Jim Triggs Ð Building Upon A Great Tradition
By David McCarty
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Like John Monteleone, Michael Lewis and many other luthiers, the archtop stringed instrument in its varied forms has always fascinated Jim Triggs. From violins to stunningly crafted replicas of the great hand-carved archtop guitars of the Swing and Big Band eras, to passionate recreations of the fabled Loar-era F5 mandolins, Triggs finds the soaring curves and elegant f-holes that characterize these instruments virtually irresistible.
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His mandolins, in particular, reflect that passion and have reached the hands of some of modern musicÕs most gifted players, including Bobby Clark, Sam Bush, Doyle Lawson, Butch Baldassari, Byron Berline, Janice Gill, Roland White, Joe Carr, Josh Pinkham, Chris Hillman and more.
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Raised in the Americana heartland of Topeka, Kansas, Jim didnÕt come from a family of musicians or woodworkers. His dad was into country music, and the family TV was always tuned to the Porter Waggoner Show and similar Nashville fare. Then when Hee Haw came along, it became cool to be country, and Jim started getting the bug to play banjo. He first played a classical guitar, then in his junior year in high school bought a banjo. ÒI played about 2 to 3 hours a day,Ó he recalls now. Eventually, he bought a nicer instrument, a Gibson RB250, foreshadowing his future employment at Gibson.
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With little music in his hometown, he headed east to the college town of Lawrence, Kansas where he joined the local music scene and started going to musical events like the famous Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield. Jim also started doing a lot of various painting and woodworking jobs like resurfacing wooden floors and found that he enjoyed it. Although it wasnÕt clear at the time, heÕd started on a path that would lead him to his place today and one of AmericaÕs best-known and most-respected stringed instrument builders.
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The mandolin came to his life in about 1976, when Gibson introduced its famous F5L line of instruments that were its first attempt to get back to the quality and playability of the mandolins from the Loar era. Not being able to afford one, Jim bought the classic Roger Siminoff binder of blueprints and instruction material and set out to build an F5 for himself. ÒIt was a piece of junk,Ó he says without embarrassment, Òand I still have it out in the shop.Ó
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To make a living, he was working at the grocery story or pulling shifts at UPS, while his dream was to become a good enough musician to turn professional. His mandolin building Òstarted as a hobbyÓ and he sold the third one he made in two weeks. At that point, he only thought he might earn a little extra cash making instruments, but it soon progressed to something more serious.
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At Winfield he had the opportunity to meet great musicians and great builders, including legendary Seattle luthier Steve Andersen. ÒI was just a fledgling builder, but he was kind enough to spend several hours with me showing me how he did things,Ó Triggs recalls. Triggs had a local machinist build him a pantograph carving machine based on AndersenÕs design, and soon he was filling his house with instruments. ÒI never started out wanting to build, but I wanted to own a lot of instruments,Ó he admits now. Today, JimÕs modest ranch home in Lawrence has maybe 80 guitars, mandolins and other instruments in cases stuffer in every conceivable corner.
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In 1983, Triggs and his wife moved to California where she took a job in the corporate office of Taco Bell. Jim found work in a local woodworking business, but the bigger influence on him was the chance to immerse himself in the local bluegrass scene. Going to numerous festivals, he met such luminaries as Byron Berline, Hot Rize, Butch Baldassari, Vince Gill and the late Gibson mandolin department head Charlie Derrington. It was Derrington who looked at examples of TriggsÕ mandolins and was so impressed with the quality of his work that he asked the young builder to move to Nashville and join Gibson. He made the move in the autumn of 1986, and Derrington soon introduced him to all the stars on NashvilleÕs music scene, including Bill Monroe.
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His first assignment at Gibson was to build the prototype of a new Loar-inspired F5 to be debuted at NAMM, an opportunity that gave him the chance to examine and blueprint both of MonroeÕs Loars, as well as samples from Derrington and others. The resulting instrument was so well-received, Gibson found itself inundated with 120 orders at NAMM.
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ÒI was overwhelmed,Ó Triggs says today. Without the sufficient shop staff to take on such a wealth of orders, Gibson initiated negotiations to buy Steve CarlsonÕs Flatiron operation in Montana, with Triggs assigned to oversee the changeover and ensure that the new mandolins Òlooked and sounded like Gibsons,Ó he tells Mandolin Magazine. ÒWe wanted to make sure they looked and sounded like a Loar.Ó
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A multi-talented individual, Triggs also assumed additional duties at Gibson, including overseeing the fable companyÕs Custom Shop, rejuvenating its storied line of archtop jazz guitars, and even acting as unofficial artist relations supervisor for the company.
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ÒI was a good A&R guy because I could play banjo, mandolin, fiddle or guitar in almost any situation. I earned the respect of the artists,Ó he says. ÒPlus, I was a builder and could talk about the intricacies of instruments to anyone.Ó
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After six years with Gibson, though, Triggs wanted to return home and concentrate on building exclusively. In 1998, he returned to Kansas and bought a large ranch-style house in Lawrence. The property on a quiet side street includes a 500 sq. ft. detached garage where Jim set up his new shop. ItÕs a simple, purposeful workspace where he keeps his tools and wood, and a multitude of instrument forms ranging from huge Stromberg-inspired archtop guitar molds to tiny ukulele forms.
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Dividing his time primarily between archtop guitars and mandolins, he says his approach as a builder Òis more making stuff the way they did 80 years ago.Ó As one of the foremost Loar experts, Triggs acknowledges that if you had 10 of the fabled mandolins in a room, not all would be fantastic instruments. On average, he estimates, youÕd have two or three that are great, two more than you wouldnÕt want and the rest would be average. His goal, he stresses, is for every Triggs mandolin to be at the very top end of the scale soundwise. In addition, since the LoarÕs were, in fact, factory instruments, Triggs puts in the time and attention to detail necessary to give his instruments improved fit and finish compared to the originals.
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Wood selection, he agrees, plays a crucial role in defining the ultimate tone of the instrument. ÒThe best Loars have wide-grained tops; the Ferns had tighter grained tops. If you want a more woody sound, you need a tight-grained top and a thinner back. You can get a huge impact on the sound depending on the thickness of the back. Thinner is more punchy sounding. I figured that out over the years,Ó he explains.
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Now joined by son Ryan in the shop, Jim Triggs is building what many consider the best instruments of his career. TheyÕre so highly regarded, about 80 percent of his business is from current owners who want another Triggs. ÒI canÕt imagine finding another new mandolin I would like better than my TriggsÓ proclaims Bobby Clark. ÒThe beautiful dark, satin sunburst gets a lot of attention from the get-go, and the tone clinches the deal. Dry, woody and in your face, it always records great and cuts through the mix with just the right texture.Ó
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A typical Triggs A5 costs $2750, with his F5s going for $5995. Obtaining one of these beauties requires a one-third down payment, then the balance due before shipping. Jim and Ryan keep in close contact with their customers, sending photos at every stage of construction and keeping in close contact with the customer regarding their preferences for sound, neck shape and profile, sunburst coloration and other factors. Delivery time ranges typically from six to eight months. For more information, go to triggsmandolins.com or call Jim at 785-331-4500.