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Tall person. Tiny banjo. Good times. 🪕

Yes, I know.
No, this is not normal.
(…usually.)

But in honor of National Banjo Day - “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” on the smallest banjo I own.

You’re welcome.

#NationalBanjoDay #Banjo #Bluegrass #FoggyMountainBreakdown #BanjoLife

Some things have definitely changed during the course of my career - bands, banjos, strings, bridges - but the one constant has been my picks.

I’ve used Sammy Shelor stainless steel finger picks and @bluechippicks thumb picks for almost twenty years. They consistently help me deliver the tone, volume, and clarity that I searched for as a young and growing player. They’ve helped me hone in my sound and guarantee consistency night after night, regardless of who I’m playing with or where. Stage or studio, this is the winning combination that works for me.

Thank you Sam and Matt!

I fully blame (and thank) my buddy @billystrings for getting “Rambling Hobo” stuck in my head again. This was actually the gateway tune that introduced my father @gcarsonbanjo to acoustic roots music via Doc Watson. It also helped Pop on his path to building banjos, including the beautiful walnut openback now safely in the extremely capable hands of Billy.

I’ll send this one out to Pop & Billy on my 1891 Fairbanks Electric & I hope the recovery is going good Strings!

#banjo
#clawhammer
#docwatson
#billystrings
#nashville

Since the response was so good to the “little” upload I made on National Banjo Day, I thought it’d be fun to post a full sized follow up.
No one can ever out-Scruggs the man, but this is as close of a tribute to Earl as my hands can manage. My banjo is tuned up to match the original December 11th, 1949 recording made at Herzog Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hope you enjoy a minute of the world’s most famous banjo tune.

Keep rollin’
RC

#FoggyMountainBreakdown
#BluegrassMusic
#BanjoPlayer
#BluegrassLife
#Nashville

The @intlbluegrass first round ballot is out. I’m thankful to be part of this community, and I’d be honored if you considered me this year.

#ibma #ibmaawards #foryourconsideration #banjoplayeroftheyear #bluegrass

After decades of use by players around the world, the beloved Grover Patent Presto tailpiece has finally been surpassed. Steve Huber and myself are proud to announce to new Patent Huber Ta Da!

We did years of research and found a new alloy that improves tone, clarity and responsiveness in these tailpieces. We also removed the adjustment screw since people throw those out anyway. However we added two special “tone ports” on the base of the Ta Da that we guarantee to make you sound almost as good as Earl on the “Foggy Mountain Banjo” record.

Please send all inquiries to Steve@nicetrybuddy.com and Ta Da, your tone will be better in no time!!

#april1st

The latest banjo in the arsenal just arrived from @finefolkmusic in Germany and I couldn’t be happier with it! It was made by A Goodman in Manchester England. It’s an incredibly inspiring banjo to play and it’s in immaculate condition. This one is a keeper for sure, hope you enjoy a little of Tom Adams “Box Elder Beetles” on the new toy.

No words for this one… You had so much more music inside, thank you for sharing your beautiful instrument & gift with the world, Ronnie. Thank you

Time for a little Reed Martin with your morning coffee. I’m sending this out to @nextgennostalgia for a little Oldtime inspiration & @gcarsonbanjo for building this masterpiece of a neck for Reed’s De Luxe.

Dean Meece has been a tremendously good friend for a long time now. He has set the tuner universe on fire with his restoration business. If you have tuners that need love, Dean is your man.

But more recently, he has started the manufacturing process of making new cam tuners. These are made with the blessing of & in the style of the legendary Jim Burlile cams.

Dean recently gave me and two other lucky players a prototype set to see how they feel. Let me tell you, they are as smooth as a bolt action rifle!

I can’t wait to see these go into production, because these cams and my Huber banjo are killer combination!

I couldn’t think of a better way to end this year than spending it with my best friend and enjoying a steam powered ride at Strasburg. I’m a truly blessed man more than I deserve & I can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

I couldn’t think of a better way to end this year than spending it with my best friend and enjoying a steam powered ride at Strasburg. I’m a truly blessed man more than I deserve & I can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

I couldn’t think of a better way to end this year than spending it with my best friend and enjoying a steam powered ride at Strasburg. I’m a truly blessed man more than I deserve & I can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

I couldn’t think of a better way to end this year than spending it with my best friend and enjoying a steam powered ride at Strasburg. I’m a truly blessed man more than I deserve & I can’t wait to see what the new year brings!

It was an absolute honor to help celebrate the @opry and its 100th birthday last week! I also got to take my brother @nextgennostalgia’s new banjo out for its maiden voyage on the Opry stage and it sounded pretty dang good, if you ask me. Lastly, hearing @andyleftwich, @rickyskaggs, and @delmccouryband on “Uncle Pen” was as American as apple pie and good for the soul.

🎥 by the wonderful @rachelkleftwich

#nashville #grandoleopry #bluegrass #banjo