Commissions
At the moment I am concentrating on building mountain and gourd banjos - traditional instruments forever made with hand-tools, perfectly suited to my current set-up.
Prices are a baseline for each style of instrument as described. If you’d like any amendments to yours please get in touch and we can work out a price. Any commissioned instrument can be build either right- or left-handed.
Commissioned instruments are made to order, and build times may vary – especially if I have to source specific materials or parts. I aim to complete the build within three months of the commission, but this might vary depending on style and availability of materials.
Mountain banjo, Proffitt / Hicks style - £600
This traditional style mountain banjo has wide front and back plates, with tension achieved by screwing down the front plate.
As standard I make these banjos fretless, with Leader planetary tuners, a calfskin head, and Aquila nylgut strings.
More examples and information are available in the gallery.
Mountain banjo, slimline style - £550
This is a design I’ve developed myself for a thinner, slightly more elegant profile. The front and back plates are flush with the middle ring, making for a smaller pot – without losing any skin diameter – and the skin is tensioned by screwing down the back plate.
As standard I make these banjos fretless, with Leader planetary tuners, a calfskin head, and Aquila nylgut strings.
More examples and information are available in the gallery.
Gourd banjo - £500
With a body fashioned from a dried gourd and calfskin tacked directly on, this style of banjo recreates some of the sound of the first banjos, while being a modern instrument.
As standard I make these banjos fretless, with Leader planetary tuners, a calfskin head, and Aquila nylgut strings.
More examples and information are available in the gallery.
Please note that gourds are seasonal and sourced from UK growers, so may not be immediately available.
Shruti box pedal - £80
Hardwood pedal (usually oak), with a cable and fixings to operate shruti box bellows.
I can make the fixings to fit any size or style of shruti box, and can either make the necessary adjustments to the box myself, or can supply the parts with instructions on how to do so.
More examples and information are available in the gallery.
Shruti box not included!