The guitar that laid the foundation for country music, the late “Mother Maybelle” Carter’s 1928 Gibson L-5, has found a home at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The famous guitar, which Maybelle used on the recordings of the original Carter Family and on every recording date and performance until her death in 1978, was “inducted” into the Hall of Fame at a VIP ceremony on Monday (Aug. 23).

The guitar had been on loan to the museum but its owner, who wished to remain anonymous, recently offered it for sale through Nashville vintage guitar dealer George Gruhn. Bob McLean, a businessman from Murfreesboro, TN, donated the funds to the Country Music Foundation, which operates the Hall of Fame, to purchase the guitar.

The Carter Family – Maybelle, her brother-in-law A.P. Carter and his wife Sara – were discovered in 1927 at a recording session in Bristol, TN, by Victor scout Ralph Peer. With such hits as “Wildwood Flower,” “Keep on the Sunny Side,” “I’m Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes” and “Wabash Cannonball,” they established a repertoire for future generations of country artists.

Maybelle did not own the L-5 at the time of the Bristol sessions, but as soon as the group made enough money from record sales, she bought the most expensive guitar available. Her distinctive style, demonstrated famously on “Wildwood Flower,” features the melody played on the bass strings with her thumb, while her index finger “scratches” out the rhythm on the treble strings. The arched top and the maple back and sides of the L-5  provided a tonal balance and cutting power that was perfectly suited to her style.

Here is a gallery of photos by Kelsey Vaughn, courtesy of Gruhn Guitars.

Beneath the image of Maybelle Carter, from left, Marty Stuart,

Bob McLean and Vince Gill.

A rare guitar performance by Earl Scruggs, with Marty Stuart and Vince Gill

Earl Scruggs with son Randy on his Gibson Advanced Jumbo

Louise Scruggs, Earl Scruggs, George Gruhn 

CMF executive director Kyle Young with framed display<P>

Marty Stuart

The Whites - Buck, Sharon and Cheryl - with Vince Gill

Charlie Louvin, Brenda Lee, Buck White

Carlene Carter, Maybelle's granddaughter

Donor Bob McLean

The grand finale