This ole banjo is a result of the influence and appreciation, that I have grown to enjoy for music. My mother and her family, as well as my sisters and their families, have also held music as a mainstay in their homes.  This ole banjo is my very first attempt at building one.   My second banjo was completed in October, 2001.  Click Here to view it.  I call it my Woody banjo, after viewing you'll understand why.

    I had quit taking piano lessons in the 7th grade 1965. I remember, around 1970, I had my first encounter with a banjo. I was then learning the guitar and was leaning more toward playing the bass, because it was easier. Around 1978 our assistant pastor, Lynn Conner now a missionary in Mexico, had built a banjo from a kit through the mail and that had re-sparked my interest in it. I thought though, that building one was a little extreme for me at the time.

    It wasn't until I was laid off work with John Deere Tractor in Waterloo, Iowa and moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1986, that I bought my first banjo. Actually I bought it in Waterloo at Levi's Pawn Shop, for $50 or $65, on a visit to see my father. I brought it back to Kansas City and started learning the basics.

    Then around 1991, I visited theGower Goodtimers MusicClub, in Gower, Missouri, and developed an even stronger desire for the instrument and music. Through this continued yearn of music and being around "shade tree" luthiers, I started researching the construction of instruments and learning what constituted a "quality" instrument and how you could affect the sound and tone quality of instruments. It wasn't until then that I decided that building an instrument wasn't as far fetched of an idea as I had once thought it might be. By 1992 I was determined to start building. Having a no pressure job afforded me the opportunity to do some of the construction and machining at work. With literature and blue prints in hand, I was ready.

    This banjo is a replica of the Gibson Mastertone with some modifications to personalize it to my taste, which I found produced a rich mellow sound with excellent tone, so I've been told. The inner wood rim is made up of scrap Maple pieces found in the trash at work. It is a little thicker than normal, by choice. The neck is made up of 4 pieces of Maple. The outer 2 pieces are Birdseye Maple. The neck is also about 3/8" thicker than normal and about 1/8" wider to fit my hand better, hoping to reduce cramps when fingering. It also meant making  a custom capo which was difficult because of the spring mechanism.  I've since purchased a Shubb guitar capo and it seems to work for now, time will tell.

   The peg head shape is a mix from Gibson and Veggie and my own. I cut the shape by hand, using a coping saw. The shape of the neck was cut with a band saw. The entire neck was then finished using a hand file and sand paper.

    The metal truss rod in the neck was made out of drill rod and was hand threaded and bent. Drill rod is stronger and more durable than cold roll steel, which I thought would improve neck strength and help reduce bowing.

The resonator was made from strips of Maple veneer only 1/64"-1/32" thick. These were built up to a thickness of approximately 1/2" on the sides and 1/4" on the back. The back was shaped using a pair of field disk blades, or shovels, that I got from a farmer at work. I found out later that those blades were warped, so my resonator back has a built in flaw. The resonator was also covered with Birdseye veneer. There are several blotches on the back where air bubbles had developed, I did the best I knew how to conceal them. Some people have told me they thought they were knots in the wood. The "eyes" were stained a walnut color first and then sanded out to produce richer grain contrast. The wood was then finished in a honey gold stain and lacquered several times.

    The fingerboard and peg head are Ebony. I purchased the fingerboard already cut for frets. It is a 27" fingerboard. Although these photos don't show the extensive detail, The Mother Of Pearl in the neck and pegged is of a guitar board design. I purchased it for two reasons. I liked the style and it was the cheapest! I had to re-size most of it to fit on the narrower banjo neck. This was all done by hand with a file. I inlaid all of the pearl using a hobby engraving  tool, Xacto, to be exact.  Of course there some boo-boo's that I couldn't cover, I chalk them up to just "battle" scars and experience. The neck is minus one fret due to miscalculation of length to attach to the rim's radius.

    All the trim binding on the neck and resonator was cut and set by hand. The black fret dots were also put in by hand. I purchased fret wire and cut and set all the frets.

    The head is an artificial skin replica, which gives it the look of an original stretch hide used years ago and also help save a cat.

    Except for the tailpiece, all gold plating was done in Kansas City, including brackets and nuts. The tone ring was left in nickel plate for two reasons; one, because most of it is covered and two, to give a contrast between the two colors.

    The bridge was a bone insert, I have been experiencing with different ones. The tail piece, a Bear Claw, is individually tensioned so as to allow control over tension and tone quality. I have preferred to string it with light gauge.

    This has been a labor of love and much enjoyment. All in all it took about 2 years to construct, working on it only during free time and quiet times. Project was finished in 1995. Cost approx. $1,500. It weighs about 15lbs and is hard on the back. The above configurations have given the instrument a mellow tone, not a bright plunky sound.
I like it :) Yes, I could have built it for less money and a little less weight, but then it wouldn't have been exactly what I wanted.

    My "dream" or desire was to have the head autographed by Ralph Stanley and Sonny Osborne.  My heros :)   We sing a lot of their songs.

    As of April, 2000, I have autographs from Ralph Stanley, Jim & Jesse, Doyle Lawson, Little Roy Lewis and Allen Watkins.    I'm now holding out for Sonny's....   :)  :)

    Well, as of April 5, 2002, I guess you could say that my dream has been fulfilled.  We were at the Bluegrass Festival in Eminece, MO.  Sonny was there, along with a lot of other excellent bands.  Sonny was more than happy to sign the ole banjo.