Ballard Banjers - What's he building in there?

Ballard Banjers

Banjo #215

2/24/2025

Fresh from the workshop and available to purchase, banjo #215.

11" Black Walnut block rim
Rolled brass tone ring
Fibreskyn head
Black Walnut neck with Maple pinstripes
25.5" Ziricote fingerboard, peghead overlay and heel cap

Full specs on 'Banjos in stock' page

I'll be working on a couple of fretless commissions next and hoping to squeeze in a couple of 'stock' fretless banjos too!

Maple Fretless

1/31/2025

The latest fretless commission:
11" Maple rim
Sonokling tone ring
Walnut rim cap
Maple neck
Ebony fingerboard and peghead overlay
Goat skin head
Geared tuners
Nylgut 'Minstrel' strings

The 1st Banjo of 2025!

1/9/2025

Just finished the first banjo of 2025, a nice start to the year.

12" Walnut rim
Indian Rosewood tone ring
Renaissance head
25.5" scale
Lignum Vitae bridge

Electric Box Banjo

12/6/2024

Just finished this fun little 'Box Banjo'! As it turned out so nice, I'll be making some more next year and offering them as an alternative 'standard' model.
Primarily built to be amplified, it doesn't sound too bad unplugged.

Brazilian Mahogany box with tin top
Brazilian Mahogany neck
24.75" scale Pau Ferro fingerboard
Humbucker pick up

Banjos #210 & #211

11/15/2024

Just finished these two beasts, very different in tone, but equally great!
Number 211 was a commission, however, 210 is available to buy, full details will be on the 'in stock' page shortly.

Banjo #210
11" Black Walnut rim
Silver Belle tone ring
Goat skin head
Ebony rim cap
Buckeye tailpiece
25.5" scale Ziricote fingerboard
Medium gauge D'Addario strings

Banjo #211
12" Boire block rim
Little Wonder tone ring
Renaissance head
Palm wood rim cap
Rickard tail piece
Boire neck
25" scale Ebont fingerboard
Light gauge D'Addario strings

Walnut Mountain Banjo

10/27/2024

The latest mountain banjo!

10" Walnut pot
8" goat skin head
Maple tone ring
Walnut neck
Ebony fingerboard
Geared tuners
Nylgut 'Minstrel' strings

6-String Banjo-Guitar (Guitjo, Banjitar)

10/4/2024

Just finished this 6-string banjo-guitar, the first one of these that I've made.
The customer gave me free reigns to build it how I thought best, so I went for a 12" Cherry pot and brass rod tone ring, to give it a rich, deep tone, with plenty of clarity and volume. I'm not much of a guitar player, but it turned out pretty sweet!

12" bent Cherry rim
Brass round rod tone ring
Renaissance head
Cherry neck
14" Radiused Ebony fingerboard

Day of the Dead banjo #207

9/20/2024

Finally finished this cool little banjo earlier this week, ready to ship over to the U.S. very soon!

11" Walnut block rim with integral tone ring
Goat skin head
Walnut neck
25.5" scale Ebony fingerboard
Medium gauge D'Addario strings

Two Fretless Banjos

7/3/2024

Check out the latest fretless banjos, the top one was a commission, but the bottom one is available.

11" Maple rim, flamed outer layer
Goat skin head
Maple neck
Ebony fingerboard
Rickard 'Cyclone' tuners
Heavy gauge nylon strings

12" Multi Birch Ply rim, sprayed black
Ash neck
Ebony friction tuners
Vintage hooks and shoes
Goat skin head
Heavy gauge nylon strings

Ash/Mahogany Fretless

5/31/2024

The latest fretless commission turned out pretty sweet!

12" European Ash, lightly figured 3-ply rim
Brazilian Mahogany rim cap
Calf skin head
Brazilian Mahogany neck
Pau Ferro fingerboard and peghead overlay
'Ballard' Sycamore bridge
Gotoh tuners
Aquila Nylgut 'Minstrel' strings