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Hello!
I’ve loved listening to the banjo for a long time, and I had wanted to learn it since I was a teenager. I took a liking to Clawhammer after I was introduced to the music of Abigail Washburn. I finally started to learn when my dad bought me a beginner banjo for Christmas in 2019 while I was going through some difficult times. I started taking lessons with an old banjo player named Dave Shapiro until I moved. I built my first carver banjo (the travel banjo) last year, and I’m looking forward to building one with a bit more volume in the future.
Hey! I’ve been loving the building videos. I haven’t been into banjos long. I built myself one out of a gourd a couple months ago and I’m hooked. Super proud of this banjo, call her “Scratch”. I’ve lived my life all around the American South and picked up my love of old time and bluegrass on my own. Spent a few years in Kentucky and visit Appalachia often. Haven’t been playing long and I’m looking to make more banjos but I’ve been looking at Carver tack heads for a while now. That classic style is so nice to look at with wonderful sound.
Hello! I grew up around hearing banjo off and on in bluegrass. I became more interested after listening to bands like The Pogues. I play tenor style, but I have been more recently interested in learning 5 string clawhammer after listening to Frank Proffitt. In fact, I found the site through the Frank Proffitt tag.
I think what you’re doing here is fantastic. I really like the designs and materials that you use. Keeping it simple. I hope you keep it up for many years to come!
Thank you for this giveaway opportunity.I have played the guitar since I was 5. I built my own ukulele early in the pandemic from a StewMac kit and learned to play that. In early 2021, I purchased a Carver Americana kit and built that. It is absolutely beautiful and I love playing it at home, but would get so much more practice time in with a second kit at work as well.
Hi there, I am super new to banjo but first fell in love with the sound hearing a friend of mine play one when we were in primary school here in Australia, and have since spent the last three decades enjoying American music: bluegrass and blues. Recently I lucked out and found a very cheap (but Chinese-made) banjo at a thrift store and I’ve been trying to teach myself how to play from YouTube – so much fun!
I googled DIY banjo kits a few minutes ago, as I’m a wood burner and I wanted to find a quality, unfinished kit that I might be able to customise and as further luck would have it, I found this community and giveaway. It’s great to meet you all! I’m excited to have a look through these forums, check out some awesome builds, and hear some building/playing tips. Good luck to everyone in here! 🙂
I first got into the banjo during COVID – I was inspired to learn to play from watching the Ken Burns documentary on Country Music. not a direct line, but that’s the story I’m sticking with.
Learning basic tunes and workings of the banjo have opened up my mind to the versatility of the Banjo, and fueling my desire to grow with the instrument.
I mainly focus on 2 finger and clawhammer styles, as they are similar, slower, and I think a bit more emotive. I found Carver Banjo through Mandy on Banjo Lemonade, and was instantly hooked. I am a big believer in an old adage from my father – If you build it, you truly own it.Thanks!
SPF
Hi all.
My journey to the banjo started with guitar, then ukulele, then banjo ukulele which I first learned clawhammer on. That inspired me to get a full sized banjo to play. Fretless and building my own is the next step.
Hey everyone!
I got into the banjo one day while skipping school at a music store. I went in to try some bass guitars and walked out with a gold tone bluegrass banjo while knowing nothing about it.
When I got home I started doing my research and became completely captivated by the history and simple complexity of the instrument. From there forward I used to dream of finding an affordable fretless banjo and one day I stumbled upon carver banjos!
After saving some cash, I managed to buy a minstrel banjo kit in the early days of the vivid 19 lockdown and the moment the kit arrived my excitement was thru the roof.
I spent the next couple of days patiently building. I enjoyed the process so much.
Then when I was done I had this incredible instrument that totally overtook my life.
The following summer I went to play it only to find that the humidity and drastic temperature changes north of the mason dixon line (I’m in Ontario Canada) caused the skin to tear.
Following that I was playing it with a tape holding it together until the tear became too large.
I’m going to replace the skin soon. It’s my favourite possession and something I can look at and say “I put that together!”
