Recording King, a division of The Music Link, has introduced two new banjo models aimed at new players looking at their first upgrade, or beginners wanting to start out on a better than entry level banjo.
The Madison is offered in both a resonator and open back version, both built with a 3-ply maple rim. The necks are made from maple with rosewood fingerboards. Planetary tuner and a geared 5th string peg, plus dual coordinator rods, are also included on both.
The resonator model (RK-R25) features a tube and plate flange which attaches the maple resonator, and a fan inlay pattern adorns the fingerboard and headstock. The open back version (RK-O25) is inlaid with a simple dot pattern.
These new banjos will be available from Recording King dealers worldwide. The resonator model carries a retail price of $659.99 and the open back $499.99.
Hayes Mandolins, built by hand by luthier Rick Hayes, has used the launch of their first guitar model as the occasion to change company name to Rick Hayes Instruments.
Rick has teamed up with fellow luthier Dann Ross to augment his F-style mandolins with a handcrafted, steel string guitar. It is made with a AAA red spruce top and Honduran mahogany back and sides. The bridge and fingerboard are ebony without fretboard position markers, and Rick’s signature is inlaid at the 14th fret.
Until last fall, Rick toured as the mandolinist with The Gibson Brothers, a position he relinquished in October ‘08 to concentrate on his instrument building and recording studio businesses. Hayes has also worked as a graphic artist, and feels that his performing/recording experience, together with the eye of an artist, allows him to build instruments that please both the eye and the ear.
The Hayes guitar sells for $2999 with a hard shell case. They are available directly from Rick’s shop, or through MyFavoriteGuitars.com.
posted by John on 06.22.09 @ 9:42 am Tag: mandolin
Just in time for the summer festival season, Gibson has unveiled two new mandolins priced to catch the eye of the budget-conscious picker. They have a style A and a style F model in this new Jam Master series, both coming in well below the cost of their top pro mandolins.
To keep the price down, Gibson has built these two without neck or headstock binding, a sunburst finish, or a fancy peghead overlay. The body is bound with a simple dark material, and the fingerboards have side markers but no inlays.
Both, however, are made with a carved solid spruce top and figured maple back and sides. The necks are set with Gibson’s radiused dove-tail joint and the mandolins have an adjustable ebony bridge, bone nut and Grover tuners. Each ships is a padded gig bag rather than a hard shell case.
Gibson is also making the Jam Master mandolins with a slightly wider neck (1 3/16” at the nut) and with larger frets, both modifications designed with less experienced pickers in mind.
The A-style Jam Master carries a MSRP of $1199, and the F-style $3110.
They are available now from any authorized Gibson dealer.
Charles Dumont, who developed the MandoChords and BanjoChords apps for the iPhone, has a new addition to his roster.
JamBuddy will turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into… well, a jam buddy. It will provide either mandolin or guitar accompaniment for 50 familiar jam standards, plus you can program in as many other songs as you like. Playback speed is adjustable and songs can be entered in either 3/4 or 4/4 time.
It’s been ten years since the Sam Bush model Gibson mandolin was introduced to market.
During that time, it has been a strong seller for Gibson, and the impetus for them to create limited edition artist models for a number of other prominent bluegrass mandolinists, Alan Bibey, Wayne Benson, Doyle Lawson and Adam Steffey among them. The Bush, however, has been the only artist model to remain as a stock item in the catalog.
Reflecting on this ten year run, Sam and Gibson have created a new, limited edition model, inspired by a drawing in a 1934 Gibson catalog. It will called the Sam Bush Limited Edition Inspired By ‘34 Fern, with only 25 made before the model is retired.
Sam tells us how it came to be…
“It is a collaboration between David Harvey at Gibson and me, to revive interest in the Bush model after ten years time.
I’ve always been fascinated by that 1934 Gibson catalog, especially the way the Fern F-5 was drawn. This catalog didn’t have photos - it was artist renderings of the instruments - and the headstock on this Fern must have come from the artist’s imagination.
The logo was shown at an odd angle, with large script lettering, and there was no ‘The’ - just ‘Gibson.’
I always thought it was the neatest looking mandolin, and I had never seen one built that way.”
Research by Gibson verifies Sam’s recollection. They have no records of a mandolin built with this headstock design.
