banjered - Posted - 11/27/2024:  13:25:04

I know it is strictly a personal preference thing, not good or bad, but I don't care for them. My favorite finish is the honey colored stain on Mike Ramsey's Student banjo. Is there really that much demand for black-rim banjos or is it just an easy pathway for builders? Just wondering? I am at the point that I won't bother to try/buy a banjo unless it checks off all the marks and a black rim is not one of them. banjered

Old Hickory - Posted - 11/27/2024:  13:36:11

I like black rims. In particular the look of a black band between the flange and tone ring. I stained two of mine black. My other wood rims are stained reddish with grain showing.

NotABanjoYoda - Posted - 11/27/2024:  13:55:04

Im partial to blue and purple.

Adam Sea - Posted - 11/27/2024:  14:16:18

My Rickard Maple Ridge has a black stained pot. It looks neat in contrast to the honey-like maple neck and the ebony fretboard & headstock and aged hardware. I got the banjo used at a really good price, so the particular colour combination wasn't as important as the playability and sound.

s_ou_b - Posted - 11/27/2024:  14:32:58

Cole’s Eclipse. Top notch.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 11/27/2024:  15:14:15

I tend to think black rims are a way to use up wood on had that would’t look good with a finish that showed the grain. Not my favorite approach.

NWBanjo - Posted - 11/27/2024:  15:39:52

I like black lacquer rims and requested one on my custom Enoch. Generally speaking, though, I don’t think they’re more sought after in the marketplace. They were kind of a late 90s/earlu 2000s trend IMO. Still, I love the look

Bill H - Posted - 11/27/2024:  16:14:25

My Nechville Phantom and Moonshine both have black rims. I love the look. Fairbanks did an Electric I believe that had a black rim. I find it stunning.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 11/27/2024:  16:28:54

Black was a nod to ebony, only found on high-end instruments in the 1880-1920 period. Most of the "ebony" fingerboards were not...and many black banjos were "ebonized".

It is just a look. I tend to prefer maple pots and mahogany necks...but a well built black pot wouldn't be a turn-off for me.

Zachary Hoyt - Posted - 11/27/2024:  16:38:06

I've made a few banjos with black rims when the customer asked for that. I generally like to make the rim out of the same wood as the neck, but that's just my personal preference.

Fathand - Posted - 11/27/2024:  18:16:19

Black or not? Favourite colour is entering the "Tarpit of Subjectivity".

The actual colour will not make your banjo sound different or be easier to play.

csacwp - Posted - 11/27/2024:  19:19:22

The rims of old factory banjos, e.g., Dobsons and other Buckbee stencils, were often finished black to hide imperfections left by the crude manufacturering processes used.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 12/04/2024:  10:02:41

I like black rims well enough- my two Bowlins have them.  It's a nice contrast with the color of the neck and dowelstick.

What I don't like is when the neck and pot don't match as far as stain or grain.  In that case I'd actually prefer a blackened rim.

We're fortunate in this modern day that we can be that picky!!!

Edited by - R.D. Lunceford on 12/04/2024 10:05:10

Paul R - Posted - 12/05/2024:  11:46:07

My resonator banjo had mismatched wood - neck, resonator, and rim. So I had it made all black. I like the result - and it even matches my Les Paul Custom. I should have had them do the inside of the resonator, too.

 

cevant - Posted - 12/06/2024:  06:09:24

My Toyota 4 Runner has black rims. Its the only place that matters for me.

laguna21dc - Posted - 12/14/2024:  22:43:24

I have built s few Vega conversions with black rims . I also built a few Cole banjos with black rims and dowel sticks , they were all original black finish and looked good when matched up with stained necks . The Cole eclipse set the tone for the Vegas being acceptable in black.  Right now I have a vintage Orphium pot in black that I'm not sure what to do with it .

Edited by - laguna21dc on 12/14/2024 22:47:36

OldPappy - Posted - 12/15/2024:  23:02:46

I have also built a few banjos with black rims, flat black not glossy. I like the contrast, but the reason I finished them black was because the grain of the wood just didn't look good.

