Gary Wood called me a couple of weeks ago and told me he was putting together some notes on Woodhaven's production of tone rings over the years. I received his letter and he said it would be ok to post it publicly.
References to searches: results of the first searches point to the BHO thread SALSTROM/FENDER BANJO by Dave Markle. The Salstrom Carving Machine Co. History from vintagemachinery.org (interesting note about the Spruce Goose propellers).
As a side note, Woodhaven Industries closed in 2013. Tone rings and Oettinger style tailpieces was only part of Woodhaven's engineering/machining business. At one time, Gary showed me the workings of a newly machined steering box for a dragster.
This is so cool. Thanks for sharing.
Personally interesting to me to see John Janzegers in the list of Woodhaven tone ring customers. I have one of John's earliest tone rings that he first put in my Aria bow tie banjo in fall of winter '72, then pulled from that and put into a new banjo John completed for me on June '72. Unplated no-hole Tobin bronze flathead.
