I had listened to the 'Grand Ole Opry' every Saturday
night, and I wanted to be like those hillbillies on the
'Grand Ole Opry,' " says Chester Lahmann Sr., describing
his childhood in the 1940s.
Though he denies ever being talented at making music,
the Crawford Electric Cooperative member says he began
by " beating on an old guitar for a while. "
Music became somewhat of a family occupation with the
Lahmanns.
" I had a brother, Danny, who tried to learn, " Chester
says. " And my brother, Donny, he is quite proficient in guitar,
banjo, Dobro, and he plays in church a lot and plays
on the street corner down in Arkansas. "
However, as life continued, Chester somewhat slowed
down his playing as family, namely five boys and his wife,
Bonnie, became his priority. He was still interested in
traditional American music and instruments, particularly
the fiddle. Chester loved the Irish-influenced and bluegrass
music that transforms a simple violin into a wily fiddle. So
at 67, he purchased a fiddle-making kit on a whim.
" I always wanted to play the fiddle, " he says. " It did
something to my heart, so I ordered this kit to put together
a fiddle, and I put together the kit. "
Through this simple experiment, Chester began an
unusual hobby that spanned more than 15 years.
Chester recalls finishing his first fiddle. " I loved it. It
was so wonderful. I just knew I needed to make another
one. I decided I could make some out of different woods,
so I started making part of the fiddles out of dogwood. I
cut down some dogwood trees and made the sides, and
they turned out good. So I ordered some more woods and
couldn't stop making fiddles. "
One of the first things Chester learned as he dove into
crafting fiddles was patience. Building them requires the
crafter to work slowly, carefully whittling away shavings of
wood until he or she achieves a specific thickness on different
parts on the violin's body. That might sound difficult,
but Chester refers to it as a step-by-step process that
anyone can do as long as they have a good book on how to
hand-make fiddles. But he adds with emphasis that any
aspiring fiddle-maker must be willing to take the time and
follow the process through carefully. As Chester learned
with one of his fiddles, hurrying the crafting process can
make an instrument that sounds nice but will not look
aesthetically pleasing.
As for the tools, Chester says, " The only thing it takes is
the want to and following the instructions. I made fiddles
just with the tools I had around me. It took no special tools
to do it. Really anyone can make one. "
Along with patience, practice is a key component of the
process, Chester says. After all, crafting fiddles is not a
Left: Sullivan-area resident Chester Lahmann, 83, taught himself to play the fiddle at age 67. Shortly after, he started making them for his children
and grandchildren. Below: The Crawford Electric Cooperative member made most of the tools and forms he uses to craft each instrument.
FEBRUARY 2023 | RURAL MISSOURI 29

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