Jean Horner has been building mandolins and fiddles for over 50 years near his family’s homestead in Westel, Tennessee. All of Horner’s instruments are beautifully hand-carved using wood obtained from local loggers. Located in the remote woods of

western Tennessee, his shop is a longtime gathering place for musicians and music lovers.

Horner says that his hobby is playing the instruments he makes, and with his bluegrass group, the Fiddleshop Band, he plays every October at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee as well as at other music festival. This connects him to the music community of the region

Horner’s father was a logger and coal miner, and Horner’s connection to local loggers is one reason for his success, as this enables him to get the curly maple that he uses for building instruments.