Dave Boyle Tenor Banjo
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Hand made in 2013 by Dave Boyle, 19 fret tenor banjo. Maple construction with nickel plating, in mint condition. The banjo is 8 years old but virtually unplayed, as you can see from the photos. About the Banjo
The Tone Ring
A lot of attention is paid to the tone ring. It is probably the single most important component of the banjo. Dave used bell bronze of the highest quality. It comes as a tube which is done by continuous casting. It is a flawless material with no voids or inclusions and is perfect for machining. It is proof turned and parted off into rings ready for a lathe. Dave turned them himself into the finished tone ring. The quality of the material and the design of the tone ring gives maximum resonance and tonal quality.
Wooden Rims
Having tried different types of wood Dave came to the conclusion that well seasoned sycamore gave the best results for the rims. It is made of 18 blocks glued together and turned into the finished rim. It is lightly fitted to the tone ring and doesn’t restrict the vibration. It has proven to be very successful.
Full Flange
The flange is made of high quality mazac (zinc based alloy). The mould for the flange was designed and made in Dave’s workshop. It is cast by Kilmainham Art Foundry and finally finished & machined by Dave himself. The flanges are unique to DB banjos, with the exception of a limited number supplied to Clareen Banjos for their Setanta model.
Picture of Barney McKenna playing his custom made gold plated DB banjo. (picture courtesy from www.daveboylebanjos.com)
