Past Projects
Lemon L3-00C - May 13, 2022
This banjo was ordered by Nicolas L. of Butler, Pennsylvania, looking for a near-clone of a 30's Gibson RB-00, and that is what he received with this L3-00C. This banjo is built with a sunburst maple neck and resonator, unbound rosewood fretboard, 00-style headstock, and per Nic's request, diamonds and squares inlays on the fretboard rather than dots. Just like the original 00's, the L3-00 comes with a 5/8" rim rather than 3/4", and it sports a 00-style wooden tone ring.
Soft Maple Block Rim Blank - May 9, 2022
This rim was built and turned for a customer who wasn't for sure of what they wanted yet, so they requested it to be turned oversized so that they could finish turning it themselves when they decided for sure.
Lemon 75 Custom - April 8, 2022
This project was also a first for me, as it was the first Lemon 75 Custom! This 75 Custom was built using the customer's old hardware. It is somewhere between the Lemon L3-3 and L3-G, as it sports a deep red-stained curly maple neck and resonator, double-cut headstock, leaves and bows inlays, ebony fretboard, and a torrefied hard maple block rim cut for the LR-54 Integrated Wooden Tone Ring.
Osage Orange Block Rim - February 25, 2022
This project was a bit of an oddball for me, as I do not typically offer Osage Orange as an option for rims. However, my most frequently returning customer, Logan P., requested it and I wasn't extremely busy at the time. This rim is cut for a tube and plate flange, flathead tone ring, and drilled for coordinator rods.
Hard Maple Block Rim - February 22, 2022
This rim was more of an experiment than anything else. But as it turned out, it was just fine and perfectly suitable to sell. This was a test run for building my first rim fitted to a tube and plate flange. It is also cut for an archtop integrated wooden tone ring. It was bought by a fellow in Champaign, Illinois.
Torrefied Yellow Birch Block Rim - January 4, 2022
Richard M. from Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, ordered this rim in late 2021 and the project was completed on January 4, 2022. This rim was constructed using torrefied yellow birch, cut for a one piece flange, fitted with an LR-54 Integrated Wooden Tone Ring, and drilled for coordinator rods.
Hard Maple Block Rim Blank - November 26, 2021
This rim was built and turned oversized for a customer who wanted to turn his own rim and fit it for his own hardware.
Torrefied Hard Maple Block Rim - August 12, 2021
This rim was made for a restoration project. The customer, Logan P., had a 1968 RB-100 that had been heavily molested. When it came into his possession, it sported a Yates Red Maple Rim and a Mitch .38 Special Flathead Tone Ring. Logan wanted it restored to as close to original as I could. Therefore, I outfitted it with a torrefied hard maple block rim and 1/4" brass hoop, essentially restoring it's original configuration.
Two Hard Maple Block Rims - June 17, 2021
These two rims went out to Chip H. in Denton, KY. He needed them fit for two of his flanges and cut for LR-54 Integrated Wooden Tone Rings. He plans to build two banjos around these rims.
RB-100 Reproduction Neck - March 11, 2021
My first reproduction job! This neck was commission to me by Jim H. from Athens, AL for a 1965 Gibson RB-100. The finish was colormatched to my 1959 RB-100.
Hard Maple Block Rim - January 13, 2021
This rim was built for a fellow who was building a whole new banjo. He was going with the a flathead-type brass hoop for the tone ring.
Hard Maple Block Rim - December 31, 2020
This rim went out to Dana W. from Manhattan Beach, CA. Dana had a Sullivan banjo, and he was looking to shed some of the weight. Therefore, he opted to have me build him a hard maple block rim using my LR-54 Integrated Woodie.
Lemon L5-250C - December 26, 2020
My second banjo build! This banjo was built for a very good friend of mine, Tyler M. Tyler requested a copy of a 1954 Gibson RB-250, but with a Style 3 finish and my LR-54 Integrated Woodie rather than a metal tone ring. It was constructed with a mahogany neck and resonator and hard maple rim.
Hard Maple Block Rim - August 2, 2020
This rim was built for a conversion project. A good buddy of mine, Logan Phares requested that I convert his Flinthill FHB280A to a brass hoop type banjo from the original archtop tone ring. I built a new hard maple block rim for Logan's banjo and cut it down for a 1/8" brass hoop.
Red Maple Block Rim - July 8, 2020
This is only the second rim I built. I was bored and built it for the sake of having something to do. I then put it up for sale. A very nice fellow from Greensville, PA purchased this rim from me and, to my knowledge, it is still in his possession. It was fitted for a one piece flange, short skirt flathead tone ring, and drilled for coordinator rods.
Lemon 1 - May 30, 2020
This banjo was the first one I completed. It was built using a maple-walnut-maple neck, maple resonator, and maple block rim with the LR-54 Integrated Woodie Tone Ring.