Making LAP-JOs

November 5, 2021 - Making LAP-JOs

Happy Friday, Folkcraft Friends!

We're back in the shop this week, making dulcimers, and finishing off the setups on the instruments we built last week. Our main focus (other than backordered dulcimers) is building up our supply of LAP-JOs. Here is a LAP-JO rim (body) that Dad was working on yesterday:

 

The second LAP-JO rim photo is the same part, only tipped right side up. The part that holds the banjo head is called the tone ring, and it sits in the groove that goes around the edge of the rim.

Completed LAP-JO

Here's a finished LAP-JO. The rim is shown here - it is supporting the banjo head, and has hardware all around the outside which pulls the tension hoop/head/tone ring towards the rim.

LAP-JOs are Folkcraft's dulcimer/banjo hybrid - they have a dulcimer fretboard and a banjo-type body. With a real banjo head, and real banjo hardware, they are really banjos for all purposes.

Richard Ash