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Lawrence “Larry” Perkins worked as Benedetto’s Master Finisher from 2011 until his unexpected passing in 2024. During his time at Benedetto he supervised all aspects of the Finishing Department.

Born in Paw Paw, Michigan. Larry studied music for most his life, beginning as a trombonist, and performing his first club gig at the age of 13. While studying music composition and arrangement at Western Michigan University, Larry began doing small repairs and guitar setup for friends. He was hired in 1996 by Heritage Guitars where he quickly moved into the finishing department due to his passion for the instrument and his attention to detail. A year later, he was supervising the department. During his ten years at Heritage, Larry did finish work on 7,804 instruments, including for Kenny Burrell, Roy Clark, Steve Howe, Gary Pucket, John Sebatian, Niki Fox, Charlie Daniels, Frankie Ballard, and Alvin Lee.

Larry was been a club musician throughout his 41-year career, performing in the Chicago-Detroit corridor, resort towns along Lake Michigan, and even a six-month stint at a blues club in Singapore. His acts over the years have opened for such blues luminaries as: Buddy Guy, Johnny Lang, Chris Duarte, The Kinsey Report, Rare Earth, The Guess Who, Shannon Kurfman, Hubert Sumlin, and Gatemouth Brown. He was Benedetto’s “Resident Blues Guy,” but we let him work here anyway!

His impressive repertoire of instruments include all brass, stand-up bass, electric bass, C-plectrum banjo, and of course, guitar.