Rob:

Yep... I am a compulsive do-it-yourselfer... If I want it and can't afford it I repair one or build one. That's how I get most of my instruments.... and occasionally they work out way beyond my expectations... My $1oo tenor banjo is the equivilant of a nice Vega. But of course sometimes I'm not so lucky. I think I counted 17 instruments at last count... Most in need of some work.  Some will obviously be wall-hangers... but I enjoy all of them.

I have a nice piece of maple and most of the needed tools so why not build a fretless banjo... Yours is a beauty by the way. I haven't decided which fretless to model mine after yet. Just got the Gura and Bollman book for Christmas so am still deciding.

 

Bart

 

Thanks, Bart. It is helpful to get feedback from people who appreciate the instruments. I really wanted to showcase the diversity of vintage instruments and the complex sparceness they possess. Feel free to share my tracks, I am happy for the critiques. Do you have recordings that I can access?

I just uploaded a picture of the homemade banjo you can take a look at.

My avatar is a slightly modified picture of the fifth string peg on that particular banjo.