banjoboba - Posted - 03/01/2009:  16:54:33

Bill Hayes, a luthier from Maine, just built a repro 5-string neck for the 1935 TB 1 I got from Jim Mills last year when he played near here (Albany, NY). I picked the banjo up from Bill recently at the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Massachusetts.
The new neck is top quality and has exactly the shape and contours I wanted (wide, large frets, thin profile), a beautifully done sunburst on the back showing the flame maple and a fine Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with perfectly cut inlays. The neck is a perfect match for the original tenor and the sunburst is a great touch. And, the banjo sounds like a classic pre war.
Bill's workmanship is more than excellent, he's great to deal with, and I would recommend him without reservation.




dyerswitch.com
Banjo Camp North - mugwumps.com
banjosessions.com (free Mel Bay web magazine- banjo instruction)
angiesbanjo.com (free Silver Strings banjo web magazine)
"Banjo Camp!" book (pub. 2008) by Gene Senyak

shclandler - Posted - 03/01/2009:  17:09:31

Bob, this is exciting news. Its good to hear you're enjoying your new neck. He's building a neck for my style 1 and he said it will be ready in about a month. Man, reading your post is only getting me more excited! There is a certain fun in the anticipation, its always nice to have something to look forward to. The necks of his I played when I was at his house felt great, so I am looking forward to being another satisfied customer.

Josh

Bill-in-ME - Posted - 03/02/2009:  09:33:00

Thanks for the nice comments Bob. I'm glad you like your banjo...Bill

http://billinme.googlepages.com/

banjoboba - Posted - 03/02/2009:  14:20:56

Hi Josh,
I'm sure you will really happy with the neck from Bill. Every neck of his I've seen and played has been excellent.
Are you having a tone ring put in your style 1? I had Bill put the Dannick ring in mine, but I have a style 11 I'm going to leave with the original hoop instead of a new ring.

Bob A




dyerswitch.com
Banjo Camp North - mugwumps.com
banjosessions.com (free Mel Bay web magazine- banjo instruction)
angiesbanjo.com (free Silver Strings banjo web magazine)
"Banjo Camp!" book (pub. 2008) by Gene Senyak

Bill-in-ME - Posted - 03/03/2009:  18:02:52

Hey Josh,
Your neck just got its first 3 coats of lacquer today. I think your really going to like it...Bill

http://billinme.googlepages.com/

TThorpe - Posted - 03/05/2009:  18:32:44

Well, I just want everyone to know that I surely agree with Bob's assessment of his new neck. Bill did an outstanding job in building that neck. It plays so easily. The flame gradations he added blend the colors of the new neck into the old 1935 resonator nicely. The sound of this banjo is really something to be heard! Bob has had to bring the action of the neck down a bit by installing a smaller bridge and tweaking with the coordinator rods. Adding a smaller bridge usually reduces the volume of a banjo a little. He is toying with having the neck cut back, so he can go back to a higher bridge. As his primary guitar backup these days, let me tell you all now that if he does it to this banjo I'm going to have to get ear plugs! This Style 1 is a killer. He's going to have to get a license to play this thing if the result of cutting the neck is increased volume. Wow!

I think after Jim Mills sees this reconditioned banjo he's going to want to buy it back.

Tom
Voorheesville, NY
Tthorp

rb4player - Posted - 03/05/2009:  18:46:47

Bill does great work.



Jim