Fretless Mountain Banjo, Cherry, New, Made In West Virginia!

Description: I finished this one today December 18, 2024. Beautiful cherry grain. Measures 36” overall length, 11” wide, 2 3/8” side height & I got the bridge 24 1/2” from the nut in the pictures. I build these based on the old Stanley Hicks family banjo pattern like you see in the Foxfire book and as a tribute and honor to Stanley and men like him who worked to keep our Appalachian mountain folk traditions going. When you buy one of these you are doing your part to keep it going. I used tried and true original for a finish which is food grade boiled linseed oil and beeswax. The solid ebony violin pegs are set into holes reamed with two violin peg reamers with one special made for the 5th peg. The reamers cut the same taper and angle on the pegs for maximum friction fit and the tough nature of ebony gives you the durability you need to play this instrument for the rest of your life and a family heirloom in years to come. I custom make these one at a time with a lot of the same hand tools that our ancestors used to make them. I do my best to preserve the historical authenticity so you have something crafted like you see at Colonial Williamsburg. I was pretty sad to read they pretty much closed Roy Underhills shop and sold most of the tools. This banjo has the most amazing sound a good tenor and mix of a resonant bass that when you hold and play takes you back to an earlier time. I did do my V neck from the 5th peg on up to the nut which was a very old way of doing this and feels a lot better in the hand. Maybe it’s not easily done with Cnc machines in these big banjo factories but I’m sure you will like this. I think when it comes to walnut and cherry an oil finish is the only way to go not only does it show the amazing grain and true color but also feeds the wood and makes it even more stable. I will include a 5 page set of guidelines that I typed out back in the summer to help you get started and explains more about me and my favorite tunings and some rambling. I think everyone needs one of these banjos because they are so good looking and well made. I have been making these off an on for over 20 years and I got several musicians who are repeat customers who keep coming back to buy instruments that are different wood types and sound hole designs. I hope you will be a repeat customer like that too because I like getting to know my customers over the years and hearing about where these are played and end up. I got them all over the world some in museums even. I think I will draw this to a close since I got to list the twin I made from the same board only it has steel strings. Thank you! I don’t know if you buy tomorrow if it will arrive by Christmas but depending on where you live it should because I will ship in the same day as long as I got time to get it shipped the same day. I ship in custom made double ply cardboard boxes I make from sheets and use two different types of bubble wrap and 3 different kinds of tape to make sure it arrives undamaged because I do care about what happens once they leave my hands.

Price: 400 USD

Location: Glenville, West Virginia

End Time: 2025-01-19T05:15:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD