I don’t usually have stock left handed banjos, but now I have this one. My policy is that custom built instruments can’t be returned, but if someone complains I will accept a return in order to avoid making an unhappy customer. I imagine that karma will sort things out in the long run, maybe.
This one is a clear case of “fool me twice, shame on me”. I hope I have learned something from the experience. A customer ordered a left handed banjo which I built in March of 2022, but when it was done he wouldn’t pay for it, as he said he had had an unexpected expense. I put that banjo up for sale and much to my surprise it was bought in less than a month. This spring he wrote apologetically and asked if I would build him another one if he sent the money in advance. I agreed, and built it, and when he got it he made several complaints about the quality and said he would need to either sell it or return it. This banjo is built to the same standard of quality as all of my banjos, which seems to satisfy about 95 to 98 percent of my customers, depending on the year. Last year I was in the middle of repairing a house and moving and was quite unhappy about having a left handed banjo on my hands, but this year I have room to store it till someone comes along who might want to buy it.
I was not able to make a video of this banjo because I am not able to play a tune on a left handed banjo. The banjo has a wood tone ring profile and is generally quite similar to the other 12″ cherry banjos I have made with that type of pot. The customer wanted mostly nickel hardware, and a Fiberskyn head. I can change these to brass hardware and a Renaissance head before shipping if desired, and there’s no extra charge either way. I have a 12″ cherry Romero style armrest on hand which I can add for $30 if it’s wanted. The fretboard dots are ebony instead of brass. There is a spike at the 7th fret, and I can add more if desired for $5 each, or if you are a non-spike person I can remove it and fill the hole so you’d not be able to see it had been there. The scale length is 25.5″, nut width is 1-3/8″, pot size is 12″ and the wood is cherry with walnut trim and a jatoba fretboard. I don’t have a case that will fit this banjo.
