Today Josie (I’m really not sure why she has that name) was strung up and played her first note.
Josie got her start about 6 weeks ago… cherry from nearby, purpleheart from South America. I chose cherry due to its reputation for warm, rich tone. This cherry wood is beautiful, and a joy to work with. Purpleheart is very hard and stiff like black locust, which I’ve been very pleased with for tone rings, *and* it’s strikingly beautiful. (And a bit of a bear to work with!)
12 identical cherry blocks ready for glue.
…glued and clamped to make one layer of the pot.
Fingerboard comes from a piece of purpleheart with a beautiful whirled figure, headstock and heel cap from a flat sawn, straight grained piece that displays an almost iridescent sheen.
Neck blank on the right is cherry, with a center laminate of purpleheart.
Turned around a time or two… I love the grain figure of the cherry.
Everything almost ready for assembly. Most of the hardware (exception: Japanese tuning machines) are made by craftsmen in the USA. 🙂
And it’s all together. Dowel stick comes from extra neck blank material… chery & purpleheart.
After a day or two and a few hours playing, Josie is settling into her new skin. Warm, focused, precise sound. String spacing is a couple mm wider at nut than my other banjos. And strung with light gauge strings (25″ scale tuned to A/D) it’s easy to spend all day playing.
(Video is in Double C with med gauge strings) 🙂
Welcome to the clan, Josie. You are in fine company!
I love you, Josie! And your maker…:)