Banjo Building
Instructor: Will Fielding
- Tuition:
- $2,600 - includes all materials
- Deposit:
- $500
Workshop Description: (2 Weeks - 4 Students)
In this course students will build their own instruments from standard stock and hardware, not a kit. This is a hands-on class that relies on basic hand tools, small scale power tools, and a few simple jigs. All the wooden parts of the banjos will be handmade from raw materials. The instruments will be hand finished, assembled, and then set up for the best playability and sound.
When the course is completed each student will go home with a hand made banjo that will be beautiful, easy to play, and sound great. They will also gain a clear understanding of how and why all the parts fit together to make a whole banjo, and they will acquire enough knowledge to build another if he or she desires to do so.
There will be opportunities for some individual expression as well. Students will design a peghead shape, decide on overlay material, and also do some simple pearl inlay on the peghead or fingerboard. Pots can be either 11" or 12” diameter.
Because of time constraints some parts will be roughed out for the student prior to the start of the course. The instructor will build a banjo along with the class and will demonstrate or discuss the roughing out process of each part so the students will have a full understanding of the complete process.
When students arrive they will receive rims that are turned, a dowelstick, and a set of hardware. The rims will need to be laid out, drilled for hardware, fit to the dowel stick, then sanded and finished by the student. We won't be bending our own rims but we will discuss the process. The neck will be fashioned starting from a squared up neck blank. The student will fabricate and finish the neck assembly, fit the neck to the rim, and complete the set-up process.
Click here for a list of the materials supplied for this course
You are welcome to contact Will directly if you have any questions.
Phone: (802) 464-3260
Email:
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Web: fieldingbanjos.com