Banjo Newsletter Links

BNL Columnists ~ Bluegrass on the Internet ~ Instruction - Publications ~ Old-Time Banjo
Individual Artists ~ Other Banjo Links ~ Banjo Builders and Banjo Accessories ~ Music Publications
Festivals, Camps and Musical Events ~ Record Companies and Booking Agents
Tablature, Software, and Instruction ~ Yahoo Search


BNL Columnists

5 String Quarterly, edited by Eddie Collins, focused on 3 finger picking. Their last issue was published in the winter of 1997. Table of contents and feature articles from all 8 issues of 5SQ are provided along with selected pieces on banjo history, and a listing of banjo resources. Contact Eddie Collins at: tuneman@asutin.rr.com

Tom Adams now has a website at www.adamscountybanjo.com, which includes news, schedule, merchandise and a terrific run-on sentence.

Pat Cloud has a new website with sound files.

Janet Davis

Bob Flesher

Jack Hatfield

Murphy Henry

David Jakubiak’s website Fretmentor offers on-line 3-finger banjo instruction (Scruggs, melodic and Reno), including instruction on how to utilize musical theory concepts.

Phil Mann's Banjo and Bluegrass Information Site includes tabs, instrument makers and the Canonical List of Banjo Jokes. Also includes MIDI files for tabs that have recently appeared in Banjo Newsletter.

Dan Levenson

Jim Pankey of North Georgia Music and The Workshop column.

Ken Perlman

Harold Streeter Banjo Catalog: hundreds of tabs, tapes, transcriptions,
books and courses. Visit the website or call (208) 773-0645.

Banjo Builders and musical accessories:

Harry & Jeanie West Fine Musical Instruments in North Carolina have a website

Banjo straps by Sully  "Hangin' around fine musicians everywhere."

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Bluegrass on the Internet

Acutab -- For banjo tablature on the net, check out John Lawless's Acutab Publications site. To sign up for the AcuTab Banjo listserv.

The Anne Arundel County Bluegrass Association

BANJO-L Banjo-L homepage. Donald Zepp authors the Banjo-L homepage, while Sean Barry runs the listserve devoted to the 5-string. Banjo-L homepage includes links, tunings, archives, the banjo players directory, and subscription info.

Mike Acquesta's Banjo In The Hollow site gives a schedule of what this North Carolina banjo group is up to.

Banjo Newsgroup A discussion group about all things banjo! If your Web browser can access your newserver, you can link directly. If not, the address is alt.banjo.

Bluegrass Australia -- Mike Kear, Chairman of IBMA's Pacific Bluegrass Network, informs us of Bluegrass Australia: http://www.bluegrass.org.au

Bluegrassworks.com is an online bluegrass site that includes news,
profilies, CD reviews and sales, charts, links, classifieds and more.

Karen Quick's Bluegrass World. Great links!

Bound for Shady Grove -- Steve Harvey, who wrote this book about Mountain music, now has a homepage, where he reads selections from the book, and also plays banjo tunes.

Clodhoppers Music -- Online music instrument store offering Gold Tone banjos, Blueridge guitars, Regal dobros, Kentucky mandolins, Cremona fiddles, and all kinds of stringed acoustic instruments. Charleston, WV

For the largest bluegrass site on the Net, check out Bob Cherry's Cybergrass: The Internet Bluegrass Magazine.

DC Bluegrass Union -- DCBU maintains a listserv for use by subscribers to promote the dissemination and propagation of information about bluegrass music scene in the metropolitan Washington, DC area (DC/NoVA/MD). Discussion about bluegrass news, events, performances, and any issue relevant to the capitol region's bluegrass scene is encouraged.

For bluegrass and acoustic music tour info, go to Dirty Linen magazine.

BNL Contributor Jack Baker sent in this site for the Fretted Instruments School of Guitar and Banjo.

The International Bluegrass Music Association is an important industry trade organization devoted to the promotion and development of bluegrass music worldwide.

