The Monongahela
The Monongahela is a bluegrass banjo with a bell-bronze tone ring and a fitted resonator. It is bright, loud and precise, with the crisp attack and long ring that drive a Scruggs-style roll. Built to be played hard and to hold its setup for years.
The Monongahela is named for the river and the great forest that share its name in West Virginia — big, strong country for a big, strong banjo. This is the one for the stage, the jam and the festival field.
What makes it sing
A bell-bronze tone ring
A cast bell-bronze ring seated on a hard-maple rim is what gives bluegrass its bark — the bright, ringing attack that carries over fiddle and guitar. Each ring is hand-fitted to its rim for a dead-tight seat.
A fitted hardwood resonator
The resonator throws the sound forward, off the back of the head and out to the listener. Bound, finished and fitted by hand, it adds the volume and focus a band demands.
A fast, true neck
A slim, stable neck with a bound, inlaid fingerboard and a dead-accurate setup. Fast enough for rolls up the neck, true enough to stay in tune when you dig in.
Specifications
| Style | Resonator · bluegrass (Scruggs style) |
|---|---|
| Strings | 5-string |
| Scale length | 26 ¼ in (667 mm) |
| Rim | 11 in three-ply hard maple |
| Tone ring | Cast bell-bronze, hand-fitted |
| Head | Frosted-top synthetic (skin on request) |
| Neck | Quartersawn maple or walnut, bound |
| Fingerboard | Ebony, bound, with inlays |
| Resonator | Bound hardwood, hand-fitted |
| Tuners | Sealed planetary, 4:1, with 5th-string geared tuner |
| Finish | Hand-applied satin or gloss |
| Weight | approx. 4.6 kg |
Make it yours
Every banjo is configured with you. These are the most-requested options — anything beyond them is a conversation away.
Prices are guidance for a typical build and are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Have something in mind?
Heirloom timber, a particular tone, an engraving that means something to you — bring it to the bench and let us build it together.