LINKS

Doug UNGER, who has been the teacher of these two guys, is also a master luthier but unfortunately I don't know of a site on him except what you can find on the site of Hank Schwartz.

Norbert PIETSCH
A very good German banjo maker who is able to do any inlay work on order. Can do any type of banjos. These days, very famous for 4 string banjos all over the world.

David HYATT
An American Gourd Banjo maker who has done a beautiful site on Gourd Banjos full of informations on technique, other makers, and sound clips! Must see!!!

Johannes BONEFAAS
From Denmark. Makes plain and very nice sounding banjos on the H.C. Dobson model. His clawhammer playing is also very interesting, very swinging, jazzy and driving...

William LASKIN
One of the best inlay artist in the world, very inventive and technically perfect! He is not working on banjos but certainly could...

Jean LACOTE
A friend who makes very nice sounding mandolines in his home, here in France.

Pascal CRANGA
French wood dealer near Lyon/ France. He also makes hurdy-gurdies (vielles à roue)

Gerard DE SMAELE
Belgium clawhammer banjoist, he also made a marvelous site around the banjo. Some of it in English (look for "Banjo Frolic" for example...). He organised also a beautiful exhibition on historical banjos in the Museum of Musical Instruments in Bruxelles in 2003. You can see some pictures and a text ("Banjo Attitude") about this exhibition.

Hank SCHWARTZ
An American banjo collector specialized in early Fairbanks. Also a very good  musician and a wonderful person who has always been very kind with me and my questions!

Bill MICHAL (http://www.banjoonmyknee.com/)
Another American banjo collector whose site is full of informations and images on high quality banjos made between 1875 and 1915, mostly in Boston. Very detailed photos of  beautiful Fairbanks banjos, among others...

BILL'S BANJOS
Frank FORD, FRETS.COM MUSEUM
I don't know these guys but their site are very interesting, full of pictures of beautiful banjos.

COUNTRY GONE
A French site dedicated to country music in France and in the area Rhone-Alpes, around Lyon.

Pierre Claude ARTUS
A French musician and singer who made up a show on the history of the Banjo "BANZA BANJO"      Look to his site which is partly in English

ARFI
Nothing to do with banjos, they are a collective of musicians who do improvised music, jazz, free jazz, but no label can suit them! you'll have to listen by yourself!
Among them are: Le "Workshop de Lyon",  "La Marmite Infernale",  Steve Waring who is also an American Banjoist who made me discover this instrument, etc.

Eric STEFANELLI
A French luthier who makes baroque guitars and lutes and some very good banjos on request or for his own pleasure. He also plays old time and classical banjo with his wife Patricia.:
30rue Bonne-Aide, 21460 Courcelles-Fremoy (tel: 03 80 96 31 18) eric.pat-luths@orange.fr

Polo et Nadine BURGUIERE
They live Old Time way in a wonderful isolated house in Ardèche/France and play fiddle guitar and banjo, with Gero on Doublebass in their group Ida Red. You may have meet them on one of the American festivals, playing with John Herrmann or/and Meredith McIntosh, their long time friends... Polo also makes some good banjo necks on request. Simple and nice necks! (he made one for Frank Lee).
( La Monde, 07570 DESAIGNES / FRANCE   tel:04 75 06 72 51)

Bruno TORRES
Another banjo luthier (and more) in the area of Poitiers - Limoges - Angoulème in France...               He makes all sort of banjos, 4 or five strings, and Bouzoukis etc...