(Pictured with his current banjo, a beauty
(The pressure is on)

11" Flathead
Gill Quilted Maple Resonator
Cox Rolled Maple rim
Red Stain

Cut for Granada style bindings

Ebony Fingerboard, that will have ACCUTONE inlay
Rim by Jimmy Cox, Rolled Maple

That hardware is not part of this project, but the rim is

Nice FQMS Stage 4 flamed maple blank in foreground, that I have chosen to matches Rob's Resonator grain.

Along with 2 others in the process
 
 

First coats of sealer after staining

Rim completed

Serial # stamped under tone ring

Taking on a little clear, before I bind the resonator

I have gotten two necks profiled and the one in the rear will be Rob's
 

The striping is broader which I want with this resonator

Fingerboards installed and slotted, ready for inlay
Binding channels have already been routed
fully adjustable Truss rod installed
 

After adding the binding, it is time to clean the newly installed "Granada" style bindings

Ready to start adding clear over the sealer

And since its a plectrum, its a LONG climb!
Rob would have to stop three times just for drinks :)

But when you get to the top, the view is AWESOME!!!
I think he did a top flite job, and I will be pressed on the stain work LOL

Now the neck is up with Dave at  CustomPearl Inlay, and he is scratchin' his head, trying to figure out just what inlay pattern goes with it, and I told him "You are the custom inlay man....DEAL WITH IT"!!
:):)
So we will see what he adds to this very unique Accutone.

A guy from New York meets a guy from texas in a Walmart parking lot to do a neck deal.
It felt like old times, clandestine meetings................

They were on a short vacation and Dave worked hard to get done with his part so that we can wrap this up for Rob by the AZ blast.
So we had a good visit, they are great folks and it was  wonderful to meet them.

White MOP for the name, with Abalone  used in the vine construction
The figurines are.....get this..............
"Fossilized Siberian Mammoth tusk" !!
How cool is that??

Nadine didnt get a pic of it while we were yakking!!
But here it is...

Ok, lets put some fretwire in
Stewmac 147, look it up
Always use alcohol to wipe fretwire down, it still has oodles of machine oil from the mfg process
And super glue if needed, will stick to anything but grease.

And now Rob, Dave's strategically placed flowers as fret markers can better be seen.
And I get to sweat bullets while I final cut the inlay and complete the fret slot
Increasingly larger bullets as I near the ivory
5:43 am, the witching hour....... as I am still working not just getting up!
 
 
 

You have no idea the pressure, of following Dave with a hand cut fret saw.
I'll bet he WINCES when he sees this :)
I guess nerves of steel from fighting Oil well blowouts helps here.
As does coffee, and more coffee
 

Ok, she survived the first surgery!

Almost to where they cannot be set by the hand press, I will change methods.........

Here you can see all the important fret markers were implemented
As Rob would say
BRILLIANT!

Its nap time, I made it this far, I had to, Rob pumped me up, as did Dave's efforts.

Frets all in, and ends filed
Im glad that part is over, now for the next episode of "Pressure Island" :)

Ok lets get to binding this thing.
I am using 3 part binding, in the Granada style to match the resonator
A thin strip of White and black have been sealed together, and installed first

Let it set and then I install a white binding that will extend to the top of fingerboard, it is taller, so must be cut down.
 

After it dries, I will profile it.

Taking the excess off the sides

Taking the tops down,...steady as she goes...............
Stop when you hear metal :)

Final profiling with razor, I will allow binding to stand tall against fret tips in the late Gibson style

ready for final sanding smoothing
Now for the other side
Its fun, not scuffing into the fingerboard is "the rule" so wear magnifiers!

Ready for side markers

Making the heel cap.
I had some thin Black/white in squares, so I decided to lay one white side down and meet the blacks in the center
Staying with the binding theme and using up free plastic!
They get scuffed so the glues bite in

Ready to trim

Contoured

Other " personal touches ".An MOP engraved "Accutone truss cover"
An engraved plaque for the inside of the banjo and..........

I wanted to personalized it in this manner, discreetly.

