Bio

When in Rome… pick banjo

May 8, 2011
To comprehend the architectural principles of  various interior banjo pot support systems, the Banjo Rehabilitation Center  founder studied the larger model of the  Roman coliseum. These ancient circular ruins helped him  to grasp the advantages and disadvantages  of  dowel stick versus connecting rod  supports (see BRC workshop photo).
Banjo Dowel Rod
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The Banjo Newsletter is a valuable educational resource  for such vexing technical issues. Pictured on the cover of this edition of the BNL is banjoist Eric Weissberg, a boyhood favorite of the BRC founder.

 

Bio

Learning banjo by listening to radio

May 8, 2011

Banjo NewsWhen the BRC founder purchased his first banjo in 1960, there were no Bluegrass radio shows in his hometown near Albany, New York. To hear and learn banjo picking, he set his alarm clock for 2 AM to wake-up and listen to  WWVA radio broadcasting over the nightly airwaves from Wheeling, West Virginia. Learning and re-learning to pick  the banjo at any age is an unending  lifelong journey. Playing music by ear is a talent that sounds very romantic, but it is also a disadvantage.  Being a musician, like the BRC founder, who cannot read sheet music or tablature, is like being a poet who cannot write. The BRC founder’s day job is orthopedic hand surgery-which fortunately is not unlike rebuilding vintage banjos. Lucky him.

Banjos and hand surgery have a connection in this Banjo NewsLetter. Click here to read more BNL.

BRC Activities

Seventh wonder of the world cedes to banjo

May 4, 2011
Banjo Pyramids | EgyptThe BRC founder picked  banjo for many decades before mustering the courage to investigate the design mysteries of this sometimes unruly instrument. By assembling a long abandoned banjo kit procured online, his stroke of beginner’s luck produced a lovely and resonant open back instrument. Wherever his travels take him, the BRC founder faithfully studies the monthly Banjo Newsletter for helpful hints. The pictured edition of the BNL features a cover photo of banjo educator Bill Evans from whom the BRC founder has been lucky to take a few lessons (click to enlarge).
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Bio

Mellow picking at home

April 28, 2011

Ode Banjo | Mellow ToneMother of pearl inlays adorn these two long-neck Ode and Baldwin Ode era banjos with aluminum pots from Boulder, Colorado. The BRC founder has owned the brown banjo since 1971 after buying it from a now prominent folk singer. The black banjo rested in someone’s garage unassembled for almost 40 years until he purchased and restored it. Although the BRC founder is primarily a bluegrass resonator 5 string musician, the mellow tone of the black banjo makes it ideal for quiet around-the-house picking.

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Antique Banjos

Hybrid 5 string banjo

April 25, 2011

This hybrid 5 string banjo is a fun combination of the old and the new, and it is suited to the entry level bluegrass picker. The new Saga neck is mahogany, and the sturdy bird’s eye maple pot and resonator are from a circa 1940’s (Kay?) tenor banjo. The tuners are old-fashioned non geared pegs, and the tailpiece is a vintage Grover, the hefty flange is one piece, and the flathead pot measures 11 inches across. The 5th string has RR spikes at the 5, 7, and 10th frets. The peghead has a MOP inlay  of “BRC” for my namesake Banjo Rehabilitation Center workshop. The banjo weighs 7 lb…., and it had loud mid range tone with much sustain. It can hold its own in any jam session.  SOLD

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