This is a totally new thing for me - a 4-string Plectrum Banjo. Cole (I'm also building a bass for him) sent me an email which said, "Wanna build a banjo?" My response was, "Sure - let me look into what it'll take to do it!"

So here are the basic specs:

  • Open back plectrum banjo (long neck, 4 strings)
  • Blocked curly maple 11" diameter by 2-3/4" high by 1/2" thick rim
  • 26-3/16" scale, 22 fret neck
  • Old-time 4-in-line headstock with curly maple overlay
  • Neck will be three-piece quarter-sawn Honduran mahogany
  • Fingerboard will be Indian rosewood with only side position markers
  • Elite head
  • Rolled brass tone ring
  • Nickel plated hardware including:
    • 24-notch plated brass tension hoop
    • 24 bracket shoes
    • 24 round hooks and nuts
    • Dual coordinator rods
    • Tailpiece
    • Armrest
    • Gotoh planetary tuning machines

The rim will be made by Mark Hickler in Tempe AZ. Mark will also supply all of the hardware except the tuners and frets.

Sept 14, 2009: Construction has started on the neck, and I will provide pictures soon. So far I have glued up the neck blank, cut the truss rod slot, slotted the fingerboard, and done the rough shaping of the neck and headstock.

Sept 20, 2009: The Headstock has been rough-cut to shape, and the fingerboard slotted. The truss rod slot has been cut, but doesn't show too well in the first picture:

 

Detail shot of the headstock (the maple overlay still needs to be applied):

Mark Hickler sent me these progress pictures on the rim for Cole's banjo:

September 26, 2009: Mark Hickler just sent me another picture of the rim with the tone ring fitted to it. He reports that the only remaining steps are to smooth the inside of the rim and drill the holes for the brackets and corrdinator rods. Here's the picture:

October 6, 2009: Mark Hickler sent me this picture today. He said the bracket shoes arrived yesterday, but he still has to trim the screws to the right length:

October 7, 2009: Another picture from Mark Hickler - the coordinator rods have been fitted:

October 9, 2009: Gluing on the fingerboard:

And while we're at it, gluing on the headstock overlay:

October 11, 2009: I made up a jig for fitting the heel end of the neck to the banjo rim on the Ryobi Oscillating Drum Sander, and this picture shows Cole's Banjo neck mounted in the jig right after I sanded the heel:

October 14, 2009: A package from Mark Hickler arrived today, and this was inside:

October 20, 2009: I dismantled Cole's rim assembly and put two coats of McFadden's Pore Filler on:

Carving The Necks:

October 21, 2009: These pictures show both necks after rough carving and some sanding:

October 25, 2009: Assembled both banjos today to check out the neck fit and alignment:

November 12, 2009: More work on the neck for Cole's banjo. I routed the neck heel to fit around the tension hoop on Tuesday, and installed the frets:

December 13, 2009: Finally, more pictures of the rim of Cole's banjo. The finishing process on the rim:

  • Apply grain filler
  • Sand smooth after dry with 220 grit paper
  • Apply three coats of sanding sealer
  • Apply coats of walnut-tinted lacquer until the desired color is reached
  • Apply three of coats of clear gloss lacquer, then level sand
  • Apply 7 to 9 coats of clear gloss lacquer

In these two pictures, I've just completed Step 5:

I've also done some finishing work on the neck. The neck was grain-filled a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm applying a dark walnut stain. I've put on about three coats of the stain, but I want the color quite a bit darker; more consistent with the color of the rim:

January 30, 2010: My logo inlays finally arrived. I get them from Andy DePaule (www.luthiersupply.com), who alway does beautiful work. He had some difficulties with an overzealous customs inspector last month, so the stuff I ordered in early December was held up over a month.

So I wasted no time getting them inlaid into the headstocks of both banjos. They don't look like much yet, but it's a two-step process: 1) get them inlaid, then 2) fill in with black epoxy. The first step is done, and now I have to wait for the epoxy to cure so I can sand them smooth, then complete the epoxy-filling process.

This is the headstock after step one was completed:

March 6, 2010: I've been working on the neck finish - it's slow going because of the large number of days with rain this year - so much more than last year.

Also, the rim has been hanging in the shop for a few weeks while the lacquer was curing, so I did the final sanding on it last night, and polished it today. Then I began the assembly of the banjo pot:

This is the inside of the rim, showing the heads of the screws used to mount the L-brackets:

Next I started installing the tension hooks:

Once that was done, I tested the fit of the neck to the pot:

April 30, 2010: More pictures of the banjo pot and the neck (which will be ready to polish in another week):

 

 All Pictures and Text
(c) Copyright 2007-2010 by Stephen Cyr
Last updated April 30, 2010

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