Ericas first banjo building
As you can see,I've learned from Kathy Lee Gifford,how to cut down on working so many hours!
We will start with the neck,a little 17 fret Slingerland, and it needs frets,so...lets git to it!
That haze,is the ghosts of My Granpa, and Chas and Elmer Stromberg, so she has plenty of help!
 

The face of "True Concentration"

And a drop or two of Cyano!

Rootbeer has already had enuf of such nonsense!
Now..even his playmate is workin.

And thats him.curled up for his nap!
He loves bein covered up

And I am "Supervising"

And gettin some play time!

Got too hot!

Leveling the board

WHAT!!

Pickin a rim out

Something I NEVER do.
Draw a portrait of it afterwards!

Nor do I find a "Place of honor' for them!
Strange techniques.

Refretting
Well she wants to saw those slots,but "Master" will not allow it!

And she wants to trim the wire but she isn't quite strong enough.

But she can use the fret press!

Now a little glue in the fretslots

She is tryin to unscrew the shoes on a Vega Lil Wonder,While acting like shes gonna spray paint on the neck!
Tryin to speed up production! LOL

Knockin out a few belligerent shoe screws.

Another good night's work!

Pickin out buttons

Well, it was gonna be a REMO.............

But since Tyler went to the "skin" on the Vox.......the rest is history!

Even though it's a little wierd lookin!!!!

Now, for a dowelstick

Add a little color

She's already thinkin "EBAY" !!!!!

Now,we gotta have a resonator!
She's gone thru the bonepile,and found an old resonator and flange,that we will make fit.
But first,a little work must be done,to get the finish to match,so she's sanding,and tellin me "My Hands Asleep!"

A light coat of natural stain,to highlite the birdseyes

How many more coats, Dad?

With some "esteemed" company!

Cut to the "Chase!"
Well,we have forgone the final assembly pics,since i'm swamped with work, but here she is!

She is in a "Real" hurry, to get this on EBAY,because it is her summer project, to earn money.
Won't someone help this poor Lil' banjo maiden out????

Sold!
Well, after we put the banjo on Ebay, we were delighted, to have a very fine gentleman, whose name is Shuji, purchase the banjo from us.
Shuji is in Tokyo Japan,and is a collector, and player of fine banjos.
It was a pleasure to get to talk with him, about banjos,and banjo related subjects.
He was very pleased with Erica's ability, and will display this banjo, with pictures of Erica performing the work, as an inspirational display, for other children to admire.
It is very important that we teach our youth about the banjo, and we should always try to help them to understand that all forms of music are important to our society.
I am very proud of her, and her accomplishments.

Shuji,
We cannot thank you enough, for being a part of this wonderful experience, and i hope that you will always feel welcome, as a true friend, here at "Banjohaven" USA!
And thanks to all who have written us, expressing their enjoyment of this,and all of our efforts, to keep the banjo ALIVE!
 

Write to me at:

vintagebanjo@aol.com