Banjo Construction

	Tone Rings A lot of attention is paid to the tone ring. It is probably the single most important component of the banjo. I use bell bronze of the highest quality. It comes as a tube which is done by continuous casting. It is a flawless material with no voids or inclusions and is perfect for machining. It is proof turned and parted off into rings ready for a lathe. I turn them myself into the finished tone ring. The quality of the material and the design of the tone ring gives maximum resonance and tonal quality.
	Wooden Rims Having tried different types of wood I came to the conclusion that well seasoned sycamore gave the best results for the rims. It is made of 18 blocks glued together and turned into the finished rim. It is lightly fitted to the tone ring and doesn't restrict the vibration. It has proven to be very successful.
	Full Flange The flange is made of high quality mazac (zinc based alloy). The mould for the flange was designed and made in my workshop. It is cast by Kilmainham Art Foundry and finished and machined by myself. The flanges are unique to my own banjos, with the exception of a limited number supplied to Clareen Banjos for their Setanta model.
	Stretcher Band Stretcher band made of brass. They are all made in the workshop. They are either notched or grooved to suit round or flat hooks and are usually scalloped between notches.
	Heads Usually smooth, white, black or transparent supplied by Clareen Banjos
	Hooks & Nuts Either round or flat - supplied by Clareen Banjos and made in Ireland
	Necks I have to contradict what I said earlier and say that the neck is just as important as the tone ring. Without a good neck and good fingerboard and fretting, you can't have a good banjo. The neck is made of maple, sycamore, walnut or mahogany. It is sawed from a two inch plank into a rough shape and left to settle for at least a year. The neck is machined and slotted to take a double acting truss rod and a 8mm square stainless steel bar for added stability. The finger board is glued on and again left to settle. Neck is usually slimline.
	Fingerboard Ebony or rosewood, fret slots cut on a indexing saw, accurate to +/- 0.025mm
	Inlay Mother of pearl or abalone 1½mm thick from simple dots or diamonds to more intricate designs
	Peg Head DB design inlay. Peg head shape designed by Eamon Coyne.
	Machine Heads Top Quality
	Tail Piece Choice of simple or tensionator.
	Arm Rest Choice of plain or engraved

© Dave Boyle 2011