Most of the banjos I built were either black walnut or mahogany and those were finished with an oil finish to bring out the beauty of the wood.

laguna21dc - Posted - 12/16/2024:  11:04:37

I like the contrast of the black rim and wood necks myself but have to keep them original looking not to upset 

Edited by - laguna21dc on 12/16/2024 11:07:29

heavy5 - Posted - 12/21/2024:  06:09:51

quote:

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Originally posted by cevant

My Toyota 4 Runner has black rims. Its the only place that matters for me.

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My 95 Tacoma also      Your post gave me quite a chuckle ! 

heavy5 - Posted - 12/21/2024:  06:12:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paul R

My resonator banjo had mismatched wood - neck, resonator, and rim. So I had it made all black. I like the result - and it even matches my Les Paul Custom. I should have had them do the inside of the resonator, too.

---

Paul , really like the peghead inlay !

heavy5 - Posted - 12/21/2024:  06:15:18

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

I tend to think black rims are a way to use up wood on had that would’t look good with a finish that showed the grain. Not my favorite approach.

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Bill , Some of the 60's /70's Gibson 250 thin rims were exactly that !

Paul R - Posted - 12/23/2024:  15:29:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by heavy5

quote:

---

Originally posted by Paul R

My resonator banjo had mismatched wood - neck, resonator, and rim. So I had it made all black. I like the result - and it even matches my Les Paul Custom. I should have had them do the inside of the resonator, too.

---

Paul , really like the peghead inlay !

---

Thanks, Bob. It was done by Tony Duggan-Smith, who was an early apprentice of Jean L'Arrivee. He'd already done the peghead on my '72 L'Arrivee (finished in L'Arrivee's shop just before Jean left Toronto for the "Wet Coast"). I let him do whatever he wanted and he went overboard. He used abalone, mother of pearl, ivory (real or ivoroid, I don't know - maybe bone), maple, and a tiny bit of brass (for the mast of one of the sailboats). Three of those early L'Arrivee apprentices are known for their creative inlay work - Tony, Linda Manzer, and Grit Laskin.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays.

ceemonster - Posted - 12/28/2024:  15:37:36

]]]I know it is strictly a personal preference thing, not good or bad, but I don't care for them. My favorite finish is the honey colored stain on Mike Ramsey's Student banjo. Is there really that much demand for black-rim banjos or is it just an easy pathway for builders? Just wondering? I am at the point that I won't bother to try/buy a banjo unless it checks off all the marks and a black rim is not one of them. banjered[[[



I believe that painted black rims homage and hearken back to the Dobson / Buckbee era of very basic construction and cosmetics. Mike Ramsey himself produced quite a few black-rim openbacks.   And the Enoch Tradesman models feature black rims IIRC.    They're not my first choice in cosmetics, but don't mind them if the banjo tone suits.



I've had three--A mahogany-neck 12-inch Ramsey Standard which I sold about seven or eight years ago.   Have had two other12-inch Ramseys with black rims stolen in a plundering of my home during the 3-day Presidents weekend this last February. Bought one of them back on ebay late in the spring/early summer from a pawnbroker, aka fencer/receiver, masquerading as an "estate sale" seller on the 'bay undisturbed by my city police or the auction site despite my reports. But I'm grateful to have it-a walnut-neck, black-rim 12-inch brass hoop banjo with "Dobson" cosmetics. I believe the person will eventually post the other one, a bare-bones "Amish" model acquired from Zepp many years ago. And am hoping to be able to gather funds to ransom it in 2025. I helplessly watched three other of my stolen instruments auctioned by this villain to other buyers this year because I'm not in a position to recover a collection acquired over 25 years in just a few months. Grateful to have my walnut Ramsey back, black rim and all!   As with many Ramsey instruments, it's a little rough around the edges, including kind of a scratchy, slapped-on, far-from-opaque look to that black paint.   But it plays and sounds amazing.

Edited by - ceemonster on 12/28/2024 15:48:14