029 – Cherry and Birdseye Maple Tubaphone Banjo
This banjo was an outside the box design that the client had a fun vision for. Being a big Grateful Dead fan he wanted to use some of his favorite details and themes from his love of their craft.
This banjo uses a combination Cherry and Birdseye Maple rim construction. There are two cherry layers trapped between two Birdseye maple outside layers. Neck in two photos is showing an older cherry neck to show how the cherry will darken over time creating a beautiful contrast with the Ironwood.
- Cherry and Walnut Neck
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 11″ Birdseye Maple and Cherry Combination Rim
- Bill Rickard Tubaphone Tone Ring
- Birdseye Maple Peghead Overlay
- Amber Stain on rim and peghead
- Ironwood Fingerboard
- Black Mother of Pearl wolf print inlays with engraved star
- Antiqued Brass Hardware
- John Balch Skin Head
- Published in Banjos
028 – Aluminum Rim Conversion Banjo
This custom banjo was designed around an old aluminum rim that was originally found in a 70’s or 80’s factory made Japanese banjo like the rim from Seeders #019. The rims make great sounding lightweight conversions for a handmade neck. This banjo features a Cherry and Walnut neck with a curly Walnut peghead overlay and an Ironwood fingerboard with Walnut Inlays.
- 25-1/2″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Bone Nut
- 11-1/8″ Aluminum Pot
- Renaissance Head
- Ironwood Fretboard with Walnut Inlays
- Curly Walnut Peghead Overlay
- Seeders Ironwood and Cherry Bridge
- Published in Banjos
027 – Curly Maple Longneck Banjo
This Curly Maple Longneck banjo was designed as a variation to Seeder Banjo #010. We used an original peghead shape and a slightly red golden brown stain to highlight the exceptional curly maple figure of the neck and birdseye figure of the rim. It also features a quote chosen by the client on the head custom screen printed by a good friend and professional screen printer Andrew Stearns. The client also had the cool unique idea of using the date of the first cut I made on the wood for the banjo on the brass name plate.
- 11″ Steam Bent Birdseye Maple Rim
- 32″ Longneck Scale Length
- 1-5/16″ Nut
- Tubaphone Tone Ring
- Hand Engraved Mother of Pearl Inlays
- Mother of Pearl Side Dots
- Curly Maple Neck with Volute
- 24 Shoe Bracket Band
- Nickle Plated Hardware
- Gotoh Tuners
- Seeders Bridge
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Custom Screen Printed Fibersykn Head
- Published in Banjos
026 – Cherry and Rosewood Piccolo Banjo
This Cherry and Rosewood piccolo features the Seeders Instruments logo in mother of pearl inlayed into the fumed English Oak peghead veneer. It’s a simply adorned piccolo with a one piece cherry neck and a steam bent rim with a Bubinga tone ring and walnut details.
- 18″ Piccolo/Pony Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Bone Nut
- 8″ Cherry Steam Bent Pot
- Bubinga Tone Ring
- Pointed Volute
- Mother of Pearl Seeders Instruments logo inlayed in Fumed English Oak Peghead
- Rosewood Fretboard
- Aquila Nylgut Strings
- Published in Banjos
025 – VT Native Wood Banjo
A Vermont native wood banjo made from Cherry, Walnut and Ironwood. The owner decided on some of the details to pick up on some common themes that we see throughout the state. We went with Cherry, Walnut and Ironwood as they are common hardwoods grown sustainably throughout the state and make great sounding banjos. The Fiberskyn head reminded him of the cows that you see throughout the state’s dairy farms (while not having to use a calf skin for the banjo). The amber tuning knobs and maple leaf inlay touched on the maple sugaring industry that is such a large part of Vermont tradition and culture.
- Vermont Cherry and Walnut Brick Laid 11″ Pot
- 25-1/2″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Nut
- Ironwood Fretboard
- Ironwood Vermont Inlay in Curly Walnut Peghead Overlay
- Cherry and Walnut Three Piece Neck
- Seeders Pyramid Heel with Vermont Inlay
- Vermont Inlay in Frailing Scoop
- Paddle Peghead Shape
- Published in Banjos
024 – Native Wood Dobson Banjo
A simple but elegant banjo that features completely native Vermont Hardwood and a Vermont inlay in the peghead. The owner of the banjo lives in the Gaysville,VT area so we added a dot to the state inlay. The 12 inch rim adds a really nice deep low end to the Dobson tone ring.
