I am so excited to show you how our lovely banjo came out. My banjo’s name is Ho’okini and she was created with mahogany wood, has a curly maple tone ring, and an African black wood fingerboard with mother of pearl inlays. The headstock is ebony wood, and she has a salt-processed goat skin head from JD Balch down in Tennessee.
You will see that the crown is made of raw brass, while the other metals on her are nickel. It is funny—we actually ordered nickel hoops and the day before they arrived, I had a peaceful dream where I was given a brass crown (but like one for your head). I showed up to Joe Mendel’s the next day to find that they had sent us brass crowns for the banjo! So, I kept the brass!
The truss rod cover is a hand drawn and shaped flame. The nut is made of bone. And she has Japanese guitar tuners, also!
If you look closely, you will see that the top two guitar tuners are slightly smaller than the bottom two, just as the top curve of the headstock has slightly smaller “hips” than the bottom part. You will also notice that this theme carries over to the fretboard as the stars in the 12th fret are larger than the surrounding smaller stars. Inside, there is carbon fiber and a truss rod.
I would just like to say thank you all so much for the grant and for being so kind and encouraging along my journey! Joe Mendel of Joe Mendel Guitars is a heck of a luthier, human being, and teacher. I’d highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a quality instrument. He’s very attentive to detail and patient.
I’ve learned so much over this past six months since beginning my journey and would like to continue my education as a ceremonial banjo luthier.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the photos and video. Have a beautiful day!
PS: Some of the earlier photos have a Mylar head on the banjo because we were having difficulties with the goat head at first. But JD Balch helped up figure out how to re-stretch it, so that will now be the head that is used! With it, she finally feels complete.
–Miranda Dozier
RETURN to the January 2025 issue of The Cornerstone.
Recent Comments