49 Winchester finds a home in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (copy)
In May of 2026, a new exhibit related to regional favorite 49 Winchester was unveiled at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.
Purchased and first played by band member Chase Chafin, the Squier Thinline Telecaster with a custom Tennessee-Virginia plate embedded into the pickup cover was later used by Bus Shelton during the band’s formative years. It was donated to the Birthplace of Country Music Museum's permanent collection after their 2024 performance at Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion. On May 26, members of 49 Winchester and staff from the Birthplace of Country Music came together to celebrate its new display.
“I remember our first time coming to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion,” said Chase Chafin (49 Winchester, bass). “Isaac’s dad got us tickets. We were seeing bands from Knoxville, Abingdon, and Bristol. Before we even started, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion was a big part of inspiring us. That shaped our early days and our first albums, all different influences of folk music and country music.”
“We were on State Street, watching local bands absolutely crush at the festival,” said Bus Shelton (49 Winchester, lead guitar). “[We thought] this would be so insanely fun to make it to one of these stages.”
In 2013, Isaac Gibson, Chase Chafin, and Bus Shelton - high school students from Castlewood - formed the band 49 Winchester, which now includes Chilhowie native Tim Hall. They soon started playing gigs within the region, including Downtown Bristol.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion booked 49 Winchester for the first time in 2017, and they played during the day at one of the smaller stages. As they steadily grew as artists and in popularity within the region, they graduated to bigger stages at the festival, culminating in their headline turn on the State Street Stage in 2024. A lasting staple of both the festival and regional music scene, 49 Winchester now tours nationally and internationally.
49 Winchester has steadily built a reputation as one of the most compelling acts in modern country music, rising from their humble beginnings in Russell County to selling out venues and earning a devoted international following. The band has spent years honing a sound rooted in Appalachian storytelling, blending country, rock, and folk influences into something distinctly their own. That relentless work ethic and commitment to authenticity has propelled them from front porch jam sessions to major stages around the world, marking them as a band whose breakthrough has been hard-earned and long overdue.
Their latest album, Change of Plans, represents a defining moment in that journey. Recorded in just eight days with Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, the record captures the band at a creative peak—seasoned, self-assured, and unafraid to push their sound further than ever before. Balancing grit with refinement, the album reflects both personal growth and artistic evolution, weaving together themes of change, maturity, and perseverance. From high-octane, genre-blurring tracks to deeply introspective songwriting, Change of Plans showcases a band stepping fully into its moment while staying true to the roots that got them there. Change of Plans, along with many other albums by 49 Winchester, is now available for purchase at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum Store.
“We are unbelievably emotional and grateful to have a place in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum,” said Bus. “We’re beyond honored.”
In 2026, 49 Winchester received their first-ever Academy of Country Music Award nomination for "Group of the Year." This summer, the Virginia-based band will hit the road with Tim McGraw for the Tim McGraw Pawn Shop Guitar Tour, a 33-date summer tour running from July to September 2026.
"It is exciting to have this new display in the museum's permanent exhibits, and the placement of the 49 Winchester guitar near the Unbroken Circle theater is particularly meaningful as it connects to the story of how this region's music made an impact in the past and is carried forward by today's musicians," says Museum Director Dr. Rene Rodgers. "We are grateful to the band for sharing the guitar with us - and our visitors! - and their support of the display."
