Walnut and Birdseye Maple "Ouchless" Whyte Laydie

This banjo employs my "ouchless" rim design.  It has a curve turned into the pot which mimics a resonator banjo. The curve keeps the nuts from poking into your chest and leg, providing a more comfortable playing experience.  The pot is mostly walnut with a strip of birdseye maple just below the L-shoes and a white laydie tonering. The walnut neck is beautifully flamed and has a strip of birdseye maple down the center and on the heel.  The owner wanted a brook trout inlayed in the headstock, and I used pearl, gold pearl, black pearl, and abalone to create this inlay.  I thought a primitive bone fish hook shape would be perfect on the fifth fret as a marker... only in pearl.  Of course there are also 3/16" pearl dots and 3/32" side dots as well.  The tuners are Gotoh and have black buttons.  The neck has 18 frets and a scoop with my exposed truss rod nut.  The banjo is finished off with a renaissance head, no-knot tailpiece, bluegrass style armrest, and a custom maple and ebony bridge.  The bone nut is 1 3/8" wide and the finish is a beautiful french polish. This banjo is stunning.  I am very proud of it and it may be my best work to date.  I did make a video to remember it by before I shipped it off to Colorado.  Here is the link to hear me play Firefly