Country Star Luke Bryan Spent 10 Years Waiting for This Deeply Personal Music Project

Luke Bryan reveals a deeply personal music project more than a decade in the making—one that began on his Tennessee farm and ended in a rare collaboration.

Key Points

Luke Bryan launches limited guitars crafted from his Tennessee farm’s black walnut trees.
Partnership with Bourgeois Guitars spans over a decade and highlights personal craftsmanship.
A wider Touchstone Edition offers musicians access to the project’s story and design.

More than a decade ago, country star Luke Bryan walked his Tennessee farm tagging walnut trees, not knowing exactly when—or how—they would eventually turn into music. He just knew he wanted to wait until the moment felt right.

That moment has finally arrived.

This week, Bryan revealed a deeply personal music project years in the making: a limited-edition guitar series crafted from black walnut harvested directly from his own farm. The project is the result of a long-standing friendship and collaboration with Bourgeois Guitars, and it represents a rare convergence of place, patience, and craftsmanship.

The story dates back more than 10 years, when Bryan first asked Bourgeois founder Dana Bourgeois a simple question—whether black walnut could work as a tonewood for acoustic guitars. The answer was an enthusiastic yes, setting off a slow, deliberate process that began on Bryan’s land and stretched across a decade. After the trees were harvested, the wood was milled and left to cure in Bourgeois’ workshop until it was ready to be transformed into instruments.

The result is the Luke Bryan Signature Series, led by an ultra-limited edition model restricted to just 30 guitars worldwide. Each instrument is individually numbered and personally signed by Bryan, with the walnut from his Tennessee farm used for the back and sides. Built in Lewiston, Maine, the guitars feature a slope-shouldered dreadnought body and are designed to balance power with nuance—a reflection of both the wood itself and the story behind it.

Visual details tie the instruments back to Bryan’s life offstage. A custom antler inlay nods to his longtime love of hunting, while subtle farm branding brings the project full circle from land to workshop to stage.

“The Luke Bryan Limited Edition celebrates our shared love of homegrown products, homegrown music, and guitars that feel deeply personal,” said Bourgeois. “These instruments began as trees on Luke’s farm. Now, after a managed harvest, Luke’s walnut will live on in the hands of players around the world.”

To make the collaboration accessible beyond collectors, Bryan and Bourgeois also introduced a companion Touchstone Edition. While inspired by the same original design and story, the second model is designed for wider availability, allowing more musicians to connect with the project’s roots without the rarity of the limited run.

For Bryan, the release comes at a moment when his career continues to span multiple worlds. In addition to his music, he’s set to return to television later this month alongside Carrie Underwood and Lionel Richie on American Idol. Yet this project stands apart from tour announcements or TV appearances—it’s quieter, more personal, and intentionally unhurried.

After 10 years of waiting, Bryan’s farm-grown vision has finally become something tangible—an instrument built not just to be played, but to carry a story with it.