To this day I still rave to my friends about the process and urge them to try carver banjos too!Brian is awesome and was so helpful every step of the way!
I find my inspiration in old time banjo music. I love the Melodies and warmth of nylgut strings. Anytime I can find a way to use a banjo on a recording I do. (I’m a music producer).
Building that kit changed my musical life and direction.
Here’s hoping for the chance to do it again!Matt
I grew up listening to my uncles play Bluegrass at family gatherings and always loved hearing the banjo. I got a starter banjo when I was 17 and tried to learn 3 finger Scruggs style and it never stuck. The early to mid 2000’s folk rock boom (Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons ect.) inspired to me to keep playing even though I’m a terrible 3 finger player. After that I got really into Doc Watson and found I really liked Old-Time banjo. So I took to clawhammer banjo and have renounced my bluegrass roots. Though I’ve been branching out into 2 finger lately.
I grew up listening to my uncle play banjo. His nickname was “Pick”, so I always called him “Uncle Pick”. The sound of the banjo and the image of him sitting on his chair on the porch playing were such a huge part of my childhood. I had to sell my banjo so I could finish my master’s degree (I’m a first-gen student) and haven’t played in over a year. I’d like to buy one of these kits at some point even if I don’t win one.
I was mostly inspired to get a banjo by listening to music from folks like Matt Heckler, and I also just really enjoy collecting and learning instruments. I find the banjo much easier than guitar, and I like the versatility of different tunings and string options and whatnot. Found Clifton Hicks shortly after getting my banjo back in January and didn’t give bluegrass a second glance haha. So much can be said for learning songs by ear & tuning the banjo to one’s voice. Really excited for the chance to win a kit – I’ve been wanting to build my own banjo.
I have purchased a number of Carver Banjos and enjoy building the banjo kits. Brians new design is great and very fellable. It is very interesting to watch his construction videos both new and old
Joe ConradHi Brian & hello new forum friends! As I approach my 3 yr “banjo-versary” next month I would love to win a bent rim kit! I started my banjo journey not knowing I needed a banjo. After buying my daughter a ukulele, I began strumming and fingerpicking on it myself and played for about a year, but not really finding my groove. I was introduced to clawhammer style ukulele after seeing an Aaron Keim video on YT and was hooked, and took very quickly to the style, but the 4 string ukulele sound was missing something… a 5th string. So i got brave and took the plunge and bought a Deering steel string. But I still wasn’t finding the exact sound I was looking for. That’s when I found carverbanjos.com. Brian’s kits have been a true blessing in my banjo playing. My first kit was his travel banjo kit, I needed something to play when I flew to St. Croix and it packed into my carry on with an easy break down and assembly. I love it! Next was his Mountain Banjo. Fantastic sound and playability! I play it every day. I also added the gourd banjo kit to my collection, and boy is that a beauty! So you can see why I need the bent rim to add to my collection now. And I have to say how great the quality and customer service are with Carver Banjos. Brian really shows how much he cares about what he is doing. Lastly I will say my inspirations have been Adam Hurt and Steve Martin, along with the teachings of Brad Kolodner, Tom Collins, Josh Turknett, and again Adam Hurt. All online instruction for free or a very low cost.
Holly Jackson
Check out my youtube channel to see my journey!
I have been playing guitar for 10 years and have more guitars than I should in my collection. A few years ago, my wife found a video on youtube of Rhiannon Giddens playing a banjo while sitting under a tree. I was so impressed with her playing. She got me started looking at banjos and inspired me to play one. My previous banjo listening experience was Hee-Haw, The Beverly Hillbillies and that infamous movie that made Duelling Banjos so popular. My wife said ‘you don’t have a banjo.’ So over time I bought a Deering Goodtime 2, then a mountain banjo kit from harpkit.com. Then a Deering Sierra. Then a Gold Tone CC-100R. Winter is coming and I am seriously looking at a Carver kit to keep me busy. Perhaps I will get lucky and win the 12″ one? Please?
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