Manchester, Tennessee

The story

Two players opened a shop so the town would have instruments, lessons, and somewhere to sit down and play.

The name

Stone Fort Music is named for the Old Stone Fort, the stone enclosure just west of Manchester. The walls are about two thousand years old. Early settlers took them for a fort. The eastern entrance lines up with the sunrise on the summer solstice.

The park is a piece of public history. The shop borrows only the idea: a marked place, built so people would come to it. Joey and Michael wanted that for acoustic music in town. They opened on East Main in late 2025, as 2026 was getting started.

Woodcut of a five-string banjo and a fiddle leaning together, with a red cord on the banjo neck. — Original print made for this site.

Joey Gipson

Joey started at six, playing country music on electric bass with his dad. At seven he moved to upright bass with his grandparents, who were devoted bluegrass players. At ten his grandfather taught him banjo.

He has won 24 state championships and three national top-three finishes. He plays in the three-finger Scruggs tradition and also draws on progressive newgrass: precise, fast, and melodic. He teaches, leads jams, and has played regional festivals.

His picking is on the videos page.

Michael Klug

Michael has been in the old-time and fiddle-contest scene around Middle Tennessee and the Southeast for years. He teaches fiddle and clawhammer banjo.

He plays with the Stones River Reelers, an old-time string band booked for square dances, folk festivals, and other gatherings in the region. With Joey, he opened the shop so local musicians would have a place for instruments, accessories, lessons, and each other.

Woodcut of an upright bass and a mandolin in a quiet shop corner, with a red tassel on the mandolin. — Original print made for this site.

Lessons

The shop teaches players who live around Manchester. Email CustomerService@stonefortmusic.com with the instrument and the times you can come in. Or call (931) 954-0102.

Address and map