Kulak's Woodshed is a Community of Musicians dedicated to the Celebration of Music just fer the FUN of It. A Live (7 nights a week), Acoustic Music, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Blues, Country, Rock, (anything goes), Seats 'bout 50, Internet Webcast, Kinda..

North West Bluegrass News contains festival and club info on NW England and nearby: Also includes online mags, articles, reviews, Tab/MIDI downloads, and other links.

Ross Nickerson’s site for bluegrass banjo students includes info on his books and DVDs, the Banjo Cruise, online lessons, banjos and accessories, and much more at his website.

The Southern Music Network

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Instruction - Publications

Acoustic Musician magazine is a fine-looking monthly devoted to the needs of the acoustic musician, with tabs, profiles on musicians and luthiers, studio and sound features, and more.

Banjo Academy is a Bluegrass Banjo learning site. Includes videos and mp3s of Cripple Creek, Blue Ridge Mt. Home, Boil Em Cabbage, several rolls, etc.

The Berklee Press music resource area provides up-to-date information and links to other great music-related websites. Music books, cds, dvds, videos, and other instruction products for educating and training musicians.

Black Diamond Strings and National Picks now has a website. Click to see their line of banjo strings and their full line of products.

Jay Buckey of the Virtual Band Bluegrass Method has FREE bluegrass sheet music and tab for the GUITAR, MANDOLIN, BANJO, DOBRO, BASS AND FIDDLE. Also materials to sharpen musicianship and help develop personal style.

Musicians-Workshop.com. Quality DVD music instruction courses for banjo and all musical instruments since 1973.

Pat Cloud - New and updated web site with extensive beginner's and bluegrass instruction sections.

Janet Davis E-mail: jdmc@janetdavismusic.com

The ezFolk website is an instructional website for guitar and banjo, mostly geared towards beginners.

Jack Hatfield Instructional material, strings and accessories, catalog. E-mail: hatfield@tdsnet.com. Here is a link to Jack hatfield's Tablature Index

Hatfield Music Banjo Supplies. http://www.hatfieldmusic.com

Mel Bay Publications - 50 years of excellence in music publishing.

Murphy Henry. Check out Murphy's "Women in BLuegrass" newsletter.

The Music Shed is a mail order outlet for bluegrass music CDs and tapes (and a sister company of Pinecastle Records.

Ken Perlman E-mail: kenperlman@aol.com

Long-time BNL columnist Harold Streeter has his banjo tab catalog at www.lewalt.com

Pete Wernick's extensive web site, includes a wealth of free instructional material, including a special beginners section, jamming pointers, tablature, and a regular Ask Dr. Banjo feature. Also a full store with Pete's CDs, DVDs, videos, books. Calendar, history, MP3s, articles, Notes From the Road, photo albums, more. Discussion list coming.

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Old-Time Banjo

The BANJO-L website contains Anita Kermode's compilation of tunings for the 5-string banjo, with discography and bibliography files.

The Blue Sage Trio An all-acoustic folk trio specializing in the folk songs of the west. Free downloads of clawhammer banjo tablature and instruction.

Gordon Banks has put together an excellent old-time page, with lots of links, and tabs of Dwight Diller's.

Wayne Erbsen's Native Ground Music, Inc., Your Source for Music of America's Past. Email: banjo@nativeground.com

The Old Time Music home page.

The Mugwumps Online website contains old and new articles about vintage instruments and playing styles from this classic and now ressurected magazine. Contact Publisher Michael Holmes by email at: mholmes@mugwumps.com.

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Individual Artists

The 2nd South Carolina String Band

For Old-Time fans: Ray Alden now has a site containing a section titled "artistry in musical instruments," and more.

Bluegrass Connection has artist information, including sound files from recent recordings.

Classical 5-string player John Bullard now has a website where you can purchase CDs and listen to sound files.

Bob Carlin has revamped his website, which includes a list of CarTunes releases, as well as audio clips, bio, photos and press clippings.

