Basho-Junghans was born in North Thuringia in the former German Democratic Republic on 27 November 1953.
[1] At the age of 17 he taught himself to play acoustic guitar and in 1978 formed the folk band Wacholder.
In 1979, influenced by the American guitarist Leo Kottke,[2] he began performing solo instrumental music on 6- and 12-string guitar.
Throughout the 1980s he became influenced by artists on John Fahey's Takoma Records label.
Throughout the 1980s he lectured on acoustic guitar history and performed numerous concerts.