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The Appalachian Mountain-style banjo is a distinct, crude yet simple instrument belonging to the banjo family. This particular banjo is fretless, has five-strings and is native to the Appalachian mountains of North America. Because this instrument originated in the rural mountains, it is uniquely handcrafted and homemade by an individual harnessing easily accessible local woods, along with utilizing re-purposed household items. The mountain banjo is not a stop during the evolutionary process of the modern banjo, but a cleverly innovated version. Mountain banjos were adapted from the resources available to mountain culture, stemming from the minstrel and framed style of banjos.

History
The exact date of the banjo reaching the Appalachian Mountains is still unknown because of the little information dating back to its original exchange into the territory. However, there are many theories pertaining to when and where the actual exchange of the fretless style mountain banjo took place. In Cece Conway’s book, “African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia”, Conway believes the White Mountain banjo came directly from southern blacks before the Civil War because of travel patterns, interactions between mountain banjo players/teachers, patterns of musical change and possible exchanges in regions of the Upland South. The Sugar Grove and Round Peak regions of Appalachia are two examples of such areas where musical exchange was said to have taken place between black banjo players and mountain people. Sugar Grove was a heavily frequented trading center that is nestled in between North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Several banjo players lived near this trade route and were said to have been influenced by African American players. For example, banjo players Tom Ashley and Hobart Smith both come from old families that lived in this area that were musically influenced by black players. Other scholarly figures such as Robert Winans believe the mountain banjo came directly from the “minstrel tradition” because of the popularity of the banjo in minstrel shows. Since these shows appeared everywhere, Conway states there is no way Americans could have escaped the contact with this type of music. Archie Green on the other hand believes the black laborers who worked on the railroad exchanged the mountain banjo style to white musicians. Lastly, Tony Russell believes the exchange took place during the first part of the 20th century with the traveling tent and medicine shows. Conway continues to prove her own theory by using specific events that happened during the 20th century. For example, Conway states, “I have specific proof only that the antebellum circuses put northern white musicians in contact with southern folk banjo tradition” (Conway 123). Since the blackface minstrel period happened after the period of circus traveling in the South and musicians in the circus already knew how to play mountain music there must have already been an exchange of the banjo between southerners. Therefore, Conway believes there might have been a possible exchange of teaching the banjo when the circuses traveled through the Appalachian Mountains. The article “The Appalachian Banjo a Brief History”, written by Sharon Kimball states, that the banjo was brought into the Blue Ridge around 1780 by David and Samuel Hix when they settled in North Carolina near the Watauga River. This theory states that the Hix family brought the banjo and the clawhammer style of playing to the Appalachian Mountains.

Construction
Similar to the common banjo, the mountain banjo’s genetics consists of a pot, a small head (like a drumhead), a neck, a floating bridge, a nut, a headstock with tuning pegs and has five-strings (including the short drone string). One outstanding characteristic to the mountain banjo is its smaller head. The head is generally between 4 and 6 inches in diameter; tensioned by an internal metal ring, commonly made from an old stove pipe or a coffee can. The head is typically made from the skin of a groundhog or other small mammals. The head rests centered inside the wooden frame body of the banjo. There are wide varieties of construction processes involved in making a mountain style banjo. Each builder puts their own flare and technique into creating the banjo. However, there are numerous similarities in common from one mountain banjo to the next. Many different types of hardwood may be used, with the most available being walnut and maple. Maple gives a very bright tone and walnut provides a more rounded warm quality to the sound. The majority of the instrument is made from wood with varying exceptions like the metal ring used inside the pot and screws. Today’s modern mountain banjos have metal strings, which are easy to access in almost any music store. Early Mountaineer banjo makers did not have that luxury. They used whatever they could find, which was most commonly strands from screen doors. Makers removed individual wires from the screen, in order to make a string into the desired thickness and length. Mountain banjos typically use hand carved friction peg heads similar to those found on violins. Stanley Hicks often remarked, "Anything goes as long as it rings."

Past builders

 * Leonard Glenn was an instrument maker from Laurel Creek in NC. Glenn made traditional mountain banjos from maple, walnut, and cherry wood and used small animal hides for the heads. He was also well known for his handmade dulcimers. He influenced his son, Clifford Glenn, to take up the hobby as well.
 * Clifford Glenn is a fourth-generation instrument maker from Sugar Grove in Watauga County, NC. His creations include mountain banjos and dulcimers that are made almost entirely of wood. He was largely influenced by his father, Clifford Glenn.
 * Frank Proffitt was an old time banjoist from Beech Mountain, North Carolina. He is known for recording the ballad “Tom Dooley.” He was also a talented carpenter who built his own fretless mountain banjos and dulcimers and is generally the name most commonly associated with bringing the mountain banjo into the public eye during the 1960’s folk revival.
 * Stanley Hicks was an instrument builder, woodworker, dancer, musician, and storyteller from Watauga County, NC. Like his grandfather and father, Stanley created homemade banjos and dulcimers. After accidentally cutting off his finger while making a dulcimer, he was forced to abandon the usual clawhammer style and develop his own manner of playing.

Current builders

 * Rick Ward is an oldtime banjo player, ballad singer, and instrument maker from Sugar Grove, NC. Rick learned how to build banjos, dulcimers, and fiddles from his father and grandfather. After his grandfather died when he was a teenager, Rick was inspired to learn how to play the banjo in the “double-knock” style that his grandfather used.
 * Noel Booth is a banjo maker from Waynesville, NC. He creates fretted and fretless banjos as well as antebellum-style banjos and gourd head banjos.
 * John Peterson is a mountain style banjo maker who resides in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. He was heavily influenced by the designs of Clifford Glenn, with whom he has visited on many occasions, and by Stanley Hicks, another maker who he never directly collaborated with. John owns one banjo from each of these two legendary makers. He has currently made well over 200 banjos and sells them world-wide.
 * Charlie Glenn is a maker of fretted and fretless mountain banjos as well as guitars and fiddles. He currently resides in the Beech Creek area of Watauga County, North Carolina. He learned to make banjos primarily through the assistance of his wife’s uncle, Stanley Hicks.