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