It seems that my post about a banjo originally owned by Uncle Dave Macon has about run its course -- I think after one more day, it gets Archived. It got nearly 3800 looks, so that was a quite respectably good run.
In the last post I made, there, I showed one view of an "S.S. Stewart Universal Favorite," SN #225 -- actually a 1920s Slingerland product, that Homer Ledford converted for me, from a tenor to a 5-string. This was in about 1965, when he was just beginning to transition from mountain dulcimers to banjos as his primary product. From his home (basement) workshop in Winchester, KY he eventually made just over a thousand banjos, many of which are the simplest sort of fretless -- but some are very fancy (and loud) instruments, designed specifically for bluegrass players. Over the years, this forum has had a few posts about them, and most of their owners remain well satisfied.
Late in his career (and life), Homer was among the luthiers featured in the gallery guide for a well-done (but poorly attended) 1994 exhibition in Chattanooga of the work of many of the best southern makers of guitars, mandolins and banjos. I'll try to post its entry about Homer, here; but I believe eight or more of the featured luthiers made at least some banjos, and a few specialized in them. The full catalogue still may be viewed without cost, here: tnfolklife.org/resources/archi...atalogue/
If I can still remember how to do it, I'll paste in the Homer Ledford page from my paper copy of that catalogue.
I moved to Kentucky, about 12 miles from Winchester, near the end of Homer Ledford's life, but I regret that I never met him. I know countless people who knew him well, and stories abound. I recently rescued one of his mountain dulcimers from being trashed, and repaired it. It is from the early '70s.
A friend who worked as an apprentice to Homer says that his motto was; 'a dulcimer a day'. He was a prolific builder!
Edited by - sunburst on 04/24/2025 20:59:34
I had said in the OP "eight or more" of the listed southern luthiers (with biographical sketches in "Dixie Frets," 1994) had made banjos. Since I have the paper version, I skimmed through it; actually fourteen of them were (and some may still be) banjo makers, in most cases along with other fretted instruments. There are no page numbers, but the luthiers appear in alphabetical order. Here is the complete list, with an asterisk beside the name of those reported to have made banjos professionally. This list should make the catalogue visible, if anybody searches the Hangout archives for info on a banjo by one of these guys. (Yes, all of them are male.)
Newest Posts
