How to Make a Banjo Neck Back Strap

High quality banjos often have back straps.

A back strap is a strip of wood inlayed into the back of a banjo’s neck. The strip of wood actually strengthens the neck, but for the most part, a back strap is a simply designed to be a decorative piece of wood. Use hardwood that contrasts with the neck. For example, if your banjo neck is maple, use a piece of Indian Rosewood, Wenge or Bubinga as the back strap.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4-inch thick hardwood
• Fine tooth file
• Metal scratch awl
• Chisel or rotary tool with router base
• Wood glue
• 800-grit, 1000-grit, 1200-grit, 1500-grit sandpaper
• Rags
• Mineral Spirits
• Tung oil

Instructions

1. Cut a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide strip of hardwood to a length that will extend from the banjo’s nut to just before the spot where the neck meets the banjo’s body. Use a piece of 1/4-inch-thick hardwood. Use a sharp utility knife to cut the wood.

2. Sand the edges of the hardwood with a fine tooth file to smooth them out. Take your time with this step. The more uniform and smooth the edges are, the better your back strap will look.

3. Position the back strap on the back of the banjo neck and then trace the profile of the back strap onto the neck with a metal scratch awl or with the tip of a utility knife. Place the back strap off to the side.

4. Excavate a cavity that measures slightly less than 1/4-inch deep with a cold chisel. If you are comfortable with using a rotary tool equipped with a router base, you can forgo the chisel and opt for the power tool. Stay as close to the lines you drew as possible. It’s better to require additional wood removal than to take out too much.

5. Test fit the wooden strip. It should fit snugly in the hole and rest slightly higher than the neck wood.

6. Apply a bead of wood glue into the cavity and then press the wooden strip into the hole. Wait 24 hours for the glue to dry.

7. Sand the wooden strip flush with the neck wood with an 800-grit sanding sponge. Graduate to a 1000-grit, 1200-grit and then 1500-grit sanding sponge.

8. Wipe the neck with a rag wetted with mineral spirits and then wipe the neck with a rag wetted with Tung oil.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have small gaps between the edge of the cavity and the wood back strap, you can use engraver’s filler to fill in the gaps. After allowing time to dry, sand the filler flush with the wood and then seal with the Tung oil. You can purchase engraver’s filler at most instrument builder supply retailers.