Pat Cloud - New and updated web site with extensive beginner's and bluegrass instruction sections.

J.D. Crowe now has a web page, put together by Chris McGlone, that contains a discography, references to published articles and tabs, sources for the above (including of course BNL!) and a few photos.

Danny Barnes, whose new record 'Dust on the Angel" is getting good reviews, has a new site.

Bill Evans - Native and Fine

Bob Flesher's website that contains Bob's CDs, tapes and instructional books is Dr. Horsehair. Also a wealth of information and humor about banjos including the history of the banjo, The First Banjo Contest, Banjo Heros, Converting a Mastertone to the Round Peak Sound, and others.

Hans Holzherr, who put out the 3-finger banjo record "Deep Thought from the Hippo," has a site at http://stop.to/listentobanjocd

Clawgrasser Mark Johnson has a website at http://www.clawgrass.com

Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole have two great clawhammer CDs. Read about them here.

BNL contributor and teacher Ross Nickerson and the Fast Brothers (866-322-6567)

The legendary Sonny Osborne now has an internet site.

Ralph Stanley

Rolf Seiker (of the German bluegrass band The Seikers) has a site at: http://www.a-teamrecords.de It includes some material and photos of Bobby Thompson.

All Ireland & All Britain banjo champion Tony (Sully) Sullivan’s website has banjos, supplies and tutors.

Bart Veerman has posted several Don Reno tabs. These tabs were originally published in BNL, transcribed by Ed Chernesky.

Contact Ralph Stanley by e-mail at RStanleyfc@aol.com

Todd Taylor The Banjoman has a website.

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Other Banjo Links

Angie's Banjo page is all about banjos: instructional books, CDs, DVDs,
banjos, and gear, along with her free monthly banjo magazine "Silver
Strings," which consists of stories from folks who began learning the
banjo as adults, and her learning to play banjo blog.

Banjo Hazard features banjo tee-shirts and bumper stickers.

Bayside Banjo Aggregation sponsors a site for 'g-string deprived banjoists, our four stringed cousins.

Tom Biggs has a website with information on models and dating old Gibson Mastertone banjos.

British Bluegrass Music Association

Chris B's Music offers banjos for sale on line, including models
from Deering, Saga, Washburn, Goldtone, Fender and more. Strings too.

Classic Banjo home page.

Darrel Adkins Productions’ The Bluegrass Classic

Elderly Instruments Vintage instruments including descriptions.

Fingerweights are designed for musicians, and are worn during practice and warm-up. They are claimed to increase speed,dexterity,endurance, and  control. http://www.fingerweights.com/Music_Model.shtml. Banjo players will save 20% when they enter FWCJ07Q3 as the discount code.

First Quality Musical Supplies now distributes the Tennessee 20 Flathead Tone Ring.

Folk of the Wood Banjo and musical accessories and instructional materials.

Frank Ford has descriptions of making a new nut and information on 5th-string spikes.

Greg Earnest Prewar Gibson Banjo website

Irish Traditional banjo home page.

David Crisler's Jazz Banjo site contains sound files and tabs.

Reed Kotler Music, makers of cool transcribing aids that help you learn by ear from your favorite recordings.

Lake Music is a full line music store specializing in bluegrass instruments
(Deering, Crafters, Alvarez, Washburn and Saga), accessories, CD's, books and instructional videos. We also have infor on our bluegrass band, "The Lonesome Tradition" on our site:

Little Mountain Music is a specialty shop for bluegrass instruments, strings and accessories in Ohio.

Barry Luft is a banjo picker and teacher from Alberta. You can find his site at: http://www.barryluft.com/

Mugwumps Online Directory of Instrument Shops: Everyone Mike Holmes hears about is listed. Most who make the parts don't sell at retail, but make for themselves and sell to other makers.

Muckler Design Studio -- Bluegrass music theme t-shirts and bumper stickers, including a banjo t-shirt.

Kim Nakae's Clasical Banjo home page.

