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.