Builders who are good pickers.

[rudy44]

"some people just like to find fault with everything that is posted on here...."
"I strongly disagree with that statement..."

I disagree with both of those statements! (add whatever type of smiley that you prefer here...)

As a banjo "builder" I COULD take offense, but as a banjo player, I'm pretty thick skinned. The banjo is much maligned, as are bagpipes, accordions, or any of the other instruments that have served as stage props for comedy. The banjo is often "built" by players that want better instruments due to it's bolt-together nature. It's an easy target. I personally don't have an interest in assembling parts that other folks make, but that's because I like to end up on the more adventurous end of the banjo spectrum.
I DO make my own tension bands, raw brass brackets, wood rims from highly figured woods such as birdseye, spalted maple, etc. as well as neck reinforcements, tone rings, stainless steel tail pieces, and some custom inlay. I DO draw the line at tuners and use Gotohs and Pegheds planetaries. I haven't thought of a way to make 'em easily yet...

I know there's no offense meant here, but it's easy to see how anyone might react in a defensive fashion. All of the forums that I'm associated with see an occasional defensive post. I figure if you inadvertantly (or otherwise) throw your old bacon grease in the fire you have to be willing to settle for a bit of flair-up!

As far as mandos go, I've built exactly 1 florentine-style and I ain't exactly anxious to start another one. Luckily, it turned out well and serves me as my main performance instrument. I'm most interested in going outside of the conventional norm, even in mando building.

[Willie Poole]

Rudy, My hat goes out to you if you make you own tone rings, thats quite an accomplishment getting the formula just right etc...I was refering to people that buy all of the parts and just assemble them and they say "I built this banjo"....

[SternART]

Lawrence Smart is a fine picker.......mandolin, violin & guitar.

[Jesse Kinman]

Tyler White plays really cleanly! Haven’t heard him play a whole song, but what I have heard is really pretty!

[sblock]

John Voight is a mighty good player.

Cheryl, Did you mean Dan Voight (luthier/mandolinist in Nashville)? Jon Voight is a mighty good actor, and also Angelina Jolie's father. But he doesn't play mandolin, to my knowledge.

[Jim Garber]

Marty Jacobson.

[multidon]

I don’t think Lou Stiver got mentioned yet. He should be on this list for sure,

[Sterling]

I wish Marty would update his website. I love his #37 that he made for me about 4 years ago. Whenever I get a craving for a ‘better’ mandolin, I take it to Bernunzio’s in Rochester, NY and test it against their vintage stock. I always am more impressed with Marty’s instrument.

[Jim Garber]

I wonder how many or how few mandolin builders do not play at instrument at all. I have a feeling not too many. That doesn’t mean that if you are not a great Mandolin player you would not be a great builder but there probably has to be some skills that a person must have.

[Timbofood]

No one mentioned Bill Halsey... yet

[August Watters]

Mr. Loar was a well known classical mandolin player. I think that is what started his association with Gibson.

Yes - this is an area where the conventional wisdom is far from the best information available. Please refer to Walter Carter's book, "Mandolin in America: The Full Story from Orchestras to Bluegrass to the Modern Revival."

Loar was a well-known mandolin virtuoso, and a Gibson endorser. The rest of it - including his connection to the Loar-signed, Master Model mandolin -- is tenuous.