Versatile Workbench
of
Leo Posch
Superior Stringed Instrument Repair
And Now
Wildflower Custom Instruments
by
Leo The Luthier
"Lowest Possible Action Without Buzzing"
Warranty Service on Many Major Brands!
Personal, Professional Service for Over 25 Years
Fun Projects
take me to the home boy page
| Drawers of Stuff |
| a really great cause |
| Carve a Florentine |
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| virtual tour |
| Carve a Florentine |
The Versatile Workbench
Leo Posch & Susan Willits
5981 Wellman Road
McLouth, KS 66054
Telephone 913 796 6400
Click
to email Leo & Susan
Fun Projects
For pictures of my new guitars click HERE!
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Take me back to the homeypage.
Everyone asks, "working on anything fun (cool, interesting, mentally challenging) lately?"
Everyone asks, "working on anything fun (cool, interesting, mentally challenging) lately?"
The mission: Take this 1960's brazilian 12 string.
Make into a rockin' axe like this 1930's D28.
Here is the new top with the x-braces being clamped up.
New top, old back.
Look at how wide that grain is!
All my bridges are custom made here in my shop.
Just about done.
How about a 1925 Gibson Granada?
Well we had a pot, a tenor neck from something else, and a
resonator that was yucky.
But now...
Well we had a pot, a tenor neck from something else, and a
resonator that was yucky.
But now...
I don't like the look of machine cut inlay.
It has no character.
I painstakingly cut most of my inlay out by hand.
It has no character.
I painstakingly cut most of my inlay out by hand.
This banjo has been through a whole lot.
Someone had taken the tube and plate off and drilled holes through
the rim to make it into an "old time banjo."
They had used eye bolts for shoes.
The lip for the flange had also been sanded partly away
so the rim had to be rebuilt up on the outside.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures til the very end.
Someone had taken the tube and plate off and drilled holes through
the rim to make it into an "old time banjo."
They had used eye bolts for shoes.
The lip for the flange had also been sanded partly away
so the rim had to be rebuilt up on the outside.
Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures til the very end.
How about this for fun and exciting:
Carving a Florentine banjo neck.
First, lay it out.
Carving a Florentine banjo neck.
First, lay it out.
Then cut the outline and carve out the background.
Then just add more detail.
Almost done!
It's that simple!
It's that simple!
Painting is fun.
I had to touch up the carving on this resonator to match the neck.
Now you can see the inlay.
Now here is one in walnut.
I got some patterns from First Quality.
You really need to see some originals to get it right.
You really need to see some originals to get it right.
Here is a parts banjo made into a Granada.
I applied the binding and purfling, put in frets,
shaped the neck, stained and finished it.
I applied the binding and purfling, put in frets,
shaped the neck, stained and finished it.
It turned out looking great.
Sounds good too.
Do you want to see the first banjo I built?
This has Liberty metal parts, rim, and resonator blank.
I built it in 1980 and the shop where I worked was in front
of a bar/performance hall.
So as I labored after hours I also got to listen to lots of
new (to my ears) music.
Lee McBee, Mortal Mikronotz and lots of other stuff.
Sounds good too.
Do you want to see the first banjo I built?
This has Liberty metal parts, rim, and resonator blank.
I built it in 1980 and the shop where I worked was in front
of a bar/performance hall.
So as I labored after hours I also got to listen to lots of
new (to my ears) music.
Lee McBee, Mortal Mikronotz and lots of other stuff.
Here's my first attempt at engraving.
Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much better.
Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much better.
I was playing a late seventies RB-250 at the time and
was pretty disappointed in the sound.
Since I couldn't afford a better banjo I knew I'd just have to
make it myself.
David Wendler, who was the main repair guy in the shop then,
gave me a nice block of mahogany for the neck.
Making that banjo taught me a lot.
At the time I really thought this banjo sounded great.
It still does, too, I have just found that I prefer the sound
of a one piece flange and a maple neck.
Especially if it is on a 1930's pot.
was pretty disappointed in the sound.
Since I couldn't afford a better banjo I knew I'd just have to
make it myself.
David Wendler, who was the main repair guy in the shop then,
gave me a nice block of mahogany for the neck.
Making that banjo taught me a lot.
At the time I really thought this banjo sounded great.
It still does, too, I have just found that I prefer the sound
of a one piece flange and a maple neck.
Especially if it is on a 1930's pot.
more later