2000s Donald Wayne Clampitt Guitar-Shaped 5-String Banjola

My friend Rick found this instrument locally. It's a banjola but one shaped like a guitar rather than a banjo or mandolin. It has the maker's name inside as well as the name of his music store, "Der Baskit Kase," in Jefferson, Texas.

It's solid spruce over solid walnut, ladder-braced, and has a usual Gibson-style 26 3/8" banjo-style scale length. It's a little crude in the build but caringly-done, for sure. Problem areas with the design include not enough back-angle/downpressure at the nut and saddle, but we dealt with that via some downpressure/string tree bars. The top is built light and it has a great, woody sound fingerpicked or frailed.

Work included a fret level/dress, side dots, setup, and some cleaning done by Ancel and general fussing and minor modifications by myself.

I think the builder passed-away about 10 years ago (RIP!), but if that's not the case, please let me know. At any rate, he built a fun, quirky, and endearing instrument and I'm glad it's going to be making some music soon.
















Email Post

Comments

Oscar Stern said…
I guess the builder is still around.
July 15, 2023 at 8:36 PM
Loren said…
Mr. Clampitt died several years ago. He did luthier work on several of my instruments when he lived in Jacksonville, TX. He and his wife moved to Jefferson, Tx and set-up shop there. They had an apartment in the back of their store. He had an area enclosed with clear glass, where you could watch him work on instruments. His wife kept the rest of the shop in meticulous shape. Every time I went up to Jefferson to visit, we would play music for several hours. He always wanted to hear what his instruments sounded like in someone else's hands. I have one of his mandolins, and an electric fiddle that he built. In his working life, before retirement, he was a New York police officer. He was a prolific builder and repairer of instruments, and I enjoyed seeing the restoration of the one on this site.
December 19, 2024 at 10:35 PM
Loren said…
In reading his obituary just now, https://www.haggardfuneralhome.com/obituary/MrDonald-Clampitt
it looks like I was mistaken about him working in New York as a police officer, but he did work in Texas as a peace officer. He was a wonderful person to play music with.
December 19, 2024 at 10:52 PM
Post a Comment