Banjo building is an excellent entry point to stringed instrument making. The banjo’s elegant simplicity and flexibility are unmatched. There are gourd banjos, tackhead banjos, open-back banjos, and resonator banjos, among others. If you haven’t already, find some recorded music that you like that prominently features the banjo and findContinue 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 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
The banjo neck heel radius is a subtle detail that makes all the difference. Nearly all stringed instruments have the neck attached at an angle. Fiddles, cellos, guitars, and yes, even banjos have a small angle built into the neck/body joint. This small angle allows for adjustment to take place.Continue Reading
When making a banjo fingerboard I ask myself two questions. What kind of material will the fingerboard be made from? Will it have frets? There are lots of options for fingerboard materials. Ebony is the traditional material of choice for fingerboards. Rosewood is a popular choice as well. There areContinue Reading
In the case that the peghead surface of the neck blank is less than 3″ wide, put some ears on the peghead to make it a little wider. The ears are small pieces of wood that are the length of the peghead, the thickness of the peghead, and as wideContinue Reading
Banjo neck blank preparation begins with the choice of suitable wood. Take a good long look at your lumber before you begin. Hold it. Tap it. Think it over a little. Look down the length of the board and try to identify any warps or irregularities. Look across the boardContinue Reading