084 – 11″ Tubaphone Chubby Dragon Banjo
This custom Fairbanks Vega style banjo is one of the fancier most involved banjos I’ve yet to build. It features a lot of classic Fairbanks/Vega details with a few really interesting and fun twists. The classic Consalvi style ‘Chubby Dragon’ peghead inlay and other fretboard inlays were made using Black Mother of Pearl instead of white and the engravings were filled with a green fill instead of the traditional black. Instead of the more common traditional heel shape a WA Cole/Faribanks and Cole style boat heel was used. I combined influences of all of these makers to design the heel carving as well. The rim is classic a Vega Tubaphone design with a little added depth. The majority of the hardware was hand fabricated and nickel plated in house as well. Quite the involved process but the results were well worth the effort! If anyone is curious why this banjo has a low number for when it was built, the client reserved a number ahead of time that held special relevance to him and his family.
- 11″ Curly Maple Vega Bracket Band Rim
- Tubaphone Tone Ring
- Curly Maple Neck
- Ebony Fingerboard, Backstrap, and Peghead Overlay
- Hand Engraved Black Mother of Pearl Inlays
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- Nickel Plated Hardware
- Seeders Wide Notch Comfort Tension Hoop
- Seeders Tailpiece
- Sustainer Neck Attachment
- Seeders Bone Topped Violin Bridge
- EVO Fretwire
- 1-5/16″ Bone Nut
- Ivoroid Binding on Rim and Neck
- Honey Maple Stain
- Rickard Cyclone Tuners
- Calf Skin Head
- WA Cole Boat Heel
- Heel Mounted 2-Way Truss Rod
- Vintage Thin Nitrocellulose Satin Finish
- Published in Banjos
052 – 12″ Engraved Lion Head Whyte Laydie Banjo
This banjo is loosely based on early the golden age of Fairbanks and Fairbanks and Cole banjos. I redesigned the classic lion head griffin giving it a more fierce and lion like head. Using the original inlay patterns I created my own engravings giving it a traditional but more refined look. The curly maple 12″ rim features a Whyte Laydie tone ring with ivoroid binding and antiqued raw brass hardware. The tone from the 12″ Whyte Laydie is deep and precise. Paired with the elegant looks this is one of the finest of banjos available from Seeders Instruments.
- 25.5″ Scale Length
- 12″ Curly Maple Rim
- Whyte Laydie Tone Ring
- Hand Engraved Mother of Pearl Inlays
- Antiqued Brass Hardware
- Striped Ebony Fingerboard
- EVO Fretwire
- Seeders Pointed Nuts
- 1-5/16″ Nut
- Ivoroid Binding
- Gotoh Tuners
- Red Amber Stain
- Cole Boat Heel
- Seeders Violin Bridge
- Hard Oil Finish
- Published in Banjos