Banjo friction pegs were used to tune the instrument in its earlier days. As steel strings became more popular and machining techniques improved, friction pegs gave way to machine tuners. Today we still see friction pegs used on violins and cellos. The high tension of steel banjo strings make theContinue 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
Inlay work deserves more space than I have devoted to it here, but I’ll go over it a bit. Mac often cuts his own inlay by hand. Unique one of a kind design work can be achieved in this way. If you choose to cut your own inlay use aContinue Reading
The fifth peg hole holds the fifth string tuning machine, sometimes called the fifth peg. This is a hole in the side of the neck just above the fifth string bump out. Take a look at a fifth string machine tuner and you will likely find that it features aContinue Reading
Carving the banjo neck is my favorite part of building a banjo. I use a drawknife for shaping along the length of the banjo neck and chisels for roughing out the shape of the heel and fifth peg area. Always keep carving and shaping tools sharp. Dull tools can easilyContinue Reading
Check to make sure that the peghead is not too thick to accommodate the tuners. You can measure or just hold the tuner up to the thick side of the peghead. If it looks as though the tuners will not be tall enough for the bushing bolt and washer toContinue Reading
The front profile of the neck represents the available space for playing. It is a good idea to use a pattern or another banjo as a template for this part of the design because the front profile of the banjo neck is an irregular shape. Think of the banjo fingerContinue Reading
The peghead presents an opportunity to show off some creative flair. There are many attractive peghead designs out there and it is easy to come up with your own. Aside from aesthetic opportunities, the peghead has a job to do: it holds the tuning machines. The peghead needs to haveContinue Reading
Because the neck bears against the rim of the banjo a ledge needs to be cut into the neck to allow the tension room to sit down over the rim without running into the neck. I call this ledge the banjo neck heel tension hoop rabbet. It makes a spaceContinue Reading