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 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

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

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 reinforcement makes long-term stability and playability much more likely. There are different ways to reinforce a banjo neck. I use 1/8″ thick by 1/2″ wide hot rolled steel bar stock to reinforce my necks. It can be found at most hardware stores. Some builders prefer to use trussContinue 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