House Banjos
All House Banjos are unique builds, chosen for their individual style and sound. Every House Banjo is featured in each song collection
Chuck Lee Lone Star Banjo
No.9
Made by internationally known and respected luthier, Chuck Lee. 11 x 3 inch submerged maple Tony Pass Lost Timbre pot, 11 inch renaissance head, integral maple tone ring, maple neck, ebony fretboard, Slim Jim moon maple/ebony bridge, light phosphor bronze strings. The banjo weight is 6.6 lb / 3 kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch.
The sound is like going somewhere on a sunny day and unexpectedly hearing a banjo being played, and realising how much you love the sound of a banjo….
A great gigging/performing banjo and a joy to play
Chuck Lee Chalk Mountain Tubaphone Banjo No.278
Made by internationally known and respected luthier, Chuck Lee. 12 x 3.5 inch submerged yellow birch Tony Pass Lost Timbre pot, 12 inch calf skin head, Tubaphone tone ring, black walnut neck, ebony fretboard, Slim Jim moon maple/ebony bridge, light phosphor bronze strings.
It has an original design Tubaphone bracket band, so there are no drill holes through the pot. The banjo weight is 9 lbs / 4.1 kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch
A sophisticated instrument with the most delicate and beautiful voice
Chuck Lee Ovilla Banjo No.25
Made by internationally known and respected luthier, Chuck Lee. 12 x 3.5 inch submerged yellow birch Tony Pass Lost Timbre pot, 12 inch goat skin head, integral submerged yellow birch tone ring, curly/flame maple neck, ebony fretboard, Slim Jim moon maple/ebony bridge, light phosphor bronze strings. The banjo weight is 6.1 lb / 2.8 kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch.
A very clear sounding voice, with brilliant note separation and plenty of volume. Easy on the ear and a great banjo to use when writing or composing - making it an excellent recording banjo
Haystack Banjos Goat Mountain Banjo
Made by innovative luthier Ray White, craftsman and lifetime professional lathe worker. 10.5 x 2.75 inch mahogany pot, 6.5 inch skin head, tube tone ring, mahogany neck, mahogany fretboard, Slim Jim moon mahogany/ebony bridge, light phosphor bronze strings. The scale length is 25.5 inch.
The banjo weight is 4.2 lb / 1.9 kg, substantially built with a heavy tube tone ring, turned and tuned by the maker. The result is an incredible depth of sound and a very mellow voice.
A superb recording banjo and brilliant with a street amp for busking and small venues.
Haystack Banjos Smokey Gourd Banjo
A typically innovative gourd banjo design made by luthier Ray White, craftsman and lifetime professional lathe worker. 9.5 x 5 inch gourd pot, 9.5 inch skin head, 8 inch brass tone ring, 9 vertical x 5 horizontal ‘pick and mix’ wood laminate neck, 5 vertical ‘pick and mix’ wood laminate fretboard, antique pine block bridge from an old bed and ground nylon strings. The scale length is 26.25 inch.
The banjo weight is 4 lb / 1.8 kg and uniquely for a gourd banjo, it has a brass tone ring turned and tuned by the maker.
A very pretty and beautiful sounding banjo.
Crawford Banjos Tackhead Banjo
A much underrated type of banjo, made by luthier Rob Crawford, who was visited and positively reviewed by Jim Pankey. 11 x 3 inch stained maple pot, 11 inch goat skin head, integral maple tone ring, maple neck, Wenge fretboard (a beautiful wood), aged maple/ebony bridge and ground nylon strings. The banjo weight is 2.9 lb / 1.3kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch.
A superb example of how to make a banjo: 1) make pot with 2 holes, 2) put one-piece neck/dowel stick through both holes in the pot 3) put wood wedge though dowel stick inside the pot at the neck end, 4) loop strip of wet calfskin through wooden tailpiece and hook it over the end of the one-piece neck/dowel stick as it come out the pot.
Genius…..
Bad River Banjos Deutsch Fretless Banjo No.5
Completely hand made by Paul Corrigan using only original 19th and early 20th century hand tools. Each Bad River Banjo takes approximately one year to make. The finest crafted banjo I have seen or played - and an absolute rarity. 11 x 2.6 inch black walnut pot, 11 inch goat skin head, ebony tone ring, black walnut neck, ebony fretboard, maple/ebony two foot minstrel bridge and ground nylon strings. The banjo weight is a heartily solid 5.2 lb / 2.4 kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch.
A very beautiful sounding banjo, which should be hung on a wall in a cabin somewhere and played with groups of friends at night by an open fire. A privilege to be able to play it.
Cub Fretless Mountain Banjo
7.5 x 2.25 inch oak pot, 4.5 inch skin head, integral oak tone ring, oak neck, oak fretboard, Slim Jim moon mahogany/ebony bridge, nylgut strings. The banjo weight is 3.1 lb / 1.4 kg and the scale length is 25.5 inch.
Everything great about local, handcrafted banjos. A fretless banjo with smooth fret neck markers that are wrong for the size of the pot - but the neck was made first and the maker then ran out of wood, and couldn’t make the right size pot.
Everything a fretless mountain banjo should be and sound like, amazing fun to play - a real gem.
Haystack Banjos
"The Devil's Own" Banjo
Made by innovative luthier Ray White, craftsman and lifetime professional lathe worker.
Truly unique, 2 years in the making, with the tone ring and hanger for the skin being built from an old ship’s porthole, salvaged from a wreck in 1967. Made from Ebony and Rengas, a relative of Poison Ivy, which is difficult to work with and can cause the same skin irritation as Poison Ivy long after it has seasoned. An 11 x 2.5 inch pot and 8 inch Jeff Menzies goat skin head with tufts of goat hair still in place. 26.25 inch scale length and 7.2 lb / 3.3kg in weight.
a traditional and authentic custom barn build…
The Devil’s Own Banjo
Haystack Banjos
Moonshine Bottle Gourd Banjo
Designed and built by innovative luthier Ray White, a steel stringed Bottle Gourd banjo with a tunnelled 5th string.
Beautiful to listen to whilst playing.
Bottle Gourd body with a 5.5 x 4 inch and a 3.5 x 3 calf skin head. 4 vertical x 6 horizontal ‘pick and mix’ wood laminate 26.25 scale length neck. Steel stringed with a maple/ebony bridge. 7.2 lb / 3.3kg in weight.