5-string Openback banjo no. 10

CUSTOM 5 String openback banjo.

This banjo is the prototype for a custom-built banjo particularly suited to clawhammer.

11-inch block rim in Danish oak with an integrated oak tone ring

Laminated solid oak neck with a mahogany core

Rosewood headstock

Quality gold-coloured tuners

Double gold-coloured rods

Ebony fingerboard

Scooped fingerboard for clawhammer style

Extra neck width to make finger playing easier.

The banjo in the photograph is finished with gunstock oil, but it can also be supplied with a satin varnish. I recommend the oil finish.

The banjo has a woody, plunky sound. It can play both softly and loudly. You might think it has a metal tone ring, but it does not.

I tailored this banjo for my own use. Its distinctive plunky sound and great robustness led me to choose it as the prototype for my custom banjos. The neck shape in particular can be tailored to different finger lengths and hand sizes.

The banjo is so robust that I can easily imagine it still playing well in 100 years. This banjo is the basic model for the banjos I build.