This is a banjo that I built while at the Whetstone School of Lutherie under the tutelage of Will Fielding of Fielding Banjos. Though it is not a Fielding Banjo, it is made to his design specifications and under his direction. It is a cherrywood open back banjo with cherry burlwood peghead lamination and figured cherry heel cap and rim cap. The scale is 25 3/4" and the neck is carved out of a block constructed from bookmatched cherry with a black pearwood line separating the two halves and is mounted to the pot using dowel stick construction. The neck is reinforced with a two-way adjustable truss rod that adjusts from the heel. It has fifteen full width frets, two partial frets, and an "S" shaped frailing scoop. The neck is 1.187" wide at the nut and has a "V" arch-shaped profile to make it fit comfortably in the hand, somewhat like older Vega instruments. The fingerboard is super strong Vermont ironwood with abalone dots. The pot is 12" diameter, 1/2" thick walls, 2.75" deep, built on a two-ply bent cherry blank made by Cooperman Drum company. The pot hardware consists of 20 Stewmac brackets and hooks that are nickel plated and a grooved tension ring. It also has a brass rod tone ring which is Stewmac brand as well. It has Gotoh two-band tuners, bone nut and custom turned bone 5th string nut, Fielding tailpiece, and maple and cocobolo bridge.
This is a lot of banjo for the money. I am currently making banjos and banjoleles and I find that I just don't often get around to playing this one. It is a really great sounding and playing banjo with a loud, resonant voice and a nice balance between melodic resonance and plunk. It is virtually a brand new banjo, with virtually no visible fret wear or evidence of play on the head. Comes with hard case.
↧