Joe Mendel has been building excellent instruments for over three decades now, with an impressive and diverse body of work to showcase his mastery of the craft. From Mandolins and Guitars to numerous varieties of Banjos, Joe’s offerings are wide-ranging and eclectic but all share his gift for voicing and his eye for beautiful (sometimes exotic) woods.Take this 12″ Open Back Banjo in Paduak: gorgeous red hues imbue the Paduak neck and rim with a thoughtfulness and sonority that is echoed in the dark, complex tonality of the instrument’s voice.
Let Joe’s ultra smooth neck profile guide your hands into new and exciting tonal territory. Mendel voices his banjos to have an earthy, complex voice, and he achieves that in part by employing more wood components, and this particular batch of Paduak gives this banjo a dynamic, warm, and woody voice, with all the projection we traditionally associate with banjos.
This is one sexy banjo. I busted out some Shady Grove in Sawmill Tuning and it sent shivers up my spine. I think Joe's banjos are a category unto themselves, and have more variety, nuance, and depth to offer than much of his competition. 
This banjo really rings. It's got a lot of great qualities and I would put it on the level of many much more expensive banjos. I like the antique brass look of the metal parts too. Truly impressive on all counts. | Scale Length | 25.4 in |
|---|---|
| Nut Width | 1.31 in |
| String Spacing | 1.69 in |
| Woods | xx, Padauk |
Joe Mendel has been building excellent instruments for over three decades now, with an impressive and diverse body of work to showcase his mastery of the craft. From Mandolins and Guitars to numerous varieties of Banjos, Joe's offerings are wide-ranging and eclectic but all share his gift for voicing and his eye for beautiful (sometimes exotic) woods.Take this 12" Open Back Banjo in Paduak: gorgeous red hues imbue the Paduak neck and rim with a thoughtfulness and sonority that is echoed in the dark, complex tonality of the instrument's voice.Let Joe's ultra smooth neck profile guide your hands into new and exciting tonal territory
This is one sexy banjo. I busted out some Shady Grove in Sawmill Tuning and it sent shivers up my spine
This banjo really rings. It's got a lot of great qualities and I would put it on the level of many much more expensive banjos 