A Lichty Electric Banjo? You Bet !
You might be wondering just what compelled Jay to build an electric banjo. Well, why not? – would be the simple answer but there is more to it than that. Most of you know that when Jay is not building instruments, he is playing them. As a luthier it is way more fun to build instruments that he has designed and crafted for his style of play that feature the look, sound, feel and vibe that he is after. Until recently his personal instrument arsenal included multiple models of acoustic guitars and ukuleles (including archtops), mandolin, fiddle and electric guitar. The challenge/opportunity came recently to build an electric banjo because he is playing one in the band he is in, Mercury Rising. He has had a love affair with a custom Nechville Banjo that he has played for years and while he still loves that instrument, it occurred to him that it’s the only non-Lichty that he plays and … well, why not build one?
He started by taking apart a vintage banjo ukulele that had been basically a decoration in his office for years. From that he snagged the tone ring that he then crafted a goat skin head for. The body is poplar with a mahogany neck and ziricote fingerboard. It has a K&K Aloha Twin pick-up as well as a lipstick pick-up and Gotoh tuners. The tailpiece is a JazzMaster with a Whammy bar. Yes, this is truly a one-of-a-kind!
Stay tuned for some recording coming your way in the fall from Mercury Rising and … for whatever instrument Jay dreams up next in the luthier shop!
Audio Samples:
- Learn more about the Lichty Guitars’ Story