Zen And The Art Of Banjo Maintenance
&roid Sets His Sights On Mr. Stradivari
February 15th, 2006
The long neck banjo is an exciting instrument. Yea, it is unfortunately also a rare thing these days. A shunned relic of years gone by, most 'modern' banjo players favor the resonator style. "Modernists be damned. I might be a robot, but this insatiable thirst for the 'new' is agrivating. Don't they know that, in the end, everything new is old again?"
Apparently not. The waning popularity of the open back necessitates that any maintenance must be undertaken by the owner/operator. And so, our metallic-limbed hero took it upon himself to become an expert in all things long neck. He got a copy of Larry Sandberg's Complete Banjo Repair and found it lacking. "The David Macaulay-esque interface of this manual is a bit upsetting. I want blueprints, not illustrations!"
It was upon realizing this woeful state of affairs that &roid set to work writing his very own More Complete Banjo Repair. Consider it a Bentley-style repair manual if you will.
"The hammer and screwdriver are an oft overlooked tool pairing when it comes to luthierie. It is a powerful combination many shun. But these are probably same people who prefer the resonator. A pox on them I say -- my banjer and I are perfectly happy to blaze our own trail without these wretches."
Look for More Complete Banjo Repair at fine bookstores nationwide. Brought to you by veedee Press.
Long Live The vee Revolution.