Top Custom Open Back Banjos

We are certainly living in an era of incredible open back banjo builders. Most of these are small shop builders, many are only one-person shops.

Unfortunately, what you are about to find out is if you wanted an incredible custom open back banjo, you should have ordered it at least three years ago!!

This list is in no particular order:

Awesome Custom Open Back Banjos

Romero Banjos

I’m obviously quite fond of Romero banjos because I play one. You can take a closer look at my Custom Open Back Romero Banjo.

There is currently a five year waiting list and prices start at $4700 for the base model 11 inch. The 12 inch model starts at $4900 (I did not pay that for mine! The price has nearly doubled what I paid ). The extended wait list is in part due to the unfortunate fire his workshop had years ago.

Jason Romero’s banjos are works of art. Noted for their heads that are stained to match the wood. In particular, the necks are top class. They are hand carved and feel absolutely wonderful.

Vance Banjos

Vance Banjos are one of my favorite custom open-back banjos. These banjos look amazing. A few of the unique features are stone and wooden inlays. The color combinations Colin Vance uses are to die for. He also has some unique designs (attaching resonators with magnets and his headstock shapes).

Fellow banjo picker Kenneth Elkington plays a Vance Banjos (I believe one of his has a Tubaphone tonering). I recommend his channel if you want to hear a Vance played in a variety of styles. Here is some two-finger style on one of Kenneth’s originals.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the base prices and current wait time for Vance banjos. However, he is taking orders.

Buckeye Banjos

Buckeye Banjos has been around for awhile and makes some incredible banjos. I actually use a Buckeye cherry bridge on my Gibson Earl Scruggs model. Unfortunately, Greg is in such demand that he isn’t currently taking banjo orders (so you’ll have to wait awhile to get one).

Pete Ross Banjos

I discovered Pete Ross Banjos when looking at minstrel and gourd banjos. Like Buckeye banjos, his wait list is currently closed as well. However, you can get on his email list to be notified when his build list opens back up.

Prices begin at $3075 for his open back banjos.

Seeders Instruments

Seeders Instruments is another one I stumbled upon when I was researching wood and tonering combinations. He made a custom banjo for Nora Brown, whose playing I SERIOUSLY enjoy. Here is one of them:

Ozark Banjos

Ozark Banjos is headed up by Lukas Pool and his wife. If you haven’t checked out Lukas’ playing, please do so, incredible clawhammer player.

He currently has a two-year waiting list and his banjos start at $2200. So, you can get a banjo a bit sooner and at a cheaper entry price from Ozark banjos. A video is worth a thousand words: