• Quartersawn three piece neck with non-adjustable truss rod (1 5/16 " @ nut)
• Handcrafted, steam-bent, laminated rim (~1/2" thick)
• Short scale length - 25 1/2"
• Ebony fretboard, peghead overlay, heel cap and rim cap
• Handmade rolled brass tone ring
• Nickel plated hardware (round hooks with closed end Vega reproduction nuts)
• Handmade cherry bridge with ebony tip
• Satin oil finish
• Traditional wooden dowel stick
• Gotoh tuners
• 16 frets with frailing scoop
• Mother-of-Pearl dot position markers (top and side of fretboard)
• 18 hooks in notched tension hoop
• Fairbanks style heel
• Tapered peghead thickness
• Bone nut
• No-Knot tailpiece

Building Details

For optimal strength I construct my banjo necks using two pieces of straight grained, quartersawn wood with a center laminate and a rigid, non-adjustable truss rod. I make my own rims of matching steam-bent wood in two thicknesses:  my standard rim is approximately 1/2" thick and and produces a wonderful, balanced tone while my thinner rim is approximately 3/8" thick and produces a mellower, pluckyer sound.

I normally use a short 25 1/2" scale length, like that used by Kyle Creed, which moves the bridge closer to the center of the head providing a deep, rich tone.  I also use other scale lengths such as the standard Gibson 26 3/16 " scale, a 25" scale which creates less string tension and a looser feel when playing, a short 23 5/16" "A" scale, and I've even made a banjeaurine with a 19 5/8" scale.

For my bridges, I use a solid foot design with a hole under each string. This design, inspired by the work of Roger Siminoff and Ray Alden provides continuous contact with the banjo head for excellent sound transmission, resists sagging and, like a violin bridge, provides an equal mass of wood under each string, creating an even, balanced response between strings. I construct these bridges of cherry with an ebony tip. 

  I cut and engrave all my inlay by hand. Although hand-cut inlay is not as perfect as that cut with a CNC machine it has a warmth to it which I prefer.  My engraving technique is based on that of Doug Unger who, I believe, is one of the top pearl engravers in the country and equal to, if not better than, any of the great engravers of the late 19th century.  I was lucky enough to spend a couple of days in his shop where he taught me some of his techniques.

For banjos with nickel plated hardware I use standard L-shoes and ball-end Vega reproduction nuts.  For banjos with brass hardware I use custom designed L-shoes and either custom designed nuts or Vega reproduction nuts.  I am in the process of refining a brass Buckeye Banjo tailpiece which should be available this fall.

My peghead designs are inspired by the great makers of the late 1800's and early 1900's, athough not exact copies, and I finish my banjos with polymerized-oil rubbed out to a warm, satin finish.

Banjos are setup with medium strings and medium action to allow hard playing without buzzes but come with an additional, slightly lower, bridge if you have a light touch or prefer a lower action.  I like a fairly tall bridge (5/8th - 11/16") which provides a string height of approximately 5/32" at the 12th and 5/16" where the neck meets the pot.