Banjo Camp

We will be vending our herd of banjos at Banjo Camp North in Groton ,Ma. May 14-16,2010; and at Midwest Banjo Camp in Olivet, Michigan June 4-6.2010. Come by and see us!

Banjo Building Course

Fall 2010 - exact date to be announced

Will is going to teach a banjo building course at Vermont Instruments, a lutherie school in Post Mills Vermont. For more information about the school and the course visit their web site at www.vermontinstruments.com

Students will design and build their own instruments from standard stock and hardware, not a kit. Necks and fretboards will be handmade of raw materials and fitted to tone ring and rim with simple tools, and then finished and properly set up for the best playability and intonation. The tuition of $3000 includes all materials, and living and cooking accommodations.

There will be opportunity for some individual expression. 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 11’ or 12” and the instrument can be maple or cherry.

Because of time constraints some parts will be roughed out ahead of time for the students to use. I will be building a banjo along with the class and will demonstrate or discuss the roughing out process of each part so the students will have a picture of the full process.

When students arrive they will receive rims that are turned, a squared up neck blank, and a dowelstick. The rims will need to be laid out, drilled for hardware, fit to a dowel stick, sanded and finished by the student.
We won't be bending our own rims but will discuss the process.

Students will complete a neck from a square block.

When the class is full we will send a questionnaire to all the students. Each student will choose a pot size, 11" or 12", and type of wood, maple or cherry. Other choices will be made on site.

Please contact Will or the school if you have any questions.

Longtime fans of Fielding Banjos, Sophie and Lydia Grosswendt happily wear their Rooster Ts.