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Well, for the past 4 months or so I've been secretly building this banjo. It is for me and I have no plans to build another as I already own a great Gibson Mastertone. If this one continues to improve in sound quality, I might just sell the Mastertone.

Much more difficult than folks might think. I made all wood parts from scratch. The rim (the body of the banjo that all the metal parts are connected to) is made from bubinga but cannot be seen without taking the back (resonator) off.

The resonator is mahogany, covered with walnut burl.

The neck is walnut. A banjo neck is not hard to make but it is more difficult to fit it to the body of a resonator banjo than fitting a guitar neck. It has to be cut out to fit over the metal flange and again to fit against the tone ring. In essence, it touches the body in three different places and they are all a different distance from the center of the rim. One must also put in the 2 1/2 degree neck angle (like on a guitar). Then, since it fits against a round body, the whole end of the heel must be curved to fit and all three points of contact require a different radius. Pictures would be helpful. Of course, the peg head is more intricate than most guitars, but it is more difficult to actuall cut because traditionally it is cut out perpendicular to the fretboard rather than perpendicular to the peghead itself.

Also, this is my first bound fretboard and no zero fret on a banjo.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Wow! Very nice. Would love to hear it.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Very nice Ron. A guy that builds banjos in Mountain View showed me his neck joints, it was enough to make me think twice about building one anytime soon.

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Chris

Good show, Ron! Built a few myself. True. they're not easy as you'd think.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Wow, Ron, that's beautiful. Awesome job!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Beautiful! My girlfriend's (oops fiance's) dad plays banjo. I've been thinking about trying one, but haven't tried yet. Guess I better get busy.

Mike

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Mike Lindstrom

Way to go Ron!!!! It's been many years since you said you were going to build a Banjo and my goodness, you done GOOD!!!!! Also good to see you back here posting your builds, it's been way to long for that too

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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Many thanks fellows. I just wish I were a better player. I'm still tinkering with the set up but am well pleased with it. This, also, was my first time to work with veneer and that went very well. I'm amazed at how beautiful that walnut burl is. I was worried about getting it to lay flat on that parabolic surface but it worked out well.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Yeah, sweet work! My best friend is a banjo player. I bet he'll love to see these photos.

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George :-)

Ron, that is a stunning piece of work! Whenever I look at the forum, your name is one I always look for on a new thread because I know that the instrument will be one that is as near perfect as it is possible to get, you obviously take great pride in your work and it shows in the final result. I still have a picture of your Gibson CS336 on my workshop notice board, it is still the measure to use when looking at an electric guitar, the best we've ever seen on the forum. Now a picture of this banjo will join it.

I'm in awe.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

BWWWWWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! A BANJO!

I got to get a hold of myself!!! I actually thought I saw a Banjo!












BWWWWWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! A BANJO!




Had to do it Ron! Great work BTW! Did you make the tone ring and tension hoops and other metal tuff or did you get that at Stewmac or someplace. Beautiful work!!














BWWWWWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Ron,

That's just fabulous - a true work of art! The Walnut burl is sumptious and the walnut neck is very nice indeed. That's great skill - not something that I'd attempt in a hurry.

I'm looking forward to the double tracked version of "Duelling Banjos" played on Wisdom Instruments

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Hey Ron,

Glad to see you post again.

Having built a couple of banjos, I can agree about the neck fit up. It is a real challenge. I can't tell from photos whether the rim is steamed and bent or block construction. How did you manage that aspect of the project?

Cecil

Many thanks, fellows, it means a lot.

Colin, how wonderful to hear you respond! I was hoping you'd check it out being that you're an old banjo player. Of course, I don't mean OLD, I mean a banjo player from the past. Thanks for the fine compliments.

BILLY, It's a real compliment to post something that brings YOU out of the woodwork!! Hope you're doing well my friend.

Dave, I wish my playing skills were good enough to be worthy of that burl. Thanks.

Dang, this is like a family reunion.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

To answer an earlier question, I did not make any of the metal parts, but did scratch build all wood parts.


Hi, Cecil!! Thank you. The rim is of block construction, I wish I had photographed it before attaching all the hardware. The resonator walls were made of block construction just like the rim and the dish "back" was turned on the lathe. Biggest thing I've turned.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Very nice work, Ron . Yes the walnut burl is so beautiful and you really did a good job
making this Banjo. What's next? a mandolin maybe?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Personally I love banjos. Used to play one a lot and have considered taking it up again.

That one is gorgeous I'd sure like to try it out!!

Where did you get the rim and tone ring and other metal hardware?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Yeah, I'm with Steve in that I love banjos as well.
And Ron, yours is wonderful.
How did you affix the burl to the back of the resonator?

Steve (K)

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Thanks fellows.

Steve S. I made the rim from bubinga, all metal parts came from First Quality Music. I used the "Tennessee 20" tonering.

http://www.firstqualitymusic.com/


Steve K. I bought the veneer from veneersupplies.com. I got two identical sheets 15"x17". I applied super soft II and let that dry then I used a heat activated adhesive, also from veneersupplies.com. You apply it to both pieces, just like contact cement, and let it dry. It does not stick on contact at all. Using a regular clothes iron set on med/high you start in the center and iron that puppy on. Once the super soft and the adhesive have dried on the veneer, Steve, it feels just like a piece of leather, verrrry pliable.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Thanks Ron, that's a good source; looks like they have all the good banjo parts.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Great looking banjo, Ron.
Is it a block rim or laminated?
I looked for you on the Banjo Hangout but couldn't find you.
Dan

Really Sweet Banjo!

I've carved designs in hundreds of banjo necks/peheads and resonators over the past 30 years...but never had the guts to build one.

Super nice job!

kent

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Wood Creations by Kent A. Bailey
EXCELLENCE IN SCULPTURE, CARVING, LUTHIER, ARCHITECTURAL MILLWORK AND DESIGN

http://www.kabart.com

Thanks again guys.

Dan it is block. I spent a lot of time getting my joints really tight and can't find a gap anywhere. I made it up of three layers of only 4 blocks each. Few glue lines and the grain was so interweaved that it is really strong. It is from a very hard piece of highly figured bubinga.

I check in over at the hangout now and then but really haven't participated. I'd kinda lost interest in playing since I started building guitars but this build has rekindled my fire.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Ron, Good to see your still building.
Mighty fine Banjo, As always great workmanship.
Have you heard from Bruce Dickey lately?

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Ah! Thanks Ron ...the woodwork! I didn't have a clue where I was! I'll look there next time!

Again! Real nice work Ron! Beliebe it or don't.... I was actually looking into building one of those infernal contraptions! There's something about the look of a well built banjo that's intriguing. Too bad they sound the way they do!

.... Sorry had to say it! I even have a couple of new banjo jokes that I heard at a Beppe Gambetta concert...but ....I'll demure!! Beppe likes banjos too!

Again beautiful work! How does it play?

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)