Nashville Plating provides the following platings: nickel, chrome, copper, antique gold and 24 karat gold. Owner Ron Satterfield is also a distributor of the Hopkins Tone Ring, and Crafters of Tennessee.

Steve Noon hosts an Irish tenor banjo site HERE. Over the past years he has compiled various tech notes on banjo playing including set-up, tuning, spares etc. He has also done write ups on all the banjos that he offers for sale.

Bill Palmer has an excellent website on banjos, particularly setup.

Andy Perkins says he has the largest banjo stock list in the UK. Check out his on-line catalogue.

Banjo Setup Specialist Kyle Smith has a website

StewMac -- Gauged nut files.

Sully's Straps -- Fine, handcrafted professional quality instrument straps for guitar, banjo, mandolin, and dobro

Turtle Hill Banjo Co. -- Maintains an inventory of over 200 banjos plus instructional materials and accessories. Buys pre-war Gibsons and other good used banjos.

Warren Yates's website has a lot of banjo content, including monthly lessons, the "Practice Anywhere Banjo," Questions and Answers, How to set a Mastertone banjo, and Learn about banjo bridges.

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Banjos Builders and Accessories

Berkman Arts Inc. are the makers of the GENUINE WOODIE stringed instrument stands. Their stands can be adapted to suit any stringed instrument.

Clover Lick banjos are custom old-time banjos, built one at a time. Tonal quality being sought is “a clear, crisp, snappiness with minimal overtones, plunky while not too tubby, not overly long sustain, and with good response.”

AJ Bentley has posted plans, photos and instructions for the open back banjo he recently built.

Greg Boyd, House of Fine Instruments is a supplier of banjo parts and builder's supplies. 311 Knowles St., Missoula, MT 59801 (406) 327-9925

The Bluegrass Boutique offers and turned wooden string winders for banjos and other acoustic instruments. Also, braided kangaroo leather mandolin straps and humorous gifts with a bluegrass music theme.

Dennis Brooker's silent practice banjo can be viewed at
http://www.dbrooker.com/practice.html

Carolina Acoustic and Tony Pass make different types of old wood rims for
retrofit to various types of banjos. For more information go to
http://www.billpalmer.com/oldwood.htm

Bernie Caouette makes banjos in New England.

Colorado Case: Insulated, weathertight soft cases and case covers for any stringed instrument.

Crafters of Tennessee

Deering Banjos

Richie Dotson covers neck construction, banjo bridge building, traditional and custom pearl inlay work. E-mail Richie at banjer@bellatlantic.net

D'addario

Roger and Anne Simpson own EUCALYPT BANJOS in Australia, and make beautiful open-back banjos. Go to their website or call them at (07) 3289 8052

Gibson

Goldtone Banjos

Bill Keith has a website for his tuners.

Helmut Rheingans is a well known violin and banjo maker in the UK. ORB Music

David Hyatt has a website devoted to the promotion of gourd banjos, including some history, current builders, construction techniques etc.

Check out the Miracle T-Bar banjo tailpiece

Nechville Banjos

Chuck Ogsbury and The OME Company. E-mail them at: info@omebanjos.com

Norbert Pietsch in Breman, Germany, has been building banjos for 15 years, including 5-strings, tenors, plectrums, guitar banjos and open-back clawhammer banjos.

Gary Price (maker of Price tailpieces) is well worth visiting. Also, Gary now has a separate fiberglass case site

Jaroslav Prucha is a builder of fine banjos in the Czech Republic.

Roger Siminoff's website includes a bio of him, his Bibliography , Siminoff Banjo and Mandolin Parts. Also includes Siminoff's patents, and a page about Orville H. Gibson , the company he founded, and the 20 Golden Years of Gibson banjos.

Scott Vestal's Stealth Banjo homepage.

Stelling Banjos

Summit Guitar makes a pro-level banjo gig bag that fits resonator and
open-backs. Check them out at www.guitarbackpack.com

Bob Thornburg's Gourd Banjos

George Wunderlich of Wunder Banjo Company makes 18th and early 19th century-era banjos using historical methods, tools and finishings.

