Huss and Dalton Singletree

San Francisco multi-instrumentalist Rik Elswit demonstrates his 11-inch open-back Huss and Dalton banjo.

Virginia’s Huss and Dalton Guitar Co. is known more for its flattop guitars than its banjos, but the company’s roots can be traced back to the time founders Jeff Huss and Mark Dalton met while working at Stelling Banjo Works in the early 1990s. Today, Huss and Dalton offer three basic models of banjos, the bluegrass-style Cedar Forest and Owens Mill, and the open-back Singletree. In this video, San Francisco multi-instrumentalist Rik Elswit, who performs in several bands and teaches at Bananas at Large, in San Rafael, California, demonstrates his Singletree.

The Huss and Dalton Singletree is available with 11- or 12-inch pots and with a choice of maple, Whyte Laydie, or Dobson tone rings. The instrument in this demo has the 11-inch pot and Whyte Laydie tone ring option, as well as a three-ply maple rim and one-piece mahogany neck. The ebony fingerboard has a frailing scoop above the 14th fret.

Rik, who also owns a Huss and Dalton TD-R guitar (which he demos here), likes the Singletree’s sparkly sound and simple looks. “There are no frills. It’s just a clean, made-for-the-purpose instrument,” he says.

SPECS: Open-back banjo. Three-ply maple pot with 11-inch head. Whyte Laydie tone ring.

One-piece mahogany neck. Ebony fingerboard. 25.4-inch scale. 1⁵/₁₆-inch nut width. Five Star planetary tuners. Made in the USA. $2,627 (with Whyte Laydie tone ring. $2,077 base price). hussanddalton.com

Related Instrument Demos Posts

Mike’s Banjo Mute Evie Ladin demonstrates a great tool for quiet banjo practice. Read More

Will Seeders 11-inch Dobson Banjo Evie Ladin demonstrates one of her own go-to banjos. Read More

Wes Corbett’s Performance Gear Peghead Nation banjo instructor Wes Corbett discusses the pickup, amp, and pedals he uses when playing onstage with the Sam Bush Band. Read More

Rickard Maple Ridge Evie Ladin demonstrates a great mid-price open-back banjo. Read More

Bob Thornburg Gourd Banjo Peghead Nation instructor Steve Baughman demonstrates his fretless gourd banjo. Read More

Bishline Danny Barnes Amplified Woody Danny Barnes demonstrates his signature model banjo. Read More

Meet the Banjo Peghead Nation banjo instructor Bill Evans on everything you need to know to get started with the banjo. Read More

1980s Tokai Gakki Banjo Multi-instrumentalist Gene Parsons demonstrates his go-to banjo. Read More

Ralph Stanley’s Gibson RB-5 Reissue Bill Evans demonstrates a Greg Rich–built Gibson RB-5 reissue owned by the late Ralph Stanley. Read More

Kel Kroydon Bill Evans Signature Banjo Bill Evans demonstrates his Kel Kroydon banjo, modeled after his 1930 Gibson Granada. Read More