This was a custom instrument built to an Islander spec for Lee Collinson from The Salts.
Lee loved the sound of our Islander banjo but needed a slightly longer frailing scoop for his playing style. He also wanted a reference to the band on the instrument so we made a custom brass frailing plate. As a proper gigging instrument the banjo had to have a reliable pickup. We customised an EMG ACB wiring harness and mounted the whole pickup assembly in the pot.
www.thesalts.co.uk
(Lee playing his custom 'Salty Dog' Islander)
ISLANDER OPEN-BACK
Neck: flamed maple, with twin adjustable truss rod
Binding: ebony, triple purling inside, double purling on edge
Custom elongated S-shaped frailing scoop
Hand Pierced Brass frailing plate
Ebony heel cap
Ebony headstock veneer with white mother of pearl snowflake inlay
'Expeditionary' solid headstock
Ebony fretboard, Ebony binding
Abalone fret dots
Pot: ash block build, ebony bound inside and out
Solid flamed maple dowel stick coordinator
Unbleached bone hand-cut top nut
24 brackets, nickel plated, on nickel tension hoop