Today I want to show a good picture and talk about my inlays for the hammer banjo.

 It’s a long neck so I wanted markers for when played as along neck and when a capo is applied. What seems to be extra round dot inlays, are to help with where inlay markers would be for when a capo is applied to the third fret.  The hammer inlays are for where the inlay markers should be on a long neck and also where the two sets of markers would overlap.

For the markers on the side of the neck, I added additional 12th fret double markers. One set of double markers for the 12th fret normally and another for when there is a capo on the third fret.

I did this for me, believing that I will mainly play this banjo with a capo.

The markers commercially available for the sides of the neck, from Stewart MacDonald, were either black or white markers. I didn’t want black markers on my white edging so I made my own. (They also had mother of pearl and such but I didn’t want that either.)

My markers are hickory. I turned down some hickory to 3/32” in diameter, drilled matching holes, bonded the “hickory toothpicks” into the holes and trimmed them flush. I used a new Exacto blade to get a clean flush trim.

To me the natural wood side markers have absolutely the best look for my banjos.