Handmade Deep rim 12 string banjo

Handmade With Pride

All my banjos are handmade at my workshop in rural Shropshire.
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Every part of the process from start to finish is done in house by me, from the selecting and seasoning of the wood, building and shaping of the rim and neck, through to the setting up of the finished banjo.

With two decades of experience as a player and and fourteen as a professional luthier specialising in restoration work and custom builds, I have worked on hundreds of vintage banjos, always studying and measuring instruments that struck a chord with me.

Banjo headstock with engraved mother of pearl song thrush
Playing 5 string banjo in the garden

I build these instruments to have great tone and playability, they are built by one pair of hands, from plank of wood to finished instrument and are as well made and designed as anything you can find in the US or anywhere else.

Unlike most things in this age of planned obsolescence and throwaway culture, these instruments will, with a bit of care and love, last a lifetime or two.

Lisa O'Neill on Jools Holland

Lisa O Neill playing a Howson banjo
Rated 4.9/5.0 by happy customers

Banjos handmade in the UK

Heirloom quality instruments hand crafted for the finest in tone and playability

5 String Banjos
Tenor Banjo
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Handmade Banjos

All my banjos are handmade at my workshop in rural Shropshire, every part of the process from start to finish is done in house by me, from the selecting and seasoning of the wood, the building and shaping of rim and neck through to the setting up of the finished banjo, much of the hardware I use is also produced here in the workshop.

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Making instruments that I'm proud of.

Drawing on 13 years of working professionally on banjos, from studying and measuring old instruments during restoration work to custom builds.

My aim is to build instruments with great tone and playability, that are as well made and thought out as anything that you can find in the states or anywhere else, and that unlike most things in this age of planned obsolescence and throw away culture, will, with a bit of care and love last a lifetime, or two.

5 String Banjos
Tenor Banjo