This is a build I’ve been prototyping for a while. It’s an ultra-light with an inline peghead. I call this unique combination of elements the Thumpy Bantam Banjo. Purchase offers welcome. Here are the details…
12 inch multiply maple rim
22.25 inch scale length
Calf hide head – pre-stretched and weather sealed
Nyle-gut Red Strings
Deep scoop
Carbon fiber reinforced neck
Walnut neck and stick
Fretless fingerboard with abalone dots on the front face and small dots on the side
Inline tuning machines with special Bantam peghead
Weighs about 2.5 pounds according to my kitchen scale
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
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 from nylon-strung fretless gourd banjos to contemporary steel-strung fully fretted 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.
Light Weight Banjos
I make some banjos that are designed to be light weight, I describe some of my instruments as being ultra-light banjos, weighing less than four pounds. My lightest banjo build to date weighs in at 1 pound and 12.8 ounces, pictured below. Click on over to the Build Log to read more about this banjo.
A light weight banjo weighing in at 1 pound, 12.8 ounces
>>> 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.
>>> 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.