Gourd Banjos

For tackhead banjos please scroll down.

Our gourd banjos are made to last, starting with a carefully selected thick-walled California-grown gourd.

Features that set Romero gourd banjos apart include:

- Torrefied figured maple necks (high strength with the perfect weight balance to the gourd).
- Oil-impregnated fingerboards of various sustainably-sourced hardwoods
- Pre-stretched goatskin heads for more consistent tension in a variety of heats and humidities
- 11-13” diameter gourds with thick walls selected for symmetry
- The gourd insides are treated with a hard finish to ensure long life and increased sound projection
- Pegheds tuners (geared violin-style tuners)

Options include: 

- Fretted or fretless
- Pick-ups installed: Schatten (great sounding, economical) or Schertler (Swiss-made contact mic)
- Brass & hardwood scoop plates; acid-etched scoop plates
- Inlay

Pricing:

- Please enquire for pricing; November 2023 pricing starts at $2K USD

Ordering:

- Wait time is approx. 1 year (may be more or less depending on when we've squeezed in a gourd batch)
- Email us to be put on the waitlist. No deposit needed.

Examples of some gourds with decorative additions

TACKHEAD Banjos

These banjos are a ton of fun to play. They're very lightweight and responsive with a similar vibe to a gourd banjo; they sit in your lap easily. They have a huge bottom end and are great for lower tunings but also have the flexibility to be tuned up higher. We really love them and will be offering more of these tackheads in the future.

- Curly torrefied maple neck
- Curly torrefied maple fingerboard, peghead and tailpiece
- 11 or 12” drum shell with torrefied curly maple outer slat
- Prestretched and oiled goat skin
- Various scale lengths
- Pegheds geared violin style tuners
- Lacquer finish
- Gig bag

Pricing:

- Please enquire for pricing; November 2023 pricing starts at $2500 USD

Ordering:

- Wait time is approx. 6 months - 1 year (may be more or less depending on when we've squeezed in a gourd batch)
- Email us to be put on the waitlist. No deposit needed.