God Is in the Details

This chapter explores designing and building a banjo for the old-time musical community. It is not a how-to guide, but is rather an extended discussion of the various processes involved, ranging from the choice of materials to the basic design parameters that are dictated by this style of music and its adherents. The chapter is focused on a single builder (Will Fielding), whose banjo building course the author observed and documented. Yet it also features input from myriad other contemporary builders (Kevin Enoch, Bob Flesher, Noel Booth, Greg Galbreath, Wayne Sagmoen, Brooks Masten, Pete Ross, Bart Reiter, Jason and Pharis Romero, Chuck Waldman), whose contributions demonstrate both general agreement with Fielding and occasionally divergent opinions about specific materials or techniques. The result is a rich overview of the current banjo making community, its continuous grounding in past building practices, and its contributions to the old-time musical sphere.