William C. Stahl was born in 1869, and became interested in music at an early age. He learned to play banjo and, while still a teenager, composed a banjo solo that was published by S. S. Stewart. Music became his profession, and after teaching for a few years he established a company in Milwaukee that manufactured instruments and published music. He claimed to be the first maker of tenor banjos. In addition to the instruments Stahl built, he also had them built by other companies, including the famous Larson Brothers, under the Stahl name.

Openback banjo ukuleles exist with WM. STAHL MAKER MILWAUKEE, WIS. stamped on the dowel stick. They have an attractive peghead inlay and diamond inlays on the fingerboard. Very likely they were not actually built by Stahl.

pictures form www.klassiskguitar.net - google search

We’re excited to host the annual Wyoming Mandolin and Banjo Championships, an Old Time Fiddle Contest, and a contest for guitar pickers too. Big Horn Mountain Festival mandolin, banjo, and Old Tim Fiddle champs all earn guaranteed slots at the 2009 Walnut Valley Festival contests in Winfield, Kansas with entry fees paid by the Big Horn Mountain Festival. While the mandolin and banjo winners go to Winfield as Wyoming State Champions, we want to be clear that is not the case for the fiddle contest winner. The Wyoming Old Time Fiddle Association determines the Wyoming State Fiddle Champion at the State Fiddle Contest in Thermopolis (Wyoming’s guitar champion is determined at the Oyster Ridge Music Festival in Kemmerer). Past contest prizes have included cash, custom instrument cases donated by the Colorado Case Company for the mandolin and banjo winners, trophies, Intelitouch Tuners, and passes to next year's Big Horn Mountain Festival. We’ll work to keep enticing y’all with cool prizes this year too.

1st Annual Colorado Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival
August 24-26, 1973. Adams County Fairground
Bill Monroe • The Country Gazette • Hylo Brown • The Mclain Family • Lester Flatt • The Bluegrass Alliance • Ray & Ina Patterson • Hubert Davis • City Limits • Denver Gross • Haystack Mountain Boys • Possum Trotters • Wheeling String Band • Goldrush • Liberty

Grand Lake National Fiddle Fest Winners

The Walnut Valley Festival
30 Years As Pickers Paradise
1972 - 2001

The Walnut Valley Association was formed in 1972,with its sole purpose to produce the Walnut Valley National Guitar Flat-Picking Championships Festival, also known as the Flat-Picking Championships, currently known as the "Walnut Valley Festival" or simply "Winfield" to the long time attendees.

Evolving from 2 days in 1972 to its current 4-days the 3rd weekend of September annually, it endeavors to produce "family fare" entertainment on 4 stages simultaneously, a large quality, juried arts and crafts fair, workshops, and acoustic instrument contests. What began with 10 acts and 2 contests now boasts over 40 acts and 8 contests, including one international contest, 5 national contests and 2 Walnut Valley contests.

The contests are a major part of the festival. Along with the National Flat Pick Championships and the National Finger Pick Championships, the Walnut Valley Festival hosts the International Autoharp, National Mountain Dulcimer, National Hammered Dulcimer, National Bluegrass Banjo, Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle, and Walnut Valley Mandolin Championships.

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