I stripped off the old finish and reshaped the headstock with a handsaw and file.  Then I stained the whole thing with a dark stain.  I started carving inlay cavities in the fretboard and the headstock with chisels and knives but that process got to be too time consuming so I switched to a dremel tool.  Doing the inlay was so frustrating that I forgot to stop and document it!  Also, at this point, the building I was working in caught on fire one night and I wasn’t even sure if the banjo survived.  Luckily, it made it with only a smoky smell to tell the tale.

Anyways, I took it home to work on and after much trial and error (mostly error), I finished the inlay in the headstock and the markers on the fretboard.  I also put in new shiny pearloid tuners to match the inlay.

Stretching the skin was also a learning process. I had to do it twice to get the bezel to sit properly. I decided to do a drawing on the head rather than paint it all white. There’s a whale under the bridge.

I finally finished it and then decided to build a case for it (as seen in the last photograph) because I couldn’t find a good banjolele case. I’ll save that story for another day.

(They are not all up yet–I am working on it!  The earlier ones need to be re-recorded.)  You can use this drawing to the left for album art.

Right click to save.

Bear Teeth

Telescope

I’ve Seen Giants

Thistles, Twigs, & Tumbleweeds

Illuminate the Dark, Dark Sky

Not There

Oh Please