Category: Banjos

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Banjos Banjos For Sale

Ogee – Short-Scale – Fretless – Nylon Strung – $2,800

Front view of Thumpy Ogee

Five string banjo, short-scale nylon strung fretless. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features an 12″ rim with a Fyberskin head. Very articulate for a fretless nylon strung banjo. Rim features a 45° bearing edge, no tone-ring.

Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

  • Maple neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Indian Laurel Fingerboard
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners
  • 12″ multi-ply maple rim – 3 & 3/16″ deep
  • 22.5″ scale length
Back view of Thumpy Ogee
Peghead view of Thumpy Ogee
Ogee detail view
Head and rim of Thumpy Ogee
Back of neck
Back of ogee detail view
Back of rim detail
Deep scoop detail view
Categories
Banjos

Fretless, Shoeless, Nylon Strung

Shoeless Ultra-Light Thumpy banjo

Shoeless Ultra-Light Banjo

Sometimes I get tired of the hardware on the banjo rim poking me. For years I pondered over how to build a banjo that I could play without being poked. The Shoeless Ultra-Light is what I came up with. Inspired by tackhead banjos, the Shoeless Ultra-Light has a non-adjustable, permanently fixed head. However, instead of using a head made from an animal hide, this banjo uses a synthetic renaissance head made by the Remo company. The head is pre-stretched before fixing to the rim. It’s very light weight and comfortable to play.

Technical Specs

  • Weighs about two pounds, eight ounces
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • Fretless
  • Nylon strung
  • 11″ multi-ply maple rim
  • Renaissance head
  • String through at the tail of the rim
  • Carbon fiber re-enforced (non-adjustable) walnut neck and stick
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners
  • Position markers on the fingerboard
  • Side-dot position markers
  • Scoop with thumb-scoop
Categories
Banjos Banjos For Sale

Custom Builds

If you’d like to get on the notification list for a Thumpy Banjo, use the contact form to get in touch. You’ll be contacted via e-mail as new Thumpy Banjos become available. If you’d like to order a banjo or discuss a custom build, please get in touch.

Thumpy Banjo Builds

Thumpy Banjos are available in variety of configurations including nylon-strung fretless gourd banjos to contemporary steel-strung instruments and a lot of things in between. Take a look at the Build Log to see what I’ve done and what may be possible for the build you have in mind.

Pictured below are two of the banjos I currently build the most commonly. Both are fretless, However, I do have a bunch of fretted banjos in the works.

Thumpy Banjo - Ogee model
Thumpy Ogee Banjo

The Ultra-light model is a lot like the one shown below. They are made to be light.

Thumpy Ultra-light Banjo
Thumpy Ultra-light Banjo

Both models are hand-crafted, so variations on the basic theme is the norm. Other variations, such as short-scale steel-strung fretted banjos and flush-fret banjos can be found among recent builds. Please browse the site to see recent explorations! Get in touch and let me know what strikes your fancy.

Categories
Banjos

Short-scale, Fretted, Nylon Strung, 12 inch

front view of banjo
Back of banjo
banjo neck
Banjo pot
back of banjo neck
Back of banjo rim
front view of banjo

Five string banjo, slightly short-scale, nylon strung, fretted. This banjo has position markers on the fingerboard and on the side of the neck. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features a 12″ rim with a renaissance head. Has hard tension nylon strings. Very articulate for a nylon strung banjo. Rim features a 45° bearing edge, no tone-ring. Includes new gig-bag.

Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

  • Fully fretted walnut neck with adjustable truss rod
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners with geared Gotoh fifth peg
  • 12″ multi-ply maple rim with bearing edge
  • 23 & 5/8″ scale length
  • Indian Laurel fingerboard
  • Brass & Nickel hardware
  • Strings through the rim at the tail
Categories
Banjos

Ogee with Cocobola

Front view of Thumpy Banjo #24
Back view of Thumpy Banjo #24
Peghead view
Fingerboard view
Rim view
Back of peghead
Back view of neck, behold the curly maple, Woot!
Back or rim view
Tail view

Five string banjo, short-scale nylon strung fretless. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features a 12″ rim with a renaissance head. Has extra hard tension nylon strings. Very articulate for a fretless nylon strung banjo. Rim features a bearing edge, no tone-ring. Includes new gig-bag. Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

  • Lightly flamed maple neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners
  • 12″ maple rim
  • 22.5″ scale length
  • Figured Cocobolo fingerboard
Categories
Banjos Banjos For Sale

Fretless, Steel Strung, 12 inch – $950

>>> Currently Available at Fretmill Music in Roanoke, Virginia <<<

Five string banjo, short-scale STEEL strung fretless. Has flush frets and fret markers to aid in way finding around the fingerboard. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. This particular Thumpy Banjo features a 12″ rim with a renaissance head. Rim features a bearing edge, no tone-ring.

