NBD: Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry
 

Hi Folks, finally, I've got some photos of my new Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry. Overall, I'm pleased with my Ozark! It arrived three weeks ago and was very well protected with bubble wrap and dunnage inside a sturdy box. When I ordered this banjo in 2017, the price didn't include a hardshell case and although I inquired in my last email exchange a month before the tentative shipping date about adding one to the finished price, I didn't hear anything back from Ozark about this and a couple of other matters. More about this in a bit.

Features Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry:

Pot - 12-inch figured cherry pot with ebony pot cap, rolled brass tone hoop, brass hardware, Fiberskyn head, and aftermarket Snuffy Smith bridge;

Neck - figured cherry neck with ebony fingerboard, Star Cascade inlay, Vega-style neck-heel, Rickard-branded Gotoh 5th-string tuner, EVO frets, 1 5/16 inch (1.3125") inch nut width as measured with digital calipers, 25.5 inch scale length;

Headstock - Vega-style with ebony overlay, Man In Moon inlay, ebony nut, Rickard Cyclone 10:1 brass/ebony tuners.

Impressions upon initial examination of banjo - I wanted railroad spikes at the 7th and 9th frets but they weren't installed; The banjo arrived with quite a high action that would be great for a hard-driving player. I replaced the .608 high bridge with a Snuffy Smith 9/16 (.562) high bridge. The 5th-string pip puts the 5th string level with the other four strings. I'll likely pull the pip out and sand the bottom down to put the level of the 5th-string a little below the level of other strings to facilitate comfortable clawhammer. Lukas probably set up the banjo the way he did to enable the owner to adjust the action down to their liking.

Being that I found out a year ago from Eden that Ozark had just started using Rickard Banjo Company hardware, I inquired about the availability of the newer Rickard 10:1 Ratio Cyclone tuners. Eden's remarks at that time of correspondence of August 2021:

"We haven't used Rickard's tuners yet, no one has asked for that so we've been sticking with Gotoh. But we'd be happy to put them on your banjo, it would be $140."

I think my correspondence made Ozark aware of these 10:1 finer-ratio tuners.

My Thoughts About Dealing With Ozark Banjo Company: As mentioned, I'm very pleased with my Ozark Custom's craftsmanship. Both Lukas and Eden Pool do exquisite work! Mitigating circumstances that I feel resulted in my 4 1/3 year wait between ordering and receiving my banjo are: Eden and Lukas got married and relocated their shop, COVID-19 hit the country, the Pools had a baby and another baby is on the way. Given those circumstances and the quality of my Ozark Custom--I'm Happy! I hope everything turns out well for Eden and Lukas! Would I purchase another banjo from Ozark Banjos? Yes! Ozark Banjo Company

Your thoughts and comments are welcome! Thanks For Looking In!

Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry:
http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...Quartering.JPG http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...tHeadstock.JPG

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...boardUpper.JPG http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...boardLower.JPG

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...tringTuner.JPG http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/OzarkFrontPot.JPG

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/Oza...mithbridge.JPG http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/OzarkBackPot.JPG

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/OzarkRearHeadstock.JPG http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/OzarkTrebleSidePot.JPG

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

Very nice!

What's the scale and nut width?

I've got 3 Rickards and LOVE them all.

P.S. The Rickard tuners ARE worth the upcharge.

Thank You!

1 5/16 inch (1.3125") nut width as measured with digital calipers, 25.5-inch scale length.

I can heartily recommend Rickard banjos to any player as having superb craftsmanship and tone, especially when buying without trying from online dealers like Elderly Instruments.

I contacted Rickard about the facility of changing the Gotoh 4:1 tuners in my 2017 Rickard Maple Ridge Dobson to the newer Rickard 10:1 Cyclone tuners and they said it's a drop-in/swap-out.
Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/OzarkRearHeadstock.JPG

Thing is, these look to me like Rickard Cyclone tuners, not Gotohs. Are you sure they aren’t Rickards?

Thanks, SugarInTheGourd, you're correct, after I looked at both brands, my tuners are obviously Rickard Cyclone Tuners and the 5th-string tuner is made by Gotoh, which has an "R" for Rickard on it. I didn't pay much attention to the tuners other than I knew after twisting them a fraction of a turn that they didn't impress me as being Rickard Cyclone 10:1 ratio tuners. I think that back in 2017 when I ordered the banjo Ozark was using all-Gotoh sets and that's why I initially mentioned in the specs in my OP (now corrected) that they were Gotoh tuners. I'll correct that information.

FYI - My 2017 Rickard Maple Ridge Dobson features an all-Gotoh 5-tuner set.

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

Rickard doesn’t make a 4:1 Cyclone tuner. Are you sure these aren’t 10:1? Turn the button through a full revolution: does the hole move from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock, or does it move less than that?

The 5th string tuner is made by Gotoh: Rickard has them put their R logo on the circular cover plate.

Thanks, again! I'll check the ratio of my tuners in a little while. The reason I think they're 4:1 is that a slight turn causes the pitch to go up quickly in a similar way that 4:1 Gotohs raise the pitch. I remember when Rickard introduced the 10:1 Cyclones and that's what made me inquire with the company about a swap-out for the Gotohs in my 2017 Rickard Maple Ridge Dobson. This would have been sometime in 2018 if my memory is correct.

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

SugarInTheGourd, thanks for bringing the tuner matter to my attention--I'm Happy! Okay, after a bit of knob twisting, my new Ozark does indeed have Rickard 10:1 Cyclone Tuners. When eyeballing things, if I turn the tuning knob 1 turn, the hole in the tuning post turns about 1/8 turn or so. The next time I remove a string, I'll do a complete 10-turn tuning knob rotation to verify 1 turn of the tuning post. I've made changes to my OP to include this new information. I'm even more pleased with my Ozark now that I know it's got Rickard 10:1 Cyclone Tuners!

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

Glad to hear it!

Thanks, SugarInTheGourd! As good as I feel Rickard's 10:1 Ratio Cyclone Tuners are an improvement over 4:1 ratio tuners if Bill Rickard or Gotoh or any other company can develop and market 18:1 or 21:1 ratio planetary-gear banjo tuners that would be even grander. It's likely a matter of how big a diameter planetary gear case would banjoists tolerate on their headstocks. There are always guitar tuners, though ... hmmm ... No! :)

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

Either my new Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry is "opening up" (LOL!) or I'm getting more accustomed to this banjo as it feels more comfortable and sounds louder and warmer as my playing time with it progresses.

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

ABM used to make a 16:1 planetary high ratio tuner for banjos. The rear gear housing was taller, but the same diameter as a standard 4:1 planetary tuner. I haven't seen them for sale for several years.

Rickard's Cyclone tuners were going to be marketed in both 10:1 and 16:1 varieties, but Bill dropped the 16:1 option for some reason.

The planetary tuners have a number of disadvantages and that's why I settled on slot head designs. It was good enough for James Ashborn... ;)

Thanks, Rudy, maybe Bill Rickard is still considering offering the Cyclone 16:1 ratio tuners after more design and development?

Current Banjos:
Vega No. 2 - Tubaphone
OME North Star Walnut - Ring
Rickard 12" Maple Ridge - Dobson
Pisgah Custom 12" Walnut - Tubaphone
Bart Reiter Regent - Whyte Laydie
Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry - Hoop

You could probably e-mail Bill Rickard and ask him. My thinking is that the 16:1 tuners wouldn't be significantly better than the 10:1 ratio tuners.

After having and playing my Ozark Custom 12-inch Figured Cherry for a couple of months, it's obvious that this is an heirloom banjo. Thanks, Eden & Lukas & Ozark!