Jeffrey York

Jeffrey York grew up on a small farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania before joining the Air Force, which took him to Alaska, Mississippi, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. After his service, he spent five years teaching medicine at Ohio State and 17 years in Maine before settling in the Shenandoah Valley. Though always musically inclined, Jeffrey rediscovered his passion for music about a decade ago when he learned about Shane Speal’s cigar box guitar movement. Inspired by a 1940s Boys’ Life article, he built his first 3-string guitar and was hooked.

Combining craftsmanship and creativity, Jeffrey now makes unique instruments, including cigar box guitars, mountain dulcimers, ukuleles, fiddles, mandolins, and license plate guitars. Many of his pieces incorporate repurposed materials like cigar boxes and oak, alongside amplifiers and piezoelectric pickups. Each instrument is one of a kind, designed to be both playable and visually appealing.

Jeff dreams of fostering a local community around these handmade instruments, perhaps even starting a festival to celebrate Americana music and its roots in blues, bluegrass, and rock. Jeff’s passion for craftsmanship and music shines through every instrument he creates, bringing people together to share in the simple, timeless joy of making and playing music.