Thumpy Banjo #23 front view
peghead and fingerboard detail
Upper fingerboard detail
scoop detail
rim detail
back
back peghead detail
heel detail
Rear rim detail
String through rim detail
  • Walnut neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Flush fret
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners
  • 12″ maple rim
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • Indian Laurel fingerboard
Categories
Banjos

Ultra-Light, Short-Scale, Flush-Fretted, Nylon-Strung

Thumpy Banjo #22 front view
back view
peghead and neck detail view
upper neck detail view
Scoop detail view
rim
tail
back of peghead detail view
neck heel
back of rim

Five string banjo, short-scale, nylon strung, fretless. This banjo has flush frets and mother of pearl position markers on the fingerboard. Also has dot markers on the side of the neck. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features an 11″ rim with a renaissance head. Has hard tension nylon strings. Very articulate for a fretless nylon strung banjo. Rim features a 45° bearing edge, no tone-ring. Includes new gig-bag.

Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

  • Weighs in at 3 pounds 9.1 ounces
  • Walnut neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners with geared Gotoh fifth peg
  • 11″ multi-ply maple rim with bearing edge
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • Indian Laurel fingerboard
  • Custom 5-hole bridge
  • Nickel hardware
  • Thumb scoop
  • Strings through the rim at the tail
  • DAAARK lightly relicked finish
Categories
Banjos Banjos For Sale

Ultra-Light, Short-Scale, Fretless, Nylon-Strung – $950

Front view of Thumpy #21
Back view of Thumpy #21
Peghead
fingerboard
scoop
inside rim

>>> Currently Available at Fretmill Music in Roanoke, Virginia <<<

Five string banjo, short-scale, nylon strung, fretless. This banjo has position markers on the fingerboard and on the side of the neck. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features an 11″ rim with a renaissance head. Has hard tension nylon strings. Very articulate for a fretless nylon strung banjo. Rim features a 45° bearing edge, no tone-ring. Includes new gig-bag.

Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

  • Weighs in at 3 pounds 10.8 ounces
  • Walnut neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners with geared Gotoh fifth peg
  • 11″ multi-ply maple rim with bearing edge
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • Indian Laurel fingerboard and peghead overlay
  • Nickel hardware
  • Thumb scoop
  • Strings through the rim at the tail
Categories
Banjos

Short-scale, Steel strung, fretted

Five-string, short-scale, fretted, steel-strung banjo. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G.

Hand-Crafted in Radford, Virginia.

Front of Thumpy #20
Back of Thumpy #20
Thumpy #20 peghead
5th fret to scoop
Scoop
Back of peghead
5th peg to rim
Back of rim
  • Walnut neck – Carbon fiber reinforced (non-adjustable)
  • Fretted fingerboard with Evo Gold Frets – Indian Laurel, 16″ radius, frailing scoop
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • 11″ Multi-ply Maple Rim – rolled brass tone ring
  • Gotoh tuners in nickel

Categories
Banjos

Short-scale, Flush fret, Nylon

Five string banjo, short-scale nylon strung fretless. Has very, very subtle fret markers to aid in way finding around the fingerboard. Fret markers may be tough to see in the photos. Great for clawhammer and finger-style parlor music. Plays well in common old-time tunings like A, C, D, and G. Will also go down further than G, plays well in F and B-flat. This particular Thumpy Banjo features a 12″ rim with a renaissance head. Has extra hard tension nylon strings. Very articulate for a fretless nylon strung banjo. Rim features a bearing edge, no tone-ring.

Thumpy Banjo #18 as seen from the front.
Detail photo of the neck showing flush fret markers
Close up detail view of the neck showing flush fret markers
Back view of Thumpy Banjo #18
Close up of nylon strings as they attach to the tail of the instrument
  • Walnut neck, non-adjustable carbon fiber reinforced
  • Gotoh 2-band tuners
  • 12″ maple rim
  • 22.25″ scale length
  • Indian Laurel fingerboard