Appalachian Mountain banjo, fretless

this handmade mountain banjo was built in the Frank Proffitt style — one of the most revered traditions in Appalachian folk instrument making. crafted from spalted maple and walnut, the combination of the figured spalted maple and the rich dark walnut gives this mountain banjo a visual character as distinctive as its sound.

frank proffitt was a north carolina banjo maker and folk musician whose instruments became iconic in the american folk revival of the 1950s and 60s. his fretless, open-back design is considered one of the purest expressions of the traditional Appalachian mountain banjo — simple in construction, uncompromising in tone, and deeply rooted in the musical traditions of the southern highlands. building in the proffitt style means honoring those traditions with the same handcraft methods and design principles that defined his work.

spalted maple is a visually extraordinary wood — the dark spalting lines that run through the pale maple figure are created by fungal activity in the wood, making each piece completely unique. combined with walnut accents, this Appalachian banjo has a warmth and natural beauty that factory-made instruments cannot replicate.

as a handmade Appalachian mountain banjo this piece represents a convergence of fine woodworking and folk instrument tradition — built with the same attention to joinery, material selection, and finish that goes into every beth & co. woodworks commission, applied to one of america’s most distinctive folk instruments.

handcrafted by beth & co. woodworks, based in sierra vista, az.

wood species: spalted maple and walnut

delivered to: Sierra vista, Arizona