Hardware

HARDWARE NOT SOLD SEPARATELY

In the beginning, the majority of our hardware is either raw brass or bronze. Every banjo can be customized with the variety of metal finishes that we have available.
Romero tension hoop, raw brass hardware and Star L-shoes
Romero tension hoop, raw brass hardware and Star L-shoes
Black walnut banjo with 12" Romero tension hoop, raw
brass hardware, and cast bronze aged Nouveau L-shoes

Tension Hoops
My handmade tension hoops are a standard feature on each J. Romero Banjo.

These hoops are directly inspired by the old Van Eps design. The tension hoop has holes in the side where the round hooks attach, rather than a groove or notch on the top. As an option, we can custom manufacture these hoops with any hook configuration, including traditional notches.

Standard
• 10" rims use 14 hooks •
• 11" rims use 18 hooks •
• 12" rims use 20 hooks •
• 13" rims use 22 hooks •

Other hook configurations available upon request.

L-Shoes
We have custom cast bronze L-shoes - samples of each shoe shape are below. Please keep in mind that the various finishes you see on the shoes are available on all our metalwork - shoes, hooks, nuts, etc.
Though we strive for perfection, the casting process that allows us a variety of shapes also by nature includes small dimples and pits on the surface of the bronze. We hand sand most of these out, but occasionally they can be seen. We find the benefits of the casting process far outweigh these small imperfections!
For pricing please go to our Pricing page.
Industry standard L-shoes are also available, and are included in the base price for all Romero banjos.

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Hooks & nuts

Tulip nutOur newly designed "Tulip" nuts (right) will be available standard on all Romero banjos from August 2009. These unique nuts were designed here in our shop, and are available only from us! Custom machined from brass.

Tailpieces
We are happy to introduce our custom Romero cast bronze tailpieces, designed to allow for a slight downward pressure and a wider string spacing - we believe they are the ideal open-back tailpiece.

We also have a variety of after-market tailpieces, including Kershner-style and no-knot.

Finishes
All hardware comes standard as either raw brass or nickel plated.
A variety of other plating is possible, including gold and copper.
An optional blackened/aged finishes is available on all hardware.


Tuners
We use Gotoh tuners on all our banjos.

Romero 5-string tailpiece

Cast bronze Romero 5-string tailpiece

Romero 6-string tailpiece
Cast bronze Romero 6-string tailpiece
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