Minstrel-Era
Based on banjos made between the 1840s and 1870s but crafted for a modern player.
In addition to his work with gourd banjos, Pete has spent the last 30 years immersed in the study of the earliest wooden rim banjos. He's done ground breaking research on early banjo makers William Boucher Jr. and Levi Brown, and was co-curator with Greg Adams and Bob Winans of the exhibit Making Music: The Banjo, Baltimore and Beyond.
These "Minstrel Era" wooden rim banjos are the result of those years of study. The rims are typical of the era-- deep, with a single ply steam bent construction. The scale length and bridge placement is based on that of the 1850s banjos made by Ashborn, perhaps the best sounding and most competently constructed banjos of the era.
Beyond being historical recreations capturing the acoustics of the era, these banjos can also have adaptations with the modern player in mind. The following instruments have been made with neck angle. The resulting low string action allows for comfortable playing up and down the neck, which is generally not the case with period instruments.
Fretted or flush fretted instruments can also have a truss rod included, adding rigidity and stability to the neck. They've also been made with either frets, flush frets or fret markers. In conjunction with the low string height, this facilitates accurate noting the entire length of the neck. Even though the often complex banjo arrangements of the antebellum era seem to demand this sort of set up, it is mostly absent from period banjos.
These "Minstrel Era" wooden rim banjos are the result of those years of study. The rims are typical of the era-- deep, with a single ply steam bent construction. The scale length and bridge placement is based on that of the 1850s banjos made by Ashborn, perhaps the best sounding and most competently constructed banjos of the era.
Beyond being historical recreations capturing the acoustics of the era, these banjos can also have adaptations with the modern player in mind. The following instruments have been made with neck angle. The resulting low string action allows for comfortable playing up and down the neck, which is generally not the case with period instruments.
Fretted or flush fretted instruments can also have a truss rod included, adding rigidity and stability to the neck. They've also been made with either frets, flush frets or fret markers. In conjunction with the low string height, this facilitates accurate noting the entire length of the neck. Even though the often complex banjo arrangements of the antebellum era seem to demand this sort of set up, it is mostly absent from period banjos.
More than period recreations, these are instruments you can comfortably bring any banjo repertoire to.
Minstrel-Era Wooden Rim Banjo Base Price: $2,150
Base price includes any wood and stain; Boucher or paddle peghead; simple or ogee 5th string; calfskin head, and friction tuners.
Pegbox 5th string, custom pegheads, and flush frets, frets, and half-fretless are an additional cost.
Base price includes any wood and stain; Boucher or paddle peghead; simple or ogee 5th string; calfskin head, and friction tuners.
Pegbox 5th string, custom pegheads, and flush frets, frets, and half-fretless are an additional cost.
Please contact me about custom orders, I'm happy to answer any questions you have, figure out what tone you want from a banjo, and work on custom design elements.
For all custom orders, I ask for a $300 non-refundable deposit, 1/2 of the total estimated cost of the banjo when I begin building, and the remainder upon completion. I'm happy to talk banjo if you have any special commission ideas you’d like to talk about as well. I love creating entirely custom instruments drawing from historical sources.
For all custom orders, I ask for a $300 non-refundable deposit, 1/2 of the total estimated cost of the banjo when I begin building, and the remainder upon completion. I'm happy to talk banjo if you have any special commission ideas you’d like to talk about as well. I love creating entirely custom instruments drawing from historical sources.
12" maple rim, lightly-stained maple neck, fretted, geared tuners, patinated hardware, 5th string pegbox.
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Custom instrument with inspiration from mid 1800s banjos and the Diuguid banjo. 12" single-ply maple rim, high-contrast tobacco-stained maple neck, black flush frets, geared tuners, dark patinated hardware, 5th string pegbox.
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Each instrument can be customized with different woods, stains, and peghead and 5th-string shapes. Click any image below for more details on the materials and configuration.
