10 Legendary Instruments of Country Music

Johnny Gimble’s Fiddle

If you don’t know Johnny Gimble’s name, you certainly know his classic fiddle licks. The famous fiddler toured as a Texas Playboy for a decade before later joining Willie Nelson. He also played and crafted classic licks for artists like Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, George Strait, and many others. All the while, he played on his original violin, which he purchased in Germany during WWII. After accidentally backing over the fiddle with his car (seriously), Gimble found a luthier who helped piece it back together in 1970. A proud Texan, Gimble’s stringed instrument now resides at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.