The instrument company Recording King has recently opened a custom shop and is accepting orders for handcrafted banjos and acoustic guitars, in both the U.S. and Japan.

You start with a standard Recording King model and order changes in components, finishes, or specifications.

Cliff Fitch, a well-respected banjo luthier, will be heading up the U.S. custom shop. Fitch has more than a decade of experience building custom banjos and doing repairs and restorations. In October, at IBMA, Fitch introduced the Recording King Professional model banjo.

The Asian custom shop will be run by Scott Zimmerman, who is known for his banjo bridges and the Desert Rose banjos.

Custom shop orders can be placed in the U.S. by contacting Cliff Fitch by phone at (817) 714-1115, or by email at fitchbanjos@att.net.

Orders for the Asian custom shop can be placed by contacting Scott Zimmerman at scott@sugiguitars.com.