Banjo Building

I have finished up another banjo project I would like to share, this one was dubbed "The Bluegrass Machine". This banjo features a Tony Pass Lost timber rim and Huber flat top tone ring. The neck and resonator are made from beautiful curly maple and stained with a vintage hand rubbed sunburst then finished with a Hard Oil. It has a custom pearl inlay design with a 5th fret star and a star and wings at the 12th fret. It's hard to tell from the pictures but the curly maple stained this way has a ton of depth to it and looks like it breaths as you move your eyes across it.







Here is quick sound sample, although I don't play 3 finger style I think it's a good representation of how this baby sounds.
BluegrassMachine_Sound.mp3

This banjo was a blast to design and build! The BM09003 features a simple design with a Bubinga Wood tone ring and rim cap, elegant Dobson style heal and clean rosewood fingerboard and headstock overlay. The Bubinga tone ring gives this banjo a wonderful, rich voice. This banjo has inspired me to create a Banjo on a Budget model, that I have dubbed the "Road Kill". The budget model will have a standard headstock shape vs. this traditional one, but be identical otherwise and will sell for $800. If your interested in such a banjo please contact me.

BM09003 Front


BM09003 Side


BM09003 Back


BM09003 Pot


It's hard to see in the pictures, but the Bubinga has a 3 dimensional iridescent quality about it that is just striking!

Well I have finished up the S6 Prototype and I thought I would share some pictures before I ship it off to Pat & Patrick. This 6 String banjo has a wonderful voice! The Cocobolo Rosewood tone ring on a Mahogany rim with the Fiberskyn head gives it a wonderfully balanced tone. The Rim, Neck and Rim Cap are all Mahogany and the rim features a Herringbone inlay!

S6 Front


S6 Side View


S6 Back


S6 Pot Close up


I can't wait for Pat & Patrick to get this in there hands!

I am currently working on a custom banjo for a client that I designed around his budget, my goal was to create a great banjo that will last for years and years, sound great and be affordable to us working class folks. I am planning on making this type of banjo a standard offering at Buzzard Mountain. It should retail for about $800 and be about the best banjo available in that price range. It will have the following features:
- 2 Ply Hard Maple Rim
- Bubinga Wood Tone Ring
- Bubinga Rim Overlay
- Standard square headstock profile with Rosewood overlay (The custom I am currently working on has a upgraded headstock profile)
- Rosewood finger board
- White Side dots
- Grooved Tension hoop with 14 brackets & shoes
- Fyberskin, Amber or Frosted head.
- Dobson style heel
- Bone nut & 5th Pip
- Planetary tuners with ebony knobs

Here are a couple of photos of the custom version I am working on now:

Here is the rim, it has been turned and the holes are drilled and it just needs to be sanded and finished.


Here is the neck blank in my jig getting the finger board glued on.


This banjo is turning out great! I will keep some progress photos going here. If your interested in one of these please contact me at the link above. I am still trying to think up a good name for the standard model, not sure yet but I am leaning towards the Buzzard Mountain "Road Kill" Banjo.

I am also working on the S6 Guitar banjo prototype, here is a sneak peek at what its shaping up to be.

A lot is going on here at Buzzard Mountain HQ. I am currently working on several banjos including the Somerset S6 Six String Banjo prototype which should be ready in a week or so. I am also working on a budget model banjo that I plan on making a standard offering at Buzzard Mountain, more to come later on that later.

Pat the Loafer has had a chance to get acquainted with his new banjo the BM09002 and was kind enough to send me some sound files of him playing it. I put the sound files in with some pictures and made a video slide show.



I am also attaching the 3 songs separately for everyone to listen too. Pat is playing in gCGCD tuning for these.
Arkansas Traveler
BM09002ArkansasTraveler.mp3
Soldier's Joy
BM09002SoldiersJoy.mp3

BM090023.mp3

The second custom banjo to leave my shop this year is completed and will be on its way to Maryland next week with me as I travel to the Folk Musicians Retreat. Its owner Pat the Loafer will be giving me a place to sleep the day before the retreat and we will be hanging out and making some music on his new banjo prior to the Retreat.

Pat wanted a curly maple banjo similar to the BM09001 I built for myself earlier this year. We worked closely together on the custom inlay design of this banjo and it turned out awesome! It features a Cocobolo Tone ring and appointments, curly maple pot and neck, Buzzard Mountain Traditional headstock design and a frailing scoop.

Here are a few photos for Pat to drool over as he too has to wait until next week to get this beauty in his hands.

I have finished re-doing Patrick's S1 Prototype to his specifications. Some of you should remember that during shipping it got damaged.


So with the damage we took this opportunity to rework the banjo. Patrick wanted it to have the S2 headstock design instead of the traditional Vega headstock, and it is stained maple vs. walnut. This build has turned out great! I also had the opportunity to take this banjo to my Tuesday Night Jam and play it for a bit, and it sounds great and has no problem at all cutting through the noise of the bluegrass banjos in attendance.

Here are a few images to torture Patrick some, because he still wont have it in is hands until next week at the Folk Musicians Retreat.

I have started working on a Bluegrass banjo for a customer and I thought I would post some of the progress photos.

The customer sent me a Tony Pass Lost Timber rim he had purchased along with a Huber Tone Ring and wants me to build him a complete banjo around these.







The rim is made from sunken maple logs that are over 100 years old, it sure is pretty!

The neck and resonator are being made of curly maple and here are a couple of pics of the neck in the works.





This thing is going to be quite the Bluegrass Monster when its done.

Well folks the S3-002 is done and on its way to Pat & Patrick for their inspection and final setup. I thought I would post a few glamor shots for everyone to see. This one turned out great and plays like a dream! I hope that it finds its way safely to its new owner!

I finished up the Somerset S7 Banjo Ukulele prototype today and I must say, this little thing is fun! I am going to live with it for a few days to test it out, I know it will torture Patrick but here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure.







In other news here are a few construction photos of the BM09002 custom banjo.

Here is an image after the cocobolo strip and curly maple cap have been glued up.


This is the tone ring getting ready to be glued to the rim.


One can never have enough clamps!


And here is the rim after being turned and rough sanded.




Until Next time.