A Prototyping Photo Essay

I am working on a new instrument, a banjo with a wooden top and back. Sort of like a guitar, or a uke, or something…. I am not the first maker to do this, with the vintage Paramount tenor harp coming to mind first and the beautiful Victor banjolas made in Colorado out there as well. It reminds me of the Scout ukulele we make, but at banjo size. Maybe we will call this the Scout banjo?

This one has a spruce top with maple back, rim and neck. The fretboard and headplate are pistachio and the binding is koa. Today’s issue is deciding on what to use for the tailpiece. I think I am going to do a floating bridge, like a banjo or my tenor guitars. That means I need a tailpiece; let us look at our options.

First up is the mandolin tailpiece that I bought when LMII was going out of business. It looks too big for the body and I find the cover to be hard to use. Nope, get in the bin. Not using this.

Up next is the Stew Mac golden age mandolin tailpiece. The “vintage” brass and better cover make it a winner over the last one, but it still looks too big.