Kel Kroydon Bill Evans Signature Banjo
Bill Evans demonstrates his Kel Kroydon banjo, modeled after his 1930 Gibson Granada.
Kel Kroydon banjos were originally built by Gibson for the Montgomery Ward catalog in the 1920s and ’30s. Today, Tom Mirisola’s American Made Banjo Co. offers a line of contemporary Kel Kroydon banjos, including a Bill Evans signature model, which is designed after Evans’ 1930 Gibson Granada.
The instrument has gold-plated metal parts and a Granada-style “hearts and flowers” inlay, and it is constructed with a striped maple neck, a figured maple resonator, and a three-ply maple rim. It has a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, a Dannick 20-hole tone ring and a Timeless bridge. The instrument’s neck, which has a slightly thicker profile than most original prewar Gibson necks, is built by luthier Robin Smith of Heartland Banjo.
Evans is especially fond of his instrument’s custom engravings, which depict scenes from his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. The armrest has a Golden Gate Bridge motif that includes the city of San Francisco and Mount Tamalpais, and the side of the rim features another bridge motif with waves that go around the entire rim.
To study banjo with Bill, enroll in his Beginning Banjo, Bluegrass Banjo, Earl Scruggs: A Player’s Guide, Melodic and Single-String Banjo or The Banjo Style of J.D. Crowe courses on Peghead Nation!
Kel Kroydon Bill Evans Signature Banjo specs
- Five-string resonator banjo
- Dannick 20-hole tone ring
- Dual coordinating rods
- Maple neck, rim, and back
- Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with standard frets
- Gotoh tuners
- Kel Kroydon engraved tailpiece
- Timeless bridge
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