Other appointments also mimic the ‘34 catalog drawing. The mandolin has pearl block inlays in the radiused, ebony fingerboard and a lighter finish, which Gibson describes as an Iced Tea burst.
“The block inlay was a tie in with the existing Bush model. We rounded off the fingerboard extension like an L-5, like John Monteleone did on the board for Hoss, my old mandolin. Can you believe I’m on my 4th fingerboard now!
I had asked for a lighter sunburst - finishes will often darken over the years, so we wanted one that looked different from a regular F-5.” (more…)
After many months of prototyping, Composite Acoustics is set to officially unveil their Tim Stafford signature model guitar on May 3. This has been Tim’s primary guitar on the road with Blue Highway for the past year or so, and he has used it in the studio on several projects as well.
Stafford has worked closely with the folks at CA Guitars to create a dreadnaught body instrument, made from their durable, carbon fiber composite material, which could offer the sort of tone, response and playability that bluegrass pickers demand from their guitars. Tim was also concerned that his signature model have on board electronics that would convey a warm, natural acoustic sound to the sound system.
Specifications for the Tim Stafford model include:
light blue shell flame rosette
four leaf clover headstock inlay
enlarged 4.5” diameter soundhole
upper bout sound port
Gotoh 510 open back gears
CA Performance Tuned bracing
a specially voiced Fishman Aura pick-up system
high gloss Carbon Burst paint finish
It will carry a $2968 price tag.
As you might expect, Tim is very pleased with the guitar…
“I believe the signature model is the best new CA I’ve played. It plays like a dream, and the sound port gives it more punch and volume out front, as well as adding something like ’self-monitoring’ to the instrument–you can hear the guitar more clearly as you play it, from your vantage point behind the instrument. This is a bonus for singers; it sounds like a superior new guitar, straight out of the box. I was talking with someone after I had gotten the first prototype of the signature model which I played at Merlefest last year; they gave me a 4-leaf clover as luck for the new model. I put the clover against the black carbon top and it was just brilliant; that’s when I began to think this would be a nice cosmetic touch for the model. Mostly though, I hope it brings luck to whoever buys one!”
There is no information up yet on the CA web site, but look for it to appear soon after the official launch event at Artisan Guitars in Franklin, TN on May 3. Tim will be on hand to demo the guitar and talk with customers and the press.
Bill Evans is the latest professional banjo player to be recognized with a signature model Kel Kroydon banjo, made by the American Made Banjo Company.
Bill’s banjo has a maple neck and resonator, with a Hearts and Flowers inlay in the fingerboard. A Dannick flat head tone ring is installed, manufactured by American Made Banjo, and is plated with an antique gold. When the banjo is offered for sale in the near future, it will be available as shown in the accompanying photo, or with a custom engraving pattern which Bill is designing himself.
Tom Mirisola, president of American Made Banjo, is delighted to have Bill on board. He also shared news about their having recently acquired their own machine shop to manufacture to Dannick tone rings and the other metal parts used in assembling the Kel Kroydon banjos.
Evans has been using the banjo of late for his many banjo workshops, and his shows with Megan Lynch in support of their new CD,Let’s Do Something, and is pleased with his signature model Kel Kroydon.
“I’m excited to be associated with Tom, American Made Banjo Company and the Kel Kroyden nameplate. I take an association of this kind very seriously and I wanted to be sure that we had come up with an instrument that equaled and maybe surpassed any other professional grade instrument available in terms of tone, workmanship and playability. The Bill Evans KK is the result of a collaboration between Tom, Robin Smith, Charlie Cushman and myself with the goal being to create an instrument that sounded as close as possible to the prewar instruments that I’ve been associated with over my career.
The classic sound and tone of players like Earl Scruggs and Sonny Osborne rings in my head every time I pick up the banjo - that combination of maple and gold for me can’t be beat. I also need an instrument that’s at home with styles other than bluegrass. The KK is the only new banjo that I’ve played that works for me in all settings. The tone, response and feel of this banjo is right for both traditional bluegrass and more adventurous playing. And it’s got a big sound! When I’m on stage with Megan Lynch, it’s often the only instrument you hear as I support Megan’s singing. This banjo is allowing me to work at an entirely new level of dynamics and power and I can get a pretty amazing array of sounds from it. (more…)
We got a note yesterday from Charles Dumont, who develops music applications for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch devices.
