I just sent out a 12” banjo,this one went to South Carolina,and the person who commissioned it sent a video which I will share.
It has a TuBaTone tonering,which is my version of a tu-ba-phone tone ring— a bit heavier and one-piece brazed together with a bronze tube. I believe I am the only builder who makes this type of tone ring in a 12” diameter. I also made a 14” one for a special project a couple years back and it worked very well for that.
I thought the curly maple on the neck was particularly nice
I finished it with French polish, which is now my go-to finish. This really brings out the grain. You can also see the center lamination and three-ply under-fingerboard lamination that doubles as side fret markers.
Here’s the pot, which is the original bottom-tension hook and nut style of my NewVintage banjos, also my "Tapio" wood armrest. You get a glimpse of the tone ring. The pot is 3” deep, so deeper than a Vega TuBaPhone and what looks like a dowel stick is actually a rudy rod with a steel tension rod that threads into an anchor in the heel. I rarely make this style any more, so it was very nice to get to make one again—I also made an 11" one for another customer.
So here’s what it sounds like, played by the person I made it for— I am always grateful when I get to hear someone who is a better player than me play one of my banjos. Thanks, Jim!
Lots of banjos sound good, but nothing beats a Tubphone. Very nice details all around. And the sound is perfect. My main banjo is a 1920s 11 1/2" Tubaphone conversion. The 12" size adds depth to the sound that is very appealing.
Gorgeous! Looks and sound! I once had a tubaphone, gave it up because it had neck design issues. Besides the wonderful tone, another thing I liked was that no matter where I put a capo on the neck, the tone did not suffer, it was just a higher pitch. Well done! banjered
A very nice build Ken, really an inspiration to those of us with daily struggles in our workmanship to build instruments.
Your French-Polish skills admired also, practice, and perfecting each build, I can see has it's rewards. Bob
Another delicious banjo!
Looks fantastic and I appreciate the time you put into showing it to us. If it sounds that good on YouTube then I would to hear it in person.
Paul
quote:
Originally posted by PaulfLooks fantastic and I appreciate the time you put into showing it to us. If it sounds that good on YouTube then I would to hear it in person.
Paul
Thanks, Paul,
It did sound good in person, but I am not nearly as good a clawhammer player as Jim. I made another 12" one at the same time, but with a different kind of tone ring and head. My intention was to make sound files (and they would have had to be finger-picking), but I ran out of time, had holiday company, and wanted to send them to the customers ASAP.
I was thrilled when I got the youtube from Jim
Beautiful craftmanship !
quote:
Originally posted by wrench13Beautiful craftmanship !
Thank you!! 88 handmade metal parts in that banjo.
Absolutely stunning as always Ken.
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Originally posted by Lone WalnutAbsolutely stunning as always Ken.
Thank you Kirk!
I hope your left-handed banjo is holding up well! Let me know if you need anything adjusted.
So Ken, when are you going to do a coffee table book of your stunning creations?
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Originally posted by mikehalloranSo Ken, when are you going to do a coffee table book of your stunning creations?
Thanks so much Mike—A coffee table book is not likely—there are a number out there with inlays snazzier than mine. I have long wanted to write a book about banjo building in the "one-off vertical operation luthier" tradition for non-Gibson copy banjos, like Ervin Somogyi's books about guitars, but I keep changing what I do and the way I do it, so much of what I did when I started to assemble the stuff for the book is stuff that I no longer do or want to tell someone else to do–everything I know now will soon become obsolete (to me), so it's a point-in time.
I think the idea of a serious book with honest fact-based information is becoming more meaningful as more people start building banjos, and where do they get their information? I have well over 10,000 images saved on my computer, have purged many obsolete ones and some day I will do it. Right now I'm too busy actually building them to have time to do the book (but I document every one I make, which is why I can easily post "stories" about them—I take all the pictures for my records anyway and want to share the images and techniques). Putting it into a book ,though, is a time consuming and daunting process—I've written a short book about 18th century Pennsylvania German building construction and a number of Historic District guidelines, so I have some experience in writing books—you don't do that if you have other deadlines looming, and you really need an editor.
Some day.
Edited by - Ken LeVan on 12/15/2022 13:30:23
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