Woods
Your choice of walnut, cherry, and maple. Combinations of two woods, such as cherry and walnut, may be requested. Overall color and features (sapwood, knots, curl/figuring, etc.) may slightly vary. I try to pick out “clear” pieces for necks with little to no knots unless they are stable or add character. I usually save figured pieces for fingerboards and overlays, so feel free to inquire to see what I have on hand when placing your order. All necks are three-piece laminate, usually three same-width pieces or with a thin contrasting center strip.
(Mountain-style examples shown below with natural (clear) stain and finish, giving the wood a “wet” look without altering its true natural color.)
(Mountain-style examples shown below with natural (clear) stain and finish, giving the wood a “wet” look without altering its true natural color.)
Walnut
Cherry
Maple*
*Note: I’m no longer offering aqua fortis for laminate necks and bodies. I will only be offering the aqua fortis stain/finish from now on on plain one-piece maple necks (those with no separate fingerboard/fretboards, peghead overlays, or inlays, including flush frets) for both mountain-style and gourd banjos, and body rings for mountain banjos. I can still add stain overtop, such as walnut, to darken it more. For the laminate necks and bodies, I will be using either a natural (clear) stain or walnut stain, unless another color is requested.
Aqua fortis requires heat when applied to the wood to create the reddish-brown color, and after using it on a couple banjos (though being careful about how much heat was applied in any given area), the glue joints appeared to be slightly more prominent (gapped) after finishing, not that it looked bad, but it did bug me. Because of this, I wasn’t able to get a consistent color for fear of over-heating, and for a couple builds I went back over it with either a natural (clear) stain or walnut stain to darken it. For the walnut stain, I’ve been able to achieve about the same color using it without the aqua fortis as I did in conjunction with it.
Aqua fortis requires heat when applied to the wood to create the reddish-brown color, and after using it on a couple banjos (though being careful about how much heat was applied in any given area), the glue joints appeared to be slightly more prominent (gapped) after finishing, not that it looked bad, but it did bug me. Because of this, I wasn’t able to get a consistent color for fear of over-heating, and for a couple builds I went back over it with either a natural (clear) stain or walnut stain to darken it. For the walnut stain, I’ve been able to achieve about the same color using it without the aqua fortis as I did in conjunction with it.