Scale length can make a real difference in the way that a banjo plays, feels, and responds. Scale length is the active length of the string. That is the length of the string from the nut to the bridge saddle. If we have two strings of the same diameter butContinue Reading
This is the time to get all the rough stuff off. All of the file and saw marks must go. Take your work out into the sunshine and have a good long close look at all of its surfaces. Look inside the rim, and everywhere else that a scuff mightContinue Reading
I could go on and on about fretwork, it too deserves more space than I have dedicated to it here. I’ll just touch on the basics. Fret wire comes either in a coil or in long straight pieces. The coil is okay for softer wire but when it comes toContinue Reading
It is a good to glue the dowel stick to the neck before doing the fret work. After the frets are on the surface of the fingerboard will no longer be flat, making it more difficult to clamp the neck to a jig for possible modifications. Joining the dowel stickContinue Reading
The layout of the shoe bolt holes will depend on the type of tension hoop you have chosen to use. For the notched tension hoop you will have to make the shoe bolt holes match the pre-existing hook spacing on the tension hoop. If you have chosen to use aContinue Reading
The location of the rim dowel stick hole is interdependent with the location of the neck dowel stick hole. A lot of things come into consideration here, like the height of the tone ring, and the depth of the rim. Also, the neck should cover the place where the outermostContinue Reading
The rim is mounted to a wooden plate that is attached to a hub that chucks into the lathe. The rim is mounted to the plate with screws. It needs to be mounted evenly so that it will come out as round as possible. There is some danger of cuttingContinue Reading
If you wish to accent the rim cap, it should match the fingerboard. In the case you don’t plan to accent it, it could match the neck. The rim cap covers the laminations that would otherwise be visible on the backside of the rim. The cap is usually made fromContinue Reading
Forming the banjo rim requires the use of the rim clamping form. The inside dimension of the form matches the outside dimension of the rim. The form I use is made in two pieces so that the rim can pop right out. Mac’s rim form uses a latch and aContinue Reading