Interview: Greg Galbreath on the New Standard Models at Buckeye Banjos

After providing some of the best custom banjos on the market for the past 15 years, Greg Galbreath of Buckeye Banjos has developed a new lineup of standard models that he has begun offering.

In a recent newsletter update, Galbreath shared that he was finishing up the prototypes for the three models, dubbed B100, C100 and S100 (pictured from left to right). He has also revamped the Buckeye Banjos website, which provides all the details you need to know about the standard models, ordering information, news and a robust FAQ page for all your other questions.

Amid these announcements, Galbreath agreed to answer a few questions to provide insight into why he decided to develop these banjos, about whether he'll begin offering custom banjos again and other plans for the future. What follows is a transcript of our correspondence.

What was your motivation for developing this line of standard models?

Galbreath: I’d say my main motivation for developing the standard models was my desire to increase my efficiency and production rate. I love creating anything goes, custom banjos, but completely redesigning each instrument takes a lot of time, so I thought I could produce more banjos if I did some of the design work up front. After making custom banjos for almost 15 years, I’ve learned that tone preference is very personal, so I decided to offer a limited amount of customization to the main four tone producing specs (wood, rim size, tone ring and head) so that people could create an instrument with the specific sound they were after. I’ve also learned that people like personal touches to the look of their banjos, so I decided to offer the option of a small heel inlay as well. I’ve always felt that the heel was a great place to put a little something special that most people don’t initially see. I also thought that by putting the inlay on the heel the overall design of the front of the instrument would be preserved.

Although, it probably doesn’t look like it, I spent a ton of time designing these instruments, slowly stripping them down to a point where their look was all about the wood and hardware and where all of the design elements fit together in a coherent way and worked together. I also wanted each of the models to have a distinctive look and feel but also for them all to hold together as a “family” and possess a similar overall vibe. I originally only had a scoop plate on the S100, but later decided to add it to all three models, for this purpose.

Another reason for the standard models was to give folks that might not be super banjo nerds an option if they don’t want to delve into the intricacies of all the little details and really just wanted to order a nice basic banjo. I think they can also be a good jumping off point for folks that know the sound they are after, but aren’t as worried about a lot of ornamentation, which I think is true for a lot of people today.

When will these models be available? Are they made to order or built on spec?

Galbreath: They’re available now! I actually have already taken a couple of orders for them that I hope to start as soon as my current batch of custom banjos is done. I had originally planned to simply make them on spec and then offer them for sale, but after deciding to offer the limited customizations, I’m now going to make them to order. Something that I’ve been toying with recently is the idea of throwing in one spec banjo of my own design into each batch of standard models. We’ll see if this works, but I really like the idea of this so that I can experiment on new ideas more. I think my first one will be a trial run of a banjo using native hardwood fingerboards and trim – I love the Rocklite I’ve been substituting for ebony, but I’m looking forward to trying some of the great local woods that are available. 

Will you still offer custom banjos? If so, how will that process change?

Galbreath: When I initially published the new website, I did open the Custom List. I got a ton of responses and a lot of orders, so unfortunately I made the tough decision to close it down again. I was super excited about the response, but I didn’t want to get in the position I was in before with five years’ worth of orders. As much as I hated to do it, I decided to play it safe. In the mid-term, I hope that the customizable standard models will satisfy most people, and I hope to open the custom list again as soon as I work it back down to a manageable length. I really hate that I’m so slow, but after 15 years of trying everything I can think of to speed things up, I’m finally trying to just accept that this is the pace I work at.

Is there anything you would like to highlight about the website update?

Galbreath: Other than the new standard models, the biggest addition to the website is the new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. I blew out my back in March, so I was down on the couch for about a week, which was when I did most of the website updates. With so much time to kill, I came up with a ton of questions and found that it was a great way to get into more detail about a lot of things that I didn’t want to clutter the main site with, and also be a little more informal. I doubt many people will actually read them all, but I thought I would put them there anyway for the true banjo nerds!

For those wondering, the standard model designations are based on the peg head shape: "Base" for B100, "Cole" for C100 and "Slothead" for S100.

If you are interested in one of Galbreath's Buckeye Banjos, be sure to contact him through his website. And if you haven't already seen it, check out the previous interview that Glory-Beaming Banjos conducted with Galbreath in 2013 by clicking here.