5-string Openback Banjo no. 14-18

This open-back banjo is built from oak and ash. Oak has, interestingly, proved to have excellent tonal qualities. It is therefore surprising that oak is not more widely used for building banjos. In the USA, however, I see white-oak banjos being highlighted. Deering Banjos, for example, built their expensive anniversary model from white oak, without a tone ring.

White oak and Danish oak may not be quite the same, but they are both oak. The banjos I have built from oak also have that fine woody tone and full sound. That is the aim of this banjo too: no. 14-18.

It has an 11-inch block rim in oak and ash.

Oak and ash neck

Double carbon fibre truss rods

Bone nut. Neck width at the nut: 37.5 mm

Zero fret

The fingerboard is ebony. Ebony is very good for this purpose: very hard and stable, with a positive effect on the sound.

This banjo too is built with the expectation that it will last more than "100 years!" Oak is very strong.

Two handmade brass coordinator rods

I made the bridge from beech and ebony. It curves to compensate for the classic third-string tuning problem.

Fitted with medium strings from Deering Banjos

This banjo is my best basic banjo model. The photograph at the bottom shows the flight case that fits my banjos.

Please note: a film was made about building this particular banjo. You can find it under News, at the top of the homepage.