Harry & Jeanie West Fine Musical Instruments in North Carolina have a website

Wildwood Banjos

Thumb pick: http://www.strum-n-comfort.com/

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Music Publications

Bluegrass Unlimited magazine is now on-line.

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Festivals, Camps and Musical Events

Allegheny Echoes - Annual Summer Workshops

Bath International Banjo Festival, contact organizer Julian Vincent.

Bill Monroe's Bean Blossom web site contains festival and event info.

Bluegrass World has several hundred bluegrass internet links, along with festival and artist info, and much more. They also publish Bluegrass World magazine.

FestivalFinder - A searchable site for festival dates, places, and contact info.

Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in Ireland, celebrating the best in Bluegrass and Irish Traditional music, in memory of Irish banjo player, Johnny Keenan.

Kulak's Woodshed is a live Acoustic Music, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Blues, Country, Rock, (anything goes) Intimate Living Room Vibe, Internet Webcast, Kinda...Thang.

Metro Banjo 3-day clinic by Village Productions, happens every July near New York City.

NashCamp for complete info on the Bluegrass & Songwriting Camp and the Sonny Osborne Fall Banjo Camp

North Carolina Banjo Clinic 2 days each November in Burnsville, NC by Village Productions.

Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy hosted by Jack Hatfield.

SPBGMA Banjo Workshop, led by Jack Hatfield

Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamps

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Record Companies and Booking Agents

CDNow - Order bluegrass CDs online.

Alison Brown's Compass Records

County Sales

Deep Down Productions:  World Music MP3s, CDs and information specializing in Banjo, Old-time, Georgian,
Indonesian, Gamelan and Jazz

The Music Shed is a retail mail order CD company who deals in bluegrass and acoustic music from all labels. jim@musicshed.com

Ivy Creek Recordings, Home of Authentic Blue Ridge Mountain
Music. Featuring Appalachian Banjo and Fiddle Music, Storytelling, Ballads and Bluegrass.

Pinecastle

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Tablature, Software, and Instruction

Acutab -- Download free tablature software for Macintosh users that we use to typset the Banjo Newsletter.

Cassette & Video Learning Systems produces instructional materials for beginning bluegrass pickers.

Fretted Instruments School of Guitar and Banjo -- Tabs and midi files

History and advantages of tablature page --
http://www.btinternet.com/~drcce/Page5.html

Industry Click Corporation is a  resource for musicians and project studios featuring an online auction of music gear and recording equipment.

Jeremy Casey has the website Banjo Lessons. They also offer Instructional Books, DVDs and Videos.

MusicEase is a music notation program for windows that supports tablature (2 to 9 strings). The fully functional, downloadable version can be used for free by US educational institutions. MusicEase will optionally display tab notation as standard musical notation. It also plays tab via soundcards.

PlayBetterBluegrass.com offers a largest selection of bluegrass
instruction books, videos, DVD's and songbooks, with discount prices and
free shipping on qualifying orders.

TablEdit is a program for creating, editing, printing and listening to tablature and sheet music (standard notation) for guitar and other stringed instruments, including 5-string banjo. Through ongoing consultation, TablEdit has developed support for banjo (even taking into consideration the fifth string). TablEdit can open/import ASCII, MIDI, ABC, MusicXML, Bucket O' Tab, TabRite, and Wayne Cripps files. Files can be saved in TablEdit format or exported to ABC, ASCII, HTML, RTF, MIDI or WAV formats. It runs on Windows, Macintosh, and Windows Mobile (PocketPC.), and is available at http://www.tabledit.com

TABrite is a software package that allows PC owners to easily create their own tabs and play them back using a sound card. MIDI files are also supported.

TonalAlchemy manufactures chordAlchemy for looking-up and reverse looking up chords, scales, notes and intervals. 4 string and 5 string banjos (along with guitars, mandolins) are supported, each with several alternative
tunings.

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Yahoo index.

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