My First Banjo
A maritime-themed commemorative open-back

This project began from a desire to have a banjo that someone else had and an inability to justify buying another instrument. Having made mandolins for a number of years, I decided that it shouldn't be too difficult to make the banjo of my dreams, and this is the result: a 12" black-stained open-back banjo, with a 1/2" thick and 3" deep pot, fitted with an integral paduak wood tone ring. At 25 3/4" the scale is slightly shorter than a standard banjo, and as a result the bridge is closer to the centre of the head, which brings out a fuller bass response.

The inlays, which are original designs, commemorate my acceptance into the ethnomusicology program at Memorial University, Newfoundland, where I will be commencing PhD studies this fall. I have nicknamed this banjo "The Abyss," partly because of the inlays and its black finish, but also because going back to school and moving from coast-to-coast at this point in my life feels a bit like jumping into the ocean with lead boots.

The mermaid and the octopus are cut from a combination of figured mother of pearl and abalone shell. Except for roughly half of the bubbles, the rest of the inlays are figured mother of pearl. It is finished with a simple French-polish, and sounds exactly how I imagined it would.

GB