I have a 70s Japanese Kasuga and fat fingers
The neck is 1.25” wide at the nut
Finding a wider finger board would be a good start
Apparently making my fingers narrower is not an option
Gold Tone does sell a neck with a wider fingerboard. They will also cut and fit it to your pot.
I make all my banjos with extra wide fingerboards. I've made them as wide as 1-1/2, but I think 1-3/8 is actually perfect for the string spacing I like.
It's possible but not feasible. To widen a neck you have to remove the fingerboard, strip the finish off the neck and flatten the edges. Then glue thin strips of wood down the sides, shape them to fit smoothly into the contour of the neck, and taper them properly. After that, you have to replace the fingerboard with a wider one, slot it, inlay it, shape it properly, and put in the frets. Then you have to completely refinish the whole neck. Don't ask me how I know all this.
In all honesty, you would be better off to either make a whole new neck or buy another one. The time and aggravation to widen a neck is more trouble than it's worth.
Robert,
My fingers have got fatter over the years & now I make wider necks.
If the frets end at the binding, you can remove the first 4-5 frets & extend new frets out past the binding & make a new wider string spaced nut. I have done that on narrow necks with great success.
Maybe on your banjo or maybe not.
Tommy
Edited by - TLG on 03/21/2025 06:38:33
I temporarily widened one side of a fretboard by gluing on a strip of some sort of white poly [about 1/6" thick / same width as the binding]. It served it's purpose, but I don't expect it will get me into the Banjo H. of F. 
Edited by - Owen on 03/21/2025 06:46:12
I know there are people that widen plectrum necks to become 5 string necks. I'm assuming they add wood to the side where the 5th string peg will be. This does seem like a lot of work and the cost would probably be prohibitive.
I just noticed that there is an example of what I was talking about in the marketplace right now. A Kel Kroydon. There are always a few on Intermountain Guitar's banjo selection.
A neck can also be widened by removing the fingerboard and truss rod, then cutting the neck down the middle lengthwise and gluing in a wooden center strip of the desired width. A new nut, fingerboard and frets need to be installed. A new headstock overlay can be installed or the new center strip can be left exposed and be made to be part of headstock. The possibility exists of using the existing finish on the neck if done carefully.
I believe Nechville sells attachments that allow you to mount one of their necks on most banjos. Many feel they are the best playing necks out there.
Edited by - HighLonesomeF5 on 03/21/2025 08:48:18
you don't need to remove the fingerboard. If there is binding, pull the frets, remove the binding, and glue in wood strips. You may be still able to get rosewood binding at Stew Mac. When you re-install frets, make them full width and take it easy on the bevel. I did this with ebony strips on three banjos, and you could not see the demarcation line. This helps but it would be better to get a Gold Tone wide neck. I changed my banjos over to those necks, 1 and 5/16". Also tone is better because they have extra mass.
quote:
Originally posted by Pick-A-LickA neck can also be widened by removing the fingerboard and truss rod, then cutting the neck down the middle lengthwise and gluing in a wooden center strip of the desired width. A new nut, fingerboard and frets need to be installed. A new headstock overlay can be installed or the new center strip can be left exposed and be made to be part of headstock. The possibility exists of using the existing finish on the neck if done carefully.
That's a better option than what I used. If I had owned the tools I would have done it this way and saved myself a lot of headaches.
I have done the method like Pick-a-lick described but only on a less expensive neck just see what the results would be & if any problems might occur
Tommy
quote:
Originally posted by Bobbyb272I have a 70s Japanese Kasuga and fat fingers
The neck is 1.25” wide at the nut
Have to admit this surprises me. I had a Kasuga-made Aria bowtie in 1972 and it didn't have a 1-1/4-inch nut. Neither did either of the 70s Kasuga bowtie necks I acquired earlier in this century. They were narrower. But I don't know every model.
You've received some good suggestions on actually widening a neck. Splitting it probably being the best.
A new wider neck is maybe a better option. Gold Tone, as mentioned, sells a wider neck. But the only one for bluegrass banjos currently shown on their website is the Bela Fleck Bluegrass Heart neck (with or without logo) for $750 plus fitting to your pot.
Until then, one thing to try is making the most of the neck you have. If there's room to move the first and fourth strings more to the outside while still avoiding the likelihood of pulling them off the fingerboard when playing, you might be able to widen the overall string span and give yourself more space between strings. You could do this with a new nut or by filling and reslotting the current one. A bridge with Crowe spacing might give you more space up the neck.
Good luck.
quote:
Originally posted by Bobbyb272I have a 70s Japanese Kasuga and fat fingers
The neck is 1.25” wide at the nut
Finding a wider finger board would be a good start
Apparently making my fingers narrower is not an option
Robert,
A nut that is a true 1-1/4" (1.25") wide will support a string spacing at the nut of 1" from center to center of the low and high D strings. Measure your string spacing, if it is less than 1" have a new nut cut to 1" string spacing and use a bridge with the wider Crowe string spacing. If this is the case you will experience a noticeable difference when fretting the strings. I have seen 1.25" nuts with very narrow string spacing and widening the string spacing is an improvement every time.
Edited by - Pick-A-Lick on 03/23/2025 16:07:13
This video had a pretty novel solution.
youtu.be/u6UmDp5IHPw?si=LfqIotspNt9Eez8n