We posted last fall when he released his MandoChords app, a visual chord speller for mandolin. Now, he notes the release of a new iPhone app, BanjoChords, which does the same for banjo players.
BanjoChords can display more than 700 chord shapes for banjo, showing left hand fingering, scale intervals, and multiple voicings. It will even play the chord for you through the iPhone’s speaker.
The app sells for $1.99 and will work with with iPhone and iPod touch (iPhone 2.2.1 software), and can be purchased in iTunes.
The folks at Blue Chip Picks, whose line of composite flatpicks have hit the mark with some of the top guitarists and mandolinists in bluegrass music, have now released a line of thumbpicks for banjo players.
The pick material is riveted onto the blade of a metal thumbpick band, and I must say that after playing with one for a short time, the pick struck me as quite comfortable, and produced a very nice tone.
Blue Chip has a patent pending for the pick material, which they describe as follows…
They are made of a specially formulated composite material that will withstand very high temperatures and is extremely wear resistant. It contains special lubricants which make the picks very fast off the strings.
Many users of the flatpicks have agreed that these Blue Chip picks capture both the feel and tone of tortoise shell, without the wear and maintenance issues associated with shell - not to mention the fact that these are easily available and 100% legal.
Among banjo players, they have the hurdle of overcoming a traditional resistance to metal thumbpicks. Those who especially favor the way a shell picks feel around the thumb will miss that with these picks, but some experimenting with thumb attack should allow them to get the same tone.
Metal bands, of course, are much easier to shape, and won’t tend to expand and “open up” from the heat of your hand. Pickers who are more accustomed to the lower cost of plastic thumbpicks may balk at the $40 cost per pick, but that would not be high for shell, and higher quality fingerpicks can sell for nearly this amount.
Blue Chip offers two different pick blade styles, each available in a large and medium size. One style is designed to largely mimic the blade size and angle of a National ® pick, and the other - designed in cooperation with JD Crowe -has a wider, shorter blade.
You can find additional photos and more details on the Blue Chip Picks web site.
The 102-page spiral-bound book features 14 songs and tunes with variations, in notation and tablature, and comes complete with 2 CDs.
Page two indicates the scope of the book …
“This book presents Clarence White’s early but fully realized acoustic guitar style, as demonstrated in the recordings he made at home in 1962. Our intent is to provide an entry point for intermediate players to understand and begin to play in this style, and to impart the flavor of Clarence’s early musical environment.”
All of the songs/tunes can be found on the CD OF home recordings, 33 Acoustic Guitar Instrumentals, on the Sierra label.
Co-author Diane Bouska had this to say about the choice of tunes ……….
“We used those tunes mainly because Clarence plays several choruses in succession on most of them, so he naturally develops variations and you can hear him very well since there is only the one rhythm guitar on most tunes (and Clarence is alone on some).
Another auxiliary factor is that we had access and rights to use the music, and we could find enough PD among them to be able to put together a book. Another good thing about them is that they’re perhaps not as complicated as some of his later work. We hope, and think, that intermediate players will really be able to get a foothold with these.”
In addition to the instructional material, there is a brief biography with photos, but, purposely, it is limited to Clarence White’s early years. There is only a brief mention of the Byrds, for example.
Disc 1 contains a video clip from the Bob Baxter Guitar Workshop show in 1973 — there are two complete tunes, Soldier’s Joy, and the Crawdad Song.
“These are included not because the songs are in the book but because we wanted people to be able to see Clarence playing, see his technique up close.”
Disc 2 has rhythm tracks along with which students can play at slow or fast tempo. There is a foreword by Marty Stuart and a selected discography by Art Malmin.
The book is available at a cost of $34.95, plus $4.85 for Priority Mail from Roland White’s website, which includes sample pages and sound clips from the book.
Here are a couple more tidbits from the recently concluded NAMM show in Anahiem, CA.
Paige Capo introduced a revised design for their popular capo, which they say makes it faster and easier to use. They make capos for banjo, guitar and 12-string guitar as well as a number of specialty capos.
