2010s Jack Crowther Left-Handed 5-String Openback Banjo

This banjo was built by a friend-of-a-friend down in Rutland, Vermont. My buddy Gus has been bringing the various banjos he's made (and purchased) up in ones and twos to get adjusted properly before he sends them back out into the world. All of the instruments he's brought up have been  fun and well-built, but the last mile (general stability and setup) of work was always a bit off. I find that to be pretty typical for a lot of self-builds and it's because that side of the work just needs a lot of practice (and errors-made) to get it honed.

This particular banjo is a left-handed model and has a lot of nice features -- a block-construction rim from cherry, simple hoop tonering, Elite (Renaissance) head, downpressure-style tailpiece and good-quality rim hardware, and geared pegs all-around. It has a typical ~26" scale length, quick neck, and cool wood (bloodwood?) position dots. It even has a generous frailing scoop.

After work, the tone is excellent -- poppy and sweet at the same time -- and it plays fast and easy.

Repairs included: double-bolt/screw attachment for the neck heel/rim joint, new compensated bridge, fitting a loose geared 5th peg, new railroad spikes for frets 7 and 9, a light level/dress of the frets, cleaning, and a good setup.

Setup notes: action is spot-on at 1/16" at the 12th fret and the neck is straight. I've strung it with 10s.

Scale length: 26 1/4"

Nut width: 1 3/16"

String spacing at nut: 1"

String spacing at bridge: 1 9/16"

Head diameter: 11"

Rim depth: 2 7/8"

Rim material: block solid cherry

Neck wood: mahogany

Fretboard: mahogany

Bridge: compensated maple/ebony 5/8"

Neck feel: medium C/D-shape, flat board

Condition notes: basically "as new" save only the most minor wear here and there. The "dowel" on the instrument is mostly just for show, but it does help with lengthwise compression/expansion of the rim under tension. It's attached via two screws -- one in the heel of the banjo and one that holds the end-bolt bracket. A railroad spike at fret 11 was removed and not reinstalled.

Just like on old Buckbee banjos, two simple screws hold the neck securely to the rim.