THUMPY BANJOS

Walnut neck
25″ scale length
Flush fret
Katalox fingerbaord and peghead overlay
Abalone fingerboard inlay and side dot markers
Slotted peghead with Waverly tuning machines
Gotoh fifth peg tuner
11″ 10-ply thin maple rim with rib and hip comfort contours
18 tension hooks
No-knot tailpiece
Heavy gauge (11’s) steel strings
Renaissance head

22.5″ scale length
12″ rim
Rim is about 3″ deep including tone ring
Renascence head
Lightly flamed maple neck and stick
Indian Laurel fingerboard
Plain maple rim with Walnut rim cap
Plain rolled brass tone ring
Brass tension hoop
Nickel hooks, shoes, and nuts
Gotoh planetary tuners

• 22.5″ scale length

• Wide fingerboard – 1 & 3/8 inches at the nut
• 11″ rim
• Rim is about 3″ deep including tone ring
• Renascence head
• Lightly flamed maple neck and stick
• Blackwood Tek fingerboard
• Plain maple rim with Walnut rim cap
• Plain rolled brass tone ring
• Brass tension hoop, brass shoes
• Nickel hooks and nuts
• Gotoh planetary tuners
• No-knot tailpiece

This banjo has super heavy tension nylon strings that provide plenty of thump and snap in the short-scale format. Plays well in most standard old-time banjo tunings like A, C, D, and G. The short-scale makes for a very comfortable playing experience. 11″ rim also contributes to comfort. “Hoop on stick” construction opens up the low end for maximum thumpiness. The neck is hand carved from lightly flamed maple and features a Bocote fingerboard with brass overlay.

A few details:

• 22.5″ scale length

• Wide fingerboard – 1 & 3/8 inches at the nut
• 11″ rim
• Rim is about 3″ deep including tone ring
• Renascence head
• Lightly flamed maple neck and stick
• Bocote fingerboard
• Plain maple rim with Walnut rim cap
• Plain rolled brass tone ring
• Brass tension hoop, brass shoes
• Nickel hooks and nuts
• Gotoh planetary tuners
• No-knot tailpiece

A few words from the owner:

Bob, just wanted to thank for you for Thumpy #4. It very easily became my favorite banjo, despite my having a fretless and half fretless that I like as well. Of course it is a thing of beauty – the carved neck and the two toned pot are lovely, and that is one fast neck! But it solves a lot of clawhammer problems for me. The tension of the nylon strings helps a lot with getting the sound I want. I also really like the short scale. At my age holding a long neck can be cumbersome and cause shoulder ache, and while a strap helps this banjo doesn’t need one – it’s kind of a sportscar of banjos, with no sacrifice of sound. So I’m really happy with it. Make more!

David Johnson
Associate Professor Emeritus, retired
School of Performing Arts
Virginia Tech

Here are the details:

• nylon strung w/ hard tension strings – not floppy at all

• Katalox fingerboard

• carbon fiber reinforced walnut neck

• 12″ steam bent maple rim

• rim is about 2.75 inches deep (including tone ring)

• rolled brass tone ring

• renaissance head

• Pegheds geared tuning pegs (love, love, love, these pegs)

• no-knot tailpiece

• 22.5 inch scale length

• fretless

• custom “bing-less” bridge (bing-less, not bing-free)

• raw brass tension hoop and shoes

– nylon strung w/ hard tension strings – not floppy at all

– Katalox fingerboard

– steel reinforced walnut neck and stick

– 12″ 9-ply maple rim

– rim is 3″ deep (including tone ring)

– rolled brass tone ring

– renaissance head

– Waverly tuners

– Gotoh 5th peg

– steel loop tailpiece – strings just tie on

– 22″ scale length

– fretless

– slotted peghead

– 5th strings starts at 7th fret (less bingy)

– nickel hardware

• Slotted peghead
• Slotted and off-set fifth string
• Waverly tuners with black knobs
• Tusq nut and fifth string pip

• Walnut neck and stick
• Carbon fiber reinforced neck
• Katalox fingerboard

• Tear drop neck shape
• Big scoop
• 24 inch scale length
• 12 inch, 10-ply maple rim
• 24 tension hooks
• Rolled brass tonering

• Walnut neck and stick
• Katalox fingerboard
• 12 inch 10-ply maple rim
• Rim is almost 3 inches deep
• 24 tension hooks