The new Paige was designed to incorporate several years of artist and consumer feedback, and the designers consulted with a number of pro players during prototyping.
Beard Guitars also introduced a new resonator guitar at NAMM, an oval hole model they call the Odyssey.
It has a single oval soundhole in the top at the end of the fingerboard. According to Chet Hogue at Beard…
“The location and size of the hole makes the guitar resonate at a different frequency and produces a very complex sound, rich in harmonics. The prototype is made of walnut with a Sitka spruce top, and the production models will feature a rosette around the oval hole.
It’s quite a guitar. They will be available soon from dealers and directly from Beard.”
No photos yet, but we’ll put one up when we get more information.
A number of prominent bluegrass instrument manufacturers are exhibiting this weekend at the annual convention and trade show of the National Association of Music Merchandisers, known as The NAMM Show. Held in January of each year in Anaheim, CA, it is where new products are unveiled to the retail market, and by extension, to consumers via the media.
Gibson’s bluegrass division has introduced a new banjo, a limited edition Style 1 Custom model. Unlike the vintage 1s - which were “budget” instruments with simple inlays and a rolled hoop ring - this new banjo will have a Mastertone tone ring and a new inlay pattern completing the seagull pattern all the way down the neck. This will be a mahogany and nickel banjo.
The new Style 1 Custom will also be made with the more common one piece flange, again in contrast with the originals. Only 15 of these banjos will be made and carry a suggested retail price of $5110. They are available to dealers now.
C.F. Martin has a number of new models being introduced at NAMM. Not all will be of immediate interest to bluegrass guitarists, but several most certainly will.
Martin is celebrating 2009 as the 75th anniversary of the dreadnaught body style with a pair of limited edition guitars. Both the D-18 and D-28 will have 75th Anniversary models, limited to orders placed during 2009.
The 28 is made of Madagascar rosewood, while the 18 uses mahogany. They both have an Adirondack spruce top with scalloped, Golden Era style bracing, and an ebony fingerboard and bridge. The headstocks have a special 75th anniversary decal. The paper soundhole labels likewise denote the anniversary, and are signed by C.F. Martin IV.
The D-18 75th retails for $5199, and the D-28 for $7599.
Martin is also debuting a D-28 Museum Edition 1941 guitar with a number of special vintage construction specs. These guitars are assembled using hide glue and have the same barrel and heel neck dimensions as the ‘41 D-28s. The body is Madagascar rosewood with a Adirondack spruce top. The top bracing is scalloped, using the 1941 placement. The neck uses the narrow nut width (1 11/16”) and the top features herringbone binding.
This Museum Edition 1941 D-28 retails for $14,999.
Dailey & Vincent won nearly every conceivable award from IBMA in 2008. They have a new CD due in March, and their tour schedule is the envy of most every other bluegrass act.
Now, they have dipped their toes into the instructional video market with a new release from Homespun. Bluegrass and Gospel Duet Singing is a 75 minute DVD released yesterday (1/5/09) that features Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent performing, discussing and analyzing how they sing together.
By The Mark, Can You Hear Me Now, More Than a Name On a Wall, I Hope You Have Learned, Music of the Mountains, Rock of Ages, Selfish Heart, Waves of Sorrow and Don’t You Call My Name are all covered, while Homespun founder Happy Traum interviews the guys throughout.
The DVD sells for $29.95, and a brief video preview can be seen on the Homespun site.
Mark has developed a unique banjo style which he calls clawgrass, combining the traditional frailing and drop thumb styles with “roll” patterns more commonly associated with bluegrass banjo.
He teaches a number of tunes, Cherokee Shuffle, Cold Frosty Morning, Angeline the Baker and Heartbroken among them, demonstrating the techniques he has developed.
This DVD runs to 105 minutes and sells for $29.95 with a tab booklet. A video sample is also available online.
Blueridge Guitars is set to introduce a limited edition, signature model guitar for Larry Sparks, honoring a true trend-setter among bluegrass flatpickers.
It will be designated as the Blueridge BR-3060, and styled after Larry’s legendary early 1950’s D-28, including the distinctive double pickguard.
