OK…  I know what you’re thinking. How can a voice capo fit around your neck?

That’s not what it’s about. Voice is the name of this interesting new device from Artioli Designs which allows a guitarist to “hold down” a common first position chord form, leaving the left hand free to either solo over the chord or add alternate voicings. It fits over the first four frets of the fingerboard, and will hold down any chord shape which you make using the Voice Capo’s corresponding buttons.

Here’s a video that demonstrates its operation.

More information can be found on the Voice web site, including details an how the capo is fine tuned to work properly with an individual guitar. Retail price is listed as $99.

Just this past week, two major US banjo manufacturers have announced the availability of banjo hardware made to vintage specifications.

Both Huber Banjos and American Made Banjo Co. are now producing parts for sale to banjo builders – both professional and hobbyist – and as replacements in vintage, pre war banjos. In both cases, these are the parts used in the finished banjos these two companies offer, now available for the first time for sale as separate components.

The two catalogs of parts overlap for the most part, though Huber offers a mix of wooden and metal parts, and American Made has a more complete listing of machined components. In addition to tone rings, resonator hardware, arm rests and coordinator rods, Huber has their resonators and rims available for sale. American Made doesn’t have any wooden parts listed on their site, but has all the metal hardware for a flathead, Mastertone-style banjo.

Tom Mirisola of American Made Banjo acquired his own machine shop earlier this year to manufacture banjo parts, and installs them in his Kel Kroydon banjos. You can see the complete list of parts on their web site.

Steve Huber is continuing to work towards the point where all the components in his Huber Banjos are made in house, and has only a few parts left before that goal is reached. He will be announcing two new tone ring models and a new Huber engineered rim within the next few weeks.

See the list of Huber Vintage parts online.

Both companies also offer custom made heads, straps bridges and strings, and Huber makes a deluxe capo as well.

C.F. Martin introduced their latest custom, artist signature guitar this past weekend at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville.

It’s the D-28 Dan Tyminski Custom Edition, made to resemble his classic 1946 herringbone, the one he has used on the road for years with Alison Krauss, and fronting his own band. It is made with an Adirondack spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, and a mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and bridge

Dan is also featured in the July ‘09 edition of Martin’s Sounding Board Newsletter, which includes a more detailed description of the guitar.

Back and sides of East Indian rosewood combine with a top of Adirondack spruce for warm, ringing tone, impressive projection and extraordinary headroom. A comfortable genuine mahogany 1 11/16″ (at the nut) “modified V” neck with long diamond volute contributes to player comfort, while the black ebony fingerboard and belly bridge add classic beauty and longevity.

Tyminski makes his namesake Custom Edition his own with distinctive details sure to appeal to flatpickers. Scalloped 5/16″ Adirondack spruce top braces cross in the non-forward “rear-shifted” position to provide uncommon balance and clarity. Special 2 1/4″ string spacing at the bridge and hand polished “bull nose” (i.e., rounded) fret ends speed both strums and runs.

The appointments are equally distinctive: bold pattern herringbone around the top, a headstock featuring Martin’s Golden Era¬Æ decal logo on a polished East Indian rosewood headplate, Martin’s historic pressure stamp on the back and nickel Waverly‚Ñ¢ tuners with oval buttons. Long/Wide Pattern “Diamond & Squares” abalone pearl fingerboard position markers run from the 3rd fret to the 17th fret, with a unique, oversized “wide diamond” at the 9th fret.

The Tyminski D-28 carries a retail price of $5149.00, with a Geib-style case. Complete product specs can be found on the Martin site.

Deering has reintroduced their popular Sierra banjo, with a new inlay pattern in the neck.

The Sierra is Deering’s least expensive tone ring banjo ($2699), making it perhaps the lowest priced professional model banjo made in the US. It is offered as a traditional five string model, as well as an open back, tenor or plectrum. A left handed Sierra is also available.

To demonstrate the newly reconfigured Sierra, here is Deering endorser and banjo marvel Jens Kruger, who walks us through the new features and gives us a tune.