- 12″ Vermont Cherry and Walnut 12″ Brick Laid Pot
- 26-3/16″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Nut
- Ironwood Fretboard
- Ironwood Vermont Inlay in Curly Cherry Peghead Veneer
- Curly Cherry and Walnut 3 Piece Neck
- Vega Heel Shape
- Frailing Scoop
- Published in Banjos
023 – VT Native Wood Banjo
This native Vermont wood custom banjo features Vermont themed inlays and locally grown hardwoods. The Ironwood fretboard was harvested locally in Dorset, VT and the Walnut in the neck, pot and inlays was harvested right up the road in Rupert, VT. As much as I enjoy making banjos with traditional materials and exotic hardwoods (ebony and rosewood for instance), there are some excellent native hardwood options for building custom banjos as showcased in the Native Vermont Wood Banjos that I build.
- Cherry and Walnut Brick Laid 11″ Pot
- 25-1/2″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Bone Nut
- Ironwood Fretboard with Walnut Inlays
- Ironwood Vermont Inlay in Walnut Peghead Overlay
- Cherry and Walnut three piece neck
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Ogee Scoop
- Paddle Peghead
- Antiqued Raw Brass Hardware
- Published in Banjos
022 – Curly Maple Piccolo Banjo
A Curly Maple and Ebony Piccolo banjo with engraved mother of pearl inlays and engraved rim cap. The rim cap is engraved with the owner’s family’s initials as well as a quote from the Mary Oliver poem ‘The Summer Day’. We used the inlay design from Seeders Banjo #012 as well as the volute detail and bound dowel stick from Seeders Banjo #015. The fifth string neck carving was inspired by the work of Lee Sproull of Alabama.
- 8″ Curly Maple Steam Bent Pot with Engraved Ebony Rim Cap
- 18″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Buffalo Horn Nut
- Engraved VT Buck Horn Mother of Pearl Inlays
- Laminated Ebony Neck Volute
- Carved Fifth String Detail
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Antiqued Brass Hardware
- Stained Three Piece Curly Maple Neck
- Stained Goat Skin Head
- Seeders Curved Bridge
- Ebony Bound Dowel Stick
- Mother of Pearl Side Dots
- Published in Banjos
021 – Half Fretless Dog Banjo
This banjo project started out as an existing S.S. Stewart banjo with a spunover rim that needed a new neck. The owner wanted to have a tribute to his dog inlayed into the peghead so I took a picture he sent me and drew it as an inlay using different wood species for color and contrast. A great way to get a modern playing vintage sounding instrument.
- 11″ S.S. Stewart Spun Over Pot
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Nut Width
- Brass Half Fretless Overlay
- Rosewood Fingerboard with Ironwood Dot Inlays
- Brass Side Dots
- Custom Dog Inlay
- Three Piece Cherry and Walnut Neck
- Frailing Scoop
- Paddle Peghead
- Published in Banjos
020 – Half Fretless Whyte Laydie Banjo
This Vega pot most likely started out as a Vega Whyte Laydie tenor or banjolin. The owner of the pot and I put our heads together and from his vision and love of contrasting woods we came up with this unique neck. The woods we used were a lightly figured soft maple for the neck, Ironwood for the fretless overlay and dot inlays, an ebony fingerboard, curly claro walnut for binding, peruvian walnut, ebony and maple for the center lamination of the neck, ebony and maple for the nautical star peghead inlay and fumed english oak for the peghead and heel overlay. The combinations create a very unique looking neck with woods that compliment each other nicely while creating an eye catching contrast. The completely bound coffin peghead shape was inspired by a mid to late 19th century minstrel banjo peghead with marquetry inlays that had binding continuing across the peghead above the nut, a small but challenging detail that created a unique look.
- 10 1/16″ Vega Whyte Laydie Pot
- 24 1/2″ Scale Length
- 1-3/8″ Nut Width
- Vermont Ironwood Half Fretless Fingerboard Overlay
- Ironwood Dot Inlays
- Medium Width EVO Fretwire
- 9 Piece Neck Lamination
- Coffin Peghead Shape with Nautical Star Inlay
- Raw Brass ABM Tuners
- Frailing Scoop
- Volute
- Published in Banjos