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 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.
Im partial to blue and purple.
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.
Cole’s Eclipse. Top notch.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
My Toyota 4 Runner has black rims. Its the only place that matters for me.
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
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.
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
quote:
Originally posted by cevantMy Toyota 4 Runner has black rims. Its the only place that matters for me.
My 95 Tacoma also 
Your post gave me quite a chuckle !
quote:
Originally posted by Paul RMy 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 !
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersI 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.
Bill , Some of the 60's /70's Gibson 250 thin rims were exactly that !
quote:
Originally posted by heavy5quote:
Originally posted by Paul RMy 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.
]]]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
Yeah, I've done it when piecing lower value parts together that are mismatched or otherwise blemished. The looks don't offend me, but I usually assume it's hiding something that would...
