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Grammy Award-winning bluegrass guitarist Trey Hensley has built a career rooted in tradition while simultaneously nudging acoustic guitar performance into bold new territory. Raised in East Tennessee and immersed in country music from an early age, Hensley developed a style that blends virtuosic flatpicking, savvy improvisation and hook-propelled songwriting.
In this exclusive conversation with Guitar Center, Hensley reflects on the musical moments that shaped his playing—and earned him two International Bluegrass Music Association “Guitar Player of the Year” awards—including learning Carter Family songs with local teacher GC Matlock to seeing bluegrass legends Jimmy Martin and Charlie Waller perform live.
“That was the first time I ever saw somebody take a guitar solo,” Hensley says of Waller. “That was a lightning bolt event.”
After meeting Marty Stuart at a local fair in Tennessee and playing a few songs for him backstage, Hensley was invited to perform with Stuart that same night. Just months later, he made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage at 11 years old.
As Hensley’s musicianship evolved through performances with Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Rob Ickes, Taj Mahal and others, so did his expectations for acoustic guitar tone and playability.
“Every guitar I played when I was younger was set up with super high action,” remember Hensley. “You could play cowboy chords and pick out melodies but forget about upper-fret access and soloing up and down the neck.”
After Hensley moved to Nashville in 2013, he started playing Taylor guitars “unofficially,” and eventually began working with Taylor’s Andy Powers on the Gold Label collection, and ultimately, his signature Trey Hensley Gold Label 510e.
“I was playing them on every show and using them on every session,” he says. “Whether it was acoustic or plugged in, it didn’t matter.”
In a career dedicated to authenticity, Hensley is graceful his signature Taylor 510e isn’t a customized “artist-only” model.
“I love that the one I play is right off the line,” he says. “It’s not any different than anybody else’s.”
Learn more about the Taylor Trey Hensley Gold Label 510e signature acoustic-electric guitar. You can also check out the entire Taylor Gold Label collection, contact a Guitar Center Gear Advisor or stop by your local Guitar Center store.