Logo plate lends dignity

Nice fit on tone ring, not too tight

Flange is landing as it should, that's a clear head, lets get some hooksets on it and get this tone ring seating in.

I will cover it up, and let it "sleep" while I get back on the neck and resonator
Just checking fit, for now
So as long as we are "Mocking up" lets look a little more into its future :).....

And a look with the resonator on
heel cut in it will be next....and now a look with the neck stuck up top.........
Reso is not closed up, no heel cut yet but now you can get a look Rob.
 
 
 

Neck profiling complete, and final sanded, ready for tint
Lag bolts installed into heel
Neck fitted to rim with co-rods, all is as it should be, heel fit is tite and fingerboard plane is correct
I can tell without stringing it that the action will be right where I need it to be, and everything is fitting VG

Now I can accurately cut in the resonator notch, and mount all of its hardware and mount the brackets onto the rim

I have added a set of Dale's strap brackets

These are a tasteful addition to any banjo that the player has need of a strap

Rough cut for heel
Im trying to taper it to fit the radius of the heel sides, i do no want it dragging on the carvings

Rough out complete and sealed
I will mount hardware, then pull it off and go to final finishing

Radius will do what I wish

Felt will be installed after all finishwork

Resonator attaching brackets installed onto rim

Lugs installed into resonator

Thumbscrews all set in standard positions

Ready to pull all the way back down, finish resonator, and finish neck tinting and finishing

 Starting the tint, I will do the stippling in lite reddish brown

Each color will get some clear brushed on, to make it colorfast so the thin tints will not run into each other

The periphery will be a darker reddish brown and then the neck will be lighter, and then back to the bottom carving detail

Peghead reverse is complete, with clear sealing all color in.
Using tints instead of paints, you get an almost luminous look from underneath with the grain popping thru.
On to the heel, after a break!

I will do a tiny bit more shadowing and outlining on the heel, then work on the overall staining of the remainder
 

Only the lightest Reddish brown in the center
I will fade some more in certain areas, after this cures up a day

Quick mockup, 1 coat of clear on neck
Still need to airbrush in some areas

Now for the edge fade
Scuff off, tape and shoot., then rescrape top edge of binding..........

This will be the final shading on the resonator, I will add a tiny bit more of reddish to the center of the neck
Fade on heel carving and lower peghead complete

After final shading to neck center and another clear coat, then mocked up for another look
There is alot of that

I Photoshop'ed this one to surround it in black, to give you a better idea of true colors

Final wet sanding

Buffed and ready to finish inside

Done

Rim back apart for another head, and a final cleaning/checking over
And I have opted to go with...........................

The Renaissance, by REMO
I feel the warm gold look of it, and the brightest it offers may very well be a nice combination for Robs style
I think it will give the most elegant look, and i have used them with success so I want to try one.
We can always change it in AZ if he things it doesn't pass muster.

Neck attachment complete, all fits as it should, nice and tight

Neck is buffed and waxed, tuners installed, MOP truss rod cover, and new premium bone nut installed

Strung to pitch, and slight buzzing on the upper frets, but they havent been leveled yet, I wanted to see what happened with the neck under string tension first
It will all get done on the 2nd full setup
I wish they went together rperfect the first time! LOL
I will dial in the nut and bridge, but it is happy with  5/8" Farquhar, that pleases me already with a 5/32 action at 22fret

Resonator Hardware back in, and felt added to heel, to help protect carving

nice tight fit

Camera is not doing well for me tonite

Well she is a banjo now, so its time to make it a really good playing one!
Time for a TOAST!

Tyler came in the other nite on hs way to a gig in St Louis, and played one it for quite some time, we played it for Rob over the phone so he could at least get a whiff of the tone
He did'nt ask for his money back.......yet.
:)
 
 

Cool pic, had to leave it in

And..............
My Dad Buster, who has been feeling much better of late, signs off on it as well.

He and Plectra are both having a good time listening to banjo music and banjo related occurences!

He said "Rob will not be able to concentrate"so he  gave Nirvana (Thats what I named her) a little privacy, at least for now!