Specifications for the BR-3060:
Select solid Sitka spruce top
White body binding - with characteristic W/B/W purfling
Select solid East Indian rosewood back and sides
Select mahogany neck with ebony fingerboard and mother of pearl position markers
Ebony Bridge with mother of pearl dots and maple bridge plate
Bone nut and Saddle
Characteristic single-ply double pickguard
Vintage-style, nickel-plated round button tuners
Larry’s signature on the peghead
A signed and numbered certificate of authenticity and soundhole label
Blueridge is a subsidiary of Saga Musical Instruments, and the Larry Sparks BR-3060 will be available from any the many Saga dealers starting in February ‘09. There is no information yet on the Blueridge web site about this guitar, but David Gartland with Saga gave us a rundown on how it came to be…
“Being huge fans of Larry’s and thankful for his valuable contribution to the Stanley Brothers and Bluegrass music, we felt it only natural to pay tribute to our own personal hero and this Bluegrass legend. As you may already know, we had already set a precedent for creating special guitars, notably the BR-1060P Carter Stanley Memorial Blueridge Guitar, and we thought that recreating Larry’s unmistakable guitar was the perfect next step. Truly an honor for us.
An integral part of the process has been our ability to work hand in hand with Mr. Sparks to produce a guitar that will stand up to his unique style of play and remain true to his original instrument.
Our primary objective for Larry and the Saga team was to maintain the highest level of quality using only the best materials; while at the same time trying to making it more affordable.
It is a truly an amazing instrument.”
The suggested retail price for the BR-3060 will be $1395.
Flatpicking Guitar Magazine has committed to capturing performances by today’s top practitioners of the flatpicking art, and bringing those performances to guitar players everywhere via DVD.
Over the last several years they have put forth a number of such DVDs. Each DVD consists of a concert performance by three top players. This year’s offering is no exception.
The National Flatpicking Guitar Championship, held each September since 1972 in Winfield, Kansas, is the most prestigious flatpicking event in the country. Every person who has won this event is a master guitarist of the highest order. In this concert performance DVD, filmed at the Peaceful Bend Americana Music Festival in Steelville, MO, Flatpicking Guitar Magazine and SimpleFolk Productions present three of the National Flatpicking Guitar Championship’s most respected past champions: Robin Kessinger (1985 champ), Mark Cosgrove (1995 champ), and Robert Shafer (1983 and 2000 champ).
Gibson has unveiled a new limited edition 5 string banjo with a Christmas theme, in a production run of only 12 banjos.
This is a flame maple banjo, with gold-plated parts, that sports a brand new inlay pattern from Darron DuBose, unique to this model. The fingerboard features a red and green holly pattern, with a different 12th fret inlay in each individual instrument. One has a Christmas wreath, another a number of wrapped gifts, yet another has a pair of snowflakes - each one will have a distinctive 12th fret inlay.
The resonator has a stunning pattern of pearl in a multi-colored, multi-part inlay with a large snowflake in the center.
Gibson shows this banjo with a manufacturer’s advertised price of $9,999.00 with a hard shell case.
We spoke with Jeff Sullivan at First Quality Musical Supply this morning, who has worked with Gibson on this model since its inception. Jeff said that they have one sold already, and it will be delivered in time for Christmas. He thinks they could still get one more out in time to slide under the tree.
You can reach Jeff at 502-386-3031.
Gibson has three more of these banjos being finished now, which can be delivered shortly after Christmas. Unless there is a sudden rush of orders, the remaining seven will probably not be built until late in 2009.
So, if you have a banjo player on your Christmas list…
Thanks also to Jim Davis at Janet Davis Music and John Drummond at Banjo.com - both Gibson banjo dealers as well - for information regarding this unique, 12-of-a-kind banjo.
Ricky Skaggs has played and endorsed Dana Bourgeois’ guitars for more than ten years, as have members of his band, Kentucky Thunder.
Skaggs’ enthusiastic and highly visible support of Bourgeois played a large role in bringing wider attention to the brand when it was launched in 1995, and during the subsequent reformation of the company as Pantheon Guitars in 2000.
It seems that Dana has not taken Ricky’s support for granted, as he has unveiled a new, limited edition Ricky Skaggs signature model guitar, the RS-42 LE, as a tribute.
