Doc Watson Guitar Championship
1st Place - Tyler Grant from Nashville, Tennessee
2nd Place - Tony Watt from Schenectady, New York
3rd Place - Fred Duggin from Nashville, Tennessee
This year's judges were: Mitch Greenhill, Jack Lawrence, and 2008 Doc Watson Guitar Championship winner Seth Taylor. Prizes were: Grand Prize/First Place - Gallagher guitar and case, valued at $3200, one set of John Pearse strings, $300 cash and a performance on the Cabin Stage on Saturday, April 25; Second Place - Taylor 310 guitar, full featured with cutaway and electronics and valued at $2000, one set of John Pearse strings and $200 cash; Third Place - Calton guitar case, valued at $895, one set of John Pearse strings and $50 cash.
The Doc Watson Guitar Championship was sponsored by Taylor Guitars, Gallagher Guitars, John Pearse Strings, In Memory of Bruce Sanders, and 1-800-Bluegrass.
The instrument contests were open to paid MerleFest ticket holders. Twenty registrants were randomly selected to participate in each contest. Contestants were judged on arrangement, execution and tuning, spirit, and overall impression.