Hartel Banjos are individually handmade with the finest materials using dimensions from the original Banjos of the Minstrel Era. James Hartel has been making and playing.
Hartel Banjos are handcrafted using the finest materials, following the dimensions of original Minstrel Banjos. James Hartel began making and playing banjos in 1973 when he created a banjo for his two-year-old daughter. Although she didn’t learn to play it until she was thirty, by that time, Jim had delved deeply into the history of American banjos. He started making replicas of authentic minstrel banjos.
Through the generosity of experts in banjo history, collectors of early musical instruments, and museums, Jim has gained access to a wide range of surviving early banjos. He has meticulously documented the exact dimensions, construction techniques, and detailed characteristics of each instrument he replicates. Additionally, he continues to research and regularly fine-tune his banjos to ensure that they look and sound as much like the instruments of the early minstrel period.
Jim Hartel was selected as one of the banjo makers for the North American Banjo Builder Series, part of the Smithsonian Folkways “Instrument Builder” Collection.
He has been playing banjos on and off since 1973 when he made one for his 2-year-old daughter. However, she didn’t learn to play the banjo until she was thirty. By then, Jim had researched the history of American banjos enough to start making replicas of authentic minstrel banjos.
Through the generosity of banjo history experts, collectors of early musical instruments, and museums, Jim has access to a wide array of surviving early banjos. He has documented the exact dimensions, construction techniques, and detailed characteristics of each instrument he replicates. Furthermore, he continues his research and regularly fine-tunes his banjos to look and sound as much like the banjos of the early minstrel period as possible.
“Jim Hartel was one of the banjo makers selected for the North American Banjo Builder Series. The Series is part of the Smithsonian Folkways “Instrument Builder” Collection.
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