Country and bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs has brought one of Nashville’s most storied recording spaces back to life. Skaggs Place Studio in Hendersonville officially reopened July 16, 2025, following a comprehensive rebuild that began when the facility closed in 2020.
The 15-time Grammy winner spent five years modernizing the 57-year-old building while preserving the acoustic character that made it a favorite among Nashville’s top artists for decades.
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A Studio With Roots in Nashville History
Duane Allen of The Oak Ridge Boys purchased the building in 1968, establishing it as a recording facility. Skaggs bought the property in 1998 and updated its equipment, turning it into his primary recording base.
The artist roster that has worked there reads like a country and roots music hall of fame: Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Bruce Hornsby, John Fogerty, Peter Frampton, Barry Gibb, Martina McBride, and Travis Tritt all recorded projects in the space.
Multiple Grammy-winning albums were tracked within its walls over the years, cementing its reputation in Nashville’s competitive studio market.
What Changed in the Renovation
Skaggs raised the live room ceiling from its original height to 14 feet, a move that improves acoustics and allows for video production. The main tracking room measures 38 by 27 feet and still features the cypress wood paneling Allen installed in 1968.
The renovation added:
- New HVAC system with overhead airflow for silent operation during recording
- Hardwood flooring throughout the main room
- Four isolated amplifier lockers for separation during live tracking
- Updated lighting system for video recording
- Three isolation booths (17×15, 11×12, and 10×6 feet)
The 23-by-21-foot control room houses a 72-input Amek 9098i console that Skaggs calls “Dorothy” after his mother. The facility offers both Pro Tools digital recording and 24-track analog tape capabilities.
Vintage Equipment Collection
Skaggs has collected microphones and outboard gear since moving to Nashville in 1980. The studio inventory includes Neumann U 47, U 69, and KM series microphones, some previously owned by traveling gospel groups and used on recordings by Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Dolly Parton.
“I’ve been collecting old vintage microphones and outboard tube gear since I first came to Nashville back in 1980, and they all still sound great and are ready to work for a new generation of artists, engineers and producers,” Skaggs said in the announcement. “We have Pro Tools and Analog 24 track recording as well.”
Video Production Capabilities
The 14-foot ceilings address a gap in the original design. The height accommodates lighting rigs and camera setups for live session videos, reflecting how music production has changed since the building’s early days.
“The studio has a great live sound, and it’s big enough to record live videos as well,” Skaggs said. “It’s also spacious enough that string sessions could easily fit into the cutting room.”
Vintage photographs of musicians line the walls, creating an atmosphere that connects today’s artists with the studio’s history.
Management and Operations
Charlotte Scott, who has managed Skaggs’ career for years, will run the studio as general manager. Sean Badum serves as studio manager and engineer, handling day-to-day technical operations and session work.
The studio sits at 329 Rockland Road in Hendersonville, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The location offers artists a quieter working environment than the city’s more congested studio districts.
Looking Ahead
Skaggs continues touring with his band Kentucky Thunder while overseeing the studio’s relaunch. The facility is now accepting bookings from outside artists, engineers, and producers looking for a recording space with vintage character and modern technical standards.
The reopening adds another working studio to Middle Tennessee’s recording infrastructure at a time when Nashville continues expanding its role in multiple music genres beyond country and bluegrass.
For an artist whose career spans more than 60 years and includes 12 number one hits, the studio renovation represents another chapter in Skaggs’ ongoing work in American roots music. The five-year project brought the historic Hendersonville recording space back into service with the tools needed for another generation of recordings.
