Raised on a farm just outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Bush grew up plowing tobacco fields in the Southern summer heat alongside his family. He started playing mandolin when he was 11 years old. “I believe growing up on a farm probably helped me channel my energy into learning music and being so interested in it,” Bush says. “Me and my sisters, we all loved it. I’ve often wondered if that’s because growing up on a farm, you couldn’t go ride your bike all over town and horse around like the other kids.”

For Bush, a lifetime of channeling his energy has led to stylistic innovations that have changed the course of bluegrass and roots music alike.

As well as playing mandolin, Sam also plays fiddle.

Crucial for mandolin tuning is the precise tuning of the octave string pairs, which the Peterson StroboClip handles with ease, producing the best possible tuning consistently.

Where fiddle is concerned, the StroboClip is unique in its built-in perfect fifth setting for violin, which provides the correct perfect intervals to match the most discerning ear.