Design of Round Peak Banjos
My Influence in Banjo-Building
Naturally as a result of my interest in playing the banjo, I had the desire to build a banjo of my own. Just as my banjo playing is influenced by Kyle Creed, so are banjo making skills. Kyle, who was also from the Round Peak section of Surry County, and later settled in the Coal Creek section of Carroll County, Virginia, was well-known for his banjos. Kyle built banjos with and without frets using hard Maple, wild Cherry, Apple, Dogwood and American Black Walnut. He was also the first banjo maker to use tabletop formica on the fret board of the instrument. He mostly used this technique on fretless banjos, but did make a few banjos with a unique checkerboard design on the finger board, alternating the use of white and brown formica. Kyle also made banjos using 11 and 12 inch rims.
Description of Round Peak Banjos
I made my first banjo in June of 2007, and as of June 2009, I have completed 28 banjos. I build my banjos in the Kyle Creed tradition, emulating the style of banjos he built. I build my banjos in a small woodworking shop using a 5-in-1 Shopsmith machine. I also try to use local lumber, mostly from the Round Peak area, Ashe County, North Carolina, and Grayson County, Virginia. I build both fretless and fretted banjos with 11 and 12 inch rims. For most fretless banjos I use black formica, but on some I have used vintage white formica with gold flecks. My banjos are built with superior craftsmanship using two 3/8 inch brass coordinator rods, not dowel sticks, and I use a variety of tail pieces. I usually put a Renaissance or Fiberskin head on the banjo. My banjos have a higher action and no fingerboard scoop. The banjos generally contain no fancy inlays, just a star on the peghead and basic inlays on the ebony fingerboard. I prefer not to do custom orders. The final product is a banjo exhibiting a clean, professional workmanship that any banjo player would be proud to own. I strive to build banjos with a traditional Round Peak sound.
