"Save The Banjos" is dedicated to finding old, beat-up banjos and returning them to playable condition. I get most of my banjos and parts from eBay, auctions, and estate sales here in York County, Pennsylvania. It is remarkable how many old banjos are discovered in attics, basements, chicken coops, and other obscure places almost every day. Mostly, they are "low end" instruments. The "low-enders" were manufactured and sold in the largest numbers and therefore surface more frequently than the expensive models in any particular manufacturer's line.
I don't produce museum quality collectors' instruments.
Very few people could afford them.
I take an old banjo, disassemble and clean it, repair any damage, replace
the missing parts as necessary (either with period spare parts or new reproductions
as available), set it up for maximum playability, and get it back into circulation
at a reasonable price. After all,
banjos are made to be played, not hung on a wall.
I usually have a number
of projects going, some of which are featured here. In the future, I will
be adding pictures of banjos from various sources, scans from old catalogs,
and anything about banjos and the playing thereof that I see fit. Mostly, you will see 5-string banjos because
that is what I have played for many years.
If you don’t know the names
of the different parts of a banjo, go here: FRETS.COM
Be
sure to read my article in the Fall Old Time Herald
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I don't have a store or shop. Don't ask to come to my home. UPS and USPS come here; use them. I will meet you at a local business in necessary.
Due to the number of people e-mailing for free information and advice, I can no longer afford the time to answer every one. Please try to do your own research before writing. I do NOT do appraisals, so don't ask me how much your banjo is worth. Thanks for your consideration. |
1867 H.C. Dobson Banjo New April 2012


A rare example of an early archtop banjo. SEE IT HERE (warning: LONG!)
The first two parts of this article were posted on Banjo Hangout in the Banjo Building Setup and Repair forum on October 18th and 22nd, 2010. I'll put them here as time permits.

This is one of the oldest instrument that I've ever worked on. It is interesting to me to follow the evolution of banjo making from the one-of-a-kind instrument made in the home shop to cottage industry to mass production in the factory.
New Banjo Knowledge Article: Casting Brackets
(new August 2010)
Completed Projects:
Regal 5-String Conversion (NEW August 2010)
Lange-GoldTone Conversion

Weymann Style 50 Conversion

Lyon & Healy Banjeaurine

Sears & Roebuck Supertone Model 402






Part 1
Repairs Needed Part 1
Part 2
Finished Part 2


Deering Goodtime Modifications GO

Banjo Knowledge
Part 1: What is an "A Scale" Banjo?? FIND OUT
Part 2: What are Planetary Tuners & How Do They Work??
Saga OK-2 openback banjo kit review: Go

...and I just built another one for fun: Go There
How To Remove A Dowel
Stick NEW
The long-awaited, frequently requested article!
Dowel Stick Joint Failure NEW August 2010
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How to mess up a re-set
How to mount a skin head
Around my house:

Clearly, we are people of refinement and sophistication.
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That’s all for now (April 2012).
If you have a really beat-up old banjo and want work done on it, contact me at Timmo_1949@comcast.net