019 – Aluminum Rim Conversion Banjo
This banjo was built for a local friend and fellow woodworker. He found a couple old banjos in his basement and wanted to use whatever we could to create a simple tenor banjo. We found that one of the chinese made banjos he found had a nice aluminum pot without the ‘bottle cap’ flange that most of these aluminum pots have. He had recently dismantled an antique bed to salvage the wood and found that is was made from old growth Beech. It had a beautiful tight grain that was very straight and it was incredibly stable because of its age. He brought me the neck blank and I whipped up this little left handed tenor for him. I ended up being very surprised with how great the salvaged aluminum pot sounded.
- 23″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Nut
- 11-1/16″ Aluminum Pot
- Nickel Plated Hardware
- 3 Piece Beech neck with Curly Maple center stripe
- Hardhack/Ironwood fretboard
- Bubinga Peghead Overlay
- Left Handed
- Published in Banjos
018 – Brass and Cocobolo Fretless Banjo
This is a very simply appointed fretless banjo that showcases some fine details and exotic and local hardwoods.
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Nut
- 11″ Vermont Cherry and Walnut Pot
- Nickel Plated Hardware
- 3 Piece Vermont Cherry Neck
- Fretless Coccobolo Fingerboard with Brass Inlay
- Frailing Scoop
- Brass Side Dots
- Published in Banjos
017 – Prime Number Fretless Banjo
The Vega Little Wonder pot that was used in this banjo was sent to me with the original tenor neck that had a bad break. The owner being someone with an interest in numbers wanted prime numbers inlaid into the fretboard. Throughout the process we thought it would be a cool idea to use a piece of the original neck in the design. Being that 17 is a prime number, part of the design and just by chance happening to be #017 I decided to use a piece for the 17 inlaid into the fretboard to subtly contrast the other walnut numbers.
- 11″ Vega Little Wonder Pot
- 26-3/16″ Scale
- Skin Head
- 1-1/4″ Nut
- Walnut Prime Number Inlay Design
- Walnut Neck
- Ironwood Fingerboard
- Published in Banjos
016 – W.A. Cole Conversion Banjo
This rim came from what was originally a W.A. Cole mandolin banjo that most likely dates from the 10’s-20’s. It was sent to me with a missing neck and was designed with some of W.A. Cole’s original designs and appointments in mind with a few variations on his style.
- 9 7/8″ W.A. Cole Mandolin Banjo Pot #89
- 23″ Scale Length
- Skin Head
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Scooped Neck
- Amber Tuner Knobs
- Published in Banjos
015 – Black Crow Tenor Banjo
This curly maple and ebony banjo is the first tenor banjo that I have built. Featuring a artistic crow peghead inlay and unique heel carving with a fleur-de-lis detail.
- 23″ Scale Length
- 1-1/4″ Buffalo Horn Nut
- 10″ Steam Bent Curly Maple pot with Ebony cap
- Ebony Tone Ring
- Antiqued Raw Brass Hardware
- One Piece Curly Maple neck
- Ebony Rear Peghead overlay dying into the volute
- Gold Mother of Pearl ‘Crow’ Peghead Inlay
- Brass Side Dots
- Fleur de lis Heel Carving
- Stainless Steel Pinned Scoop Plate
- Narrow EVO Fretwire
- Hand Rubbed Oil Finish
- Published in Banjos
014 – VT Native Wood Plectrum Banjo
The banjo features native Vermont cherry, walnut and ironwood with cherry burl peghead and heel overlays.
- 11″ Native Cherry and Walnut Pot
- Ironwood Tone Ring
- Ironwood Fretboard
- Walnut Dot Inlays
- 26 3/16″ Scale Length
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Pyramid Heel
- Published in Banjos
013 – Whyte Laydie Banjo
This banjo features engraved mother of pearl in ebony with a black lacquered steam bent pot. This is a great sounding banjo the delivers what you would expect in tone and volume from the Whyte Lydie tone ring.
- 11″ Steam Bent Maple Pot Lacquered Black
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Hand Rubbed Oil Finish on the neck
- Lightly Antiqued Brass Rickard Hardware
- Ogee Curve Carving Behind Fifth Fret
- Mini Volute (See neck Side Profile Picture)
- Seeders Cherry Bridge
- Engraved Mother Of Pearl Inlays
- Scooped Fretboard
- Whyte Laydie Tone Ring
- Ivoroid Binding on Neck and Pot
- Gotoh Tuners
- Curly Maple Neck
- Narrow EVO Fretwire
- Published in Banjos
012 – VT Buckhorn Banjo
This Mahogany and Claro Walnut banjo was built for talented Vermont musician, Jeremy Sicily. It features a twelve-inch pot with with Vermont-themed custom engraved inlays. The twelve-inch stained black pot is made from Claro Walnut with a Mahogany rim cap and Wenge tone ring. The neck is a beautiful piece of curly mahogany that features a ogee neck carving behind the fifth fret. The state of Vermont inlay at the fifth fret features an engraving of Vermont’s counties.
Listen to Jeremy’s band the Flat Top Trio.
- 12″ Claro Walnut and Mahogany Pot
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Hand Rubbed Oil Finish
- Lightly Antiqued Brass Hardware
- Ogee Curve Carving Behind Fifth Fret
- Seeders Cherry Bridge
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Engraved Mother of Pearl Inlays
- Scooped Fingerboard
- W.A. Cole Style Peghead
- Published in Banjos
011 – Ruler Flushfret Banjo
A walnut and Cherry flushfret banjo. This banjo has an ironwood fretboard with ruler style fret markers in walnut. The banjo has inlayed apples, one in Bubinga on the peghead and one in Walnut on the fretboard.
- 11″ Walnut and Cherry Pot
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- Walnut Tone Ring
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Hand Rubbed Oil Finish
- Lightly Antiqued Brass Hardware
- Ogee Curve at fifth string
- Seeders Cherry Bridge
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Inlaid Walnut Flushfrets
- Aquila Nylgut Strings
- Published in Banjos
010 – Longneck Tubaphone Banjo
My first longneck build loosely based on the early Vega Pete Seeger model. The banjo is curly maple with ebony and brass appointments. The long scale, fiberskyn head and tubephone tone ring give it a very rich tone with plenty of punch. The banjo also has my first engraving work on the inlaid stars and dots.
- 11″ Steam Bent Pot with 28 Ball Shoe Bracket Band
- 32″ Longneck Scale Length
- Tubaphone Tone Ring
- 1 1/4″ Nut
- Stained Black with Hard Oil Hand Rubbed Finish
- Antiqued Brass Harware
- Hand Engraved Inlays
- Seeders Cherry Bridge
- Seeders Pyramid Heel
- Hidden Fret Ends
- Published in Banjos