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At the Cricket Fiddle Instrument Company
Madelia, MN...

Banjolin's!!!   

  OK...Technically it should be called a Banjo-Mandolin for you "purists" out there. For now..."Banjolin" it is.
After a couple years of my friend Krista buggin me to make one...I finally got around to it. Glad I did, too 'cause these are really cool little things to have around!

The one pictured here is made of stained Maple. The head is actually a 10 inch drum head. It has a layer of oil imbedded between 2 layers of clear Mylar so that when it catches the light just right you can see a psychedelic rainbow Butterfly pattern around the bridge!!!
It's a really beautiful sight and everyone agrees it surely must contribute to the sound... which is bright, loud, sweet and mellow all thrown in together.
(Its NOT really strung with Barbed Wire even tho the pixilation in the photo makes it look like it)
Currently 2 available: $850. (Case included)

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2005 was the Summer of Banjos! I made a bunch and currently the only one left is the fretless Minstrel Banjo down below.

 The Banjos I make are pre-Civil War era "Minstrel Style." These are made from rare highly figured "Quilted Walnut." (Sorry about the blurry pics. I'm working on getting much better images up soon)

The Peg Head is based on the old scroll design common in Banjos before the Civil War. The pegs are "5-Star" brand tuning pegs. The Banjo Head is made of Fyber Skin...A plastic that is made to look and sound like animal hide but is much more durable and not affected by changes in the weather. 

There is a non adjustable steel rod running through the length of the neck. The round part of the Banjo...the Hoop or "Pot" is designed after the old Harmony Banjos that were made in the 1950's. Everyone had a Harmony...right?  Well...I did.  Prices for these start at $800.

Here is a Fretless Banjo. Banjos didn't have frets until after the Civil War. (I read that somewhere on the internet. Must be true.) All the same as above but without frets. If you are a Civil War re-enactor you will be needing one of these. Price for these start at  $750.   This Fretless Banjo was available and for sale at Groth Music, Bloomington, Minn. but it was just recently SOLD! (Sorry for the blurry pics. I got a new digi-cam and will post much better photos in the near future.)  

The Banjo down below is the best one I ever made many years ago. This is the more classical banjo design from the turn of the century. It's got "5-Star" Gold Plated tuners and a mylar head. (It looks pink in the photos...but is actually a nice dark Walnut Brown color.) Price on this one is $850. SOLD!!! ...to Phillip Jay of the Milky Way! (Thanks Man :)

The Banjo down below is made out of a tropical hardwood called Purple Heart. (It is the second hardest wood in the world) Comes from the coast of Venezuela and French Guiana and is apparently locally very common...though not widespread. It is the one and only one I'll ever make out of this wood. Purple Heart is not only the color of Sioux Quartzite but seems just as hard!!!    

 Katy Young from St. Peter, Minn. is now the proud owner of this one of a kind Banjo!  

                                                                                --- Turn of the Century Catalog Banjo ---       This is a page from a 1912 Montgomery Wards catalog.   (The Banjo down below is listed as an L-489 for $7.50)                                Here's one from about a hundred years ago. This old thing belonged to a neighbor back in Luverne. It sat on a shelf for years gathering dust. I finally dug it out, put on a new head (the original was hide) painted and shined it up. The tuners are cheap but they hold the tension pretty good.  This thing was never, ever gonna be in "mint" condition again so I kind of went nuts and gave it an extreme makeover. It plays nice, has good sound and will make a nice addition to any   Banjo collector.  $350  (No Case) Still available!!!