Evo Lutherie

This was the first instrument I built, starting in 2009 and finishing in 2013. I built it from scratch, following Roger Siminoff’s Constructing a 5 String Banjo and a book on shell Inlay. The ideas for the fretboard inlays and the double helix logo were inspired by my passion for biology and evolution. Much of the inlay artwork was drawn by my daughter-in-law, Suzi Sequoia. They are crafted from abalone and mother-of pearl. I am happy with the way it turned out, the way it plays and sounds, and I played it for years with the Back Forty bluegrass band. My back wishes it didn’t weigh 22 pounds, but all the nickel plated brass hardware and hard maple are what it takes for that authentic bluegrass sound.