The World’s Most Beautiful Banjo — #150

The New Banjo

I promised an update when the new banjo arrived. Well, here it is.

These were the words I sent Pat upon inspecting it the day it arrived:

This truly is a breathtaking instrument and true joy to play and hear. I know it has tunes hidden inside of it, and I can’t wait to discover them.

Here are the specs:

1. The pot: The Gothic™ pot has a tone ring made of Bilinga, one of Pat’s favorite tone woods. Below the tone ring is a layer of very highly figured Bubinga, a very thin ring of Wenge, then another ring of highly figured Bubinga. The bottom of the pot is trimmed with a layer of Palo Duro. The pot is stunningly beautiful. It carries 16 hooks and Doc’s handmade solid brass Oxbow” Armrest (this is not a standard wire armrest). It also features Doc’s Frailer’s Tension Hoop with built-in tailpiece and aged brass hardware.

 2. The neck: This neck features 11 pieces of wood in a complex and beautiful example of our joinery. The heel is matched, layer-by-layer to the pot. The primary wood of the neck is the same highly figured Bubinga found in the pot. The centerline woods are 2 strips of Bilinga with a midline strip of Wenge. Our low profile scalloped fretboard is made from Cameroon Ebony with inlaid bronze bar frets and a layer of Bilinga beneath. The peghead is matching Cameroon Ebony with an underlayment of Bilinga. The neck includes our hand sculpted 5th string zone, Doc’s Frailing Platform™, and Pat’s unique Tunneled 5th String which places all five tuners on our striking slotted peghead. .

The distinguishing features of the slotted peghead include 3 vintage style Waverly tuners (made in Montana) on the left, 2 on the right. This design, along with the 5th string tunnel and scalloped frets, give this banjo a look like no other. Pat’s tunneled 5th string neck design features a hand sculpted swell at the 5th string nut that allows for proper 5th string spacing up the neck while improving the natural feel and playing comfort as there is no 5th string tuner or tuner block obstructing movement as on most banjos.

 3. Other specifications:

• Scale Length: 24 inch
• Frets: Handmade bronze bar frets, Scalloped fretboard,13 frets on the left, 15 on the right
• Tuners: Waverly Slotted Head Tuners with Relic Finish
• Nut: Bone
• Width of neck at nut: 1 5/16″
• String height “above” 1st fret: 0.040
• String height “above” 12th fret: 3/16″
• Bridge: 7/8″ Bubinga Cathedral Bridge™
• Head: Skin, Custom dyed
• Strings: Nylgut Minstrel
• Armrest: Doc’s Oxbow™ Armrest
• Tailpiece: Doc’s Built-In Tailpiece™
• Tension Hoop: Doc’s Frailer’s Tension Hoop™