THUMPY BANJOS

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