These guitars have been done for a little while now, but I just got around to taking pics and posting them. They’re both made with Oregon myrtlewood back and sides and Port Orford cedar tops. Both great tone woods, from southern Oregon, where those trees are native. Above is a Weissenborn type. More info onContinue reading “New Guitars & Laminated Sides – April 2025”
Author Archives: Michael Hampel
Persimmon 2
There are many adequate domestic woods to serve as finger/fret boards, as I mentioned in the previous post. Hard & long wearing, but maybe not the right color. Vacuum dyeing is an option, and any color could be used, royal blue or fire engine red..? I’m interested, but haven’t committed or invested in those capabilities.Continue reading “Persimmon 2”
Persimmon 1
When I began making guitars about ten years ago, besides being very enthusiastic about it all, I was trying to figure out which local woods would work as replacements for traditionally used tropical woods. For most of the material used in guitars, i.e the back, sides, neck, bracing and soundboard, domestic woods work well, thinkContinue reading “Persimmon 1”
February 9, 2025
I haven’t worked on the banjos since my last post, but have made good progress on two guitars. One a ‘Plectrum’ guitar and the other a Weissenborn acoustic lap steel. Both made from Myrtlewood and Port Orford Cedar. I’ve written about ‘laminated’ sides or ribs in a previous post, they’re stronger and the idea isContinue reading “February 9, 2025”
December 2024
I’m back in my shop and starting to get into a bit of a rhythm there. It was a busy farm season even though there wasn’t much soft fruit due to a January freeze (-10F). Garden vegetables, apples and various other fruits, nuts and honey carried us through the market season. I’m enjoying the WinterContinue reading “December 2024”
Banjo Making 5 – May 2024
It’s been a while I know.. busy on the farm. After the rims are turned and trued up it’s time to veneer the outside and inside. I’ve experimented with regular veneer, which is pretty thin (about 1/24″, or 0.024″, or 0.6 mm) which is a standard thickness, and found it to be too thin. It’sContinue reading “Banjo Making 5 – May 2024”
New Guitars & Banjos – Spring ’24
My Winters work are a couple of Weissenborn or Hawaiian type slide guitars, and a couple of open back banjos. One of the guitars top, back & sides are made from koa wood, with black walnut binding, fretboard, bridge and headstock veneer. The other is the opposite, black walnut body and koa trim and bridgeContinue reading “New Guitars & Banjos – Spring ’24”
Banjo Adventures – 4
After the ‘barrels’ are cut they’re ready to turn on the lathe. My current method is to use 3/4″ plywood screwed to a lathe faceplate, using two pieces of plywood is probably a better way, more stable. I center the barrel on the plywood and drill four holes (or more) through the ply into theContinue reading “Banjo Adventures – 4”
Adventures in Banjo Making 3 – January 2024
My bent lamination rims are still a work in progress (as with most everything I’m making) but I’ve put them on the back burner for now in favor of exploring the ‘stave’ method I’ve been working on. Someone on the Banjo Hangout forum mentioned it and it reminded me of when I made standup paddleContinue reading “Adventures in Banjo Making 3 – January 2024”
Adventures in Banjo Making – 02
For me, the first step was to figure out how to make a pot, or the body of the banjo. There are a few ways to make one, one is to bend long strips of wood into a hoop, and laminate them together. Another is to make a segmented ring with wedge shaped pieces, thenContinue reading “Adventures in Banjo Making – 02”
Hampel Guitars 