These will be dreadnaught bodies with a red spruce top and Brazilian rosewood back and sides, assembled with hide glue. The bridge is made of fossilized ivory and the top and rosette are bound with abalone.
The fingerboard and pickguard are inlaid with abalone, using custom patterns unique to this model. Even the Waverly tuning pegs are custom-engraved with the initials “RS.” Both Skaggs and Bourgeois will sign each of these numbered guitars before it is shipped.
The RS-42 LE carries a retail price of $15,000, with a hard shell case and lifetime warranty. Only ten of these guitars will be built, available now through selected dealers.
Two of the ten are already sold, and Bonnie Lloyd at Pantheon told me that they are working on #5 now at the shop in Lewiston, Maine.
Bourgeois and Skaggs have put together a YouTube video to help introduce this elaborately appointed guitar to the market.
Taught by veteran educator Joe Carr, the book presents 16 tunes (some with multiple variations) intended to introduce the player to a variety of essential techniques.
I spoke with Joe via email about the book.
This is the first book in a new series that will include titles on bluegrass, blues, Irish and more. This book is not specifically bluegrass focused, but is intended for beginners who want to use primarily Amercian folk material as a starting place.
Emphasis is on correct pick direction - a crucial skill, sections on standard notation reading, and basic scales.
The idea is to ground players in good technique and teach them the skills to continue “self-guided development” on their instrument.
Having studied guitar under Joe for three years, while attending South Plains College, I can attest to the efficacy of his teaching. Students at any level would be well served by following Joe’s instruction. This book is aimed primarily at beginners, but more are soon to follow for both differing genres and skill levels.
Banjo players have been clamoring for instructional materials from Ron Block for years, but his busy schedule with Alison Krauss & Union Station has prevented him from dedicating the time to it. Until now…
His first banjo instructional DVD will be released by AcuTab next week, offering more than three and a half hours of discussion, demonstration and detailed instruction from this multi-Grammy and IBMA award winning banjo picker.
Entitled Ron Block - A Fresh Look At Bluegrass Banjo, the package includes two DVDs and a printed tab booklet. Ron starts by analyzing his style, and particular aspects that stand out like tone production, his use of bends and chokes, how he arranges solos, and improvisation. He also covers his practice routine, showing drills and exercises he uses to stay in shape and move forward as a banjo player.
Seven of Ron’s most requested solos are taught in detail, including six he has recorded with Union Station - Cluck Old Hen, Tiny Broken Heart, Man Of Constant Sorrow, I’ll Remember You Love In My Prayers, Everytime You Say Goodbye, Bright Sunny South, and My Poor Old Heart. He also teaches his complex and challenging solo for Smashville, from Sierra Hull’s Secrets CD.
AcuTab has prepared a YouTube trailer to give a flavor of what is included on the DVDs.
The Ron Block banjo DVD will begin shipping on December 8, and there is a special offer for the first 300 orders placed directly with AcuTab. They will receive an autographed copy of the DVD, and two free sets of Huber banjo strings.
Ron plans to create several more instructional DVDs with AcuTab over the next few years, including additional projects for both banjo and guitar.
AcuTab will release instructional videos in 2009 for Jim Van Cleve, Sierra Hull, Ron Stewart and JD Crowe. You can request notification when they are available by visiting the AcuTab site.
posted by John on 11.26.08 @ 3:38 pm Tag: mandolin
The LM-700 is a new hand carved, limited-edition F-style mandolin model from The Loar.
The top is made from high quality spruce and hand graduated for thickness. The back and sides are flame maple and the neck is made from a single piece of straight grain maple. Each instrument is finished with a hand-rubbed lacquer finish.
An ebony fingerboard is installed with simple dot inlays, and the headstock overlay features an floral pattern made from both abalone and mother of pearl. The bridge is ebony and the tuners are vintage style Gotohs.
The LM-700 carries a retail price of $1399.99, with a deluxe hard shell case. Only a limited number of these instruments will be made, but no specific number has been announced.
A prototype was displayed at the 2008 IBMA trade show in Nashville, and production models will soon be available through dealers.
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Recording King, a division of The Music Link, has introduced two new banjo models aimed at new players looking at their first upgrade, or beginners wanting to start out on a better than entry level banjo.
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