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24 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 A Basic Handbook for Banjo Builders Mar 02, 2000
By Willard P.
Every prospective banjo builder should have this book. It is thorough and exhaustive. If you have the proper tools and are willing to take your time, you can build a perfectly good banjo with the information in this book. Roger shows the prospective builder how to construct almost every major part of the instrument, from the rim to the neck to the resonator. Fortunately for the tyro, it is not necessary to go quite this far in the building process. It is now very easy to obtain semi-finished parts from many sources, so you don't have to slot your own fretboard or bend your own rim, unless you really like to get down to the most basic type of building. This book has been out for fifteen years now, and some of the suppliers in his list have gone out of business. So the list should probably be updated. If you do an internet search for banjo parts, you will be able to buy almost everything you need in semi finished form to construct a great banjo, using this book as a guide along the way.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
 Covers all the aspects of building a bluegrass banjo. Aug 28, 1998
By george_chapman@bose.com
Roger covers everything you need to know about building a bluegrass banjo. He does an excellent job of describing the tasks and the sequence that they should be done. Building a banjo is a lot like swimming; easier for an expert to describe than for the novice to execute. However, with Rogers step by step method, you will have to work hard at screwing up. This book will save you hours of aggrivation and frustration. Well worth the money. The book contains excellent photos to assist the builder.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Incredible resource Feb 25, 2003
By Rick Wirth
I am an advanced woodworker and know what I am looking at in regard to how-to wood working books. This book is so definitive and complete that it is the standard I will use for other books of its kind. Although it is a technical book there is also bits of supporting theory about the "why" of the "how-to". Although there were some things I know little about, such as inlaying work, I found myself inspired to get into areas that before I would avoid. Great book, Roger.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Make it, then play it. Jun 27, 2007
By G. Bertram
"ordinary person"
Very detailed instructions for each part in a chapter for each part. Full size plans in a fold-out section. Mr Siminoff knows his stuff and suggests various approaches depending upon your skills or facilities.
If you're even just a little bit handy then you should be able to make a worthwhile instrument from this book.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Good book on banjo construction Mar 29, 2005
By Janice M. Hamilton
While this is a good book and will teach you many things about wood selection and how to cut, what materials to select, how to stain and with what-basically it takes you from the lumbar yard for selection of raw materials to the back porch and pickin your newly constructed banjo there are some well known errors in the book-particularly with the proper length of the fretboard for correct intonation. overall this is a very good book and if you keep a keen eye open for the inconsistancies you will build a killer banjo (or at least a killer kit banjo)
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