THE PROVERBIAL FAQ'S

Here's a selection of some of the frequent, and popular questions we've been asked. Always feel free to ask any more you care to think of.

Q.     How much of the banjos do you actually make?

A.      We make the necks, rims, resonators, fingerboards, coordinator rods, resonator nuts and brackets. All the inlays and marquetry work is done in house as is all the machining, shaping, laminating and finishing. We are banjo makers, not assemblers, starting from a pile of raw timber, brass, and other bits and pieces.

Q.     What's the delivery time?

A.      Roughly 10-14 weeks from placing the order.

Q.      What's the payment system?

A.       A 50% deposit with the order gets your banjo under way, the balance plus any shipping due when the banjo is finished and ready to ship.

Q.      Do you have credit card facilities?

A.      Sadly no. However a personal cheque (Australia only) or money order is fine. Many people these days use internet banking to transfer the funds into our account, it works fine if you are happy with this way of doing things.

Q.      Is the banjo set up before delivery?

A.       Yes, we set the head tension, the action, and neck bow before the banjo is shipped. We also play it in to make sure there are no buzzes.

Q.      What do I get with my banjo?

A.       Every Eucalypt Banjo is delivered in a hard case with leather strap, spare strings, head tension spanner and an ownership certificate and care manual.

Q.       Tell me more about the guarantee.

A.        All our work is guaranteed for life, third part components (machine heads for instance) carry the original manufacturers guarantee. We also promise to refund your money if you are not happy with your banjo ... so far nobody's taken us up on this! Of course, your statuary rights covered by consumer law still stand. We don't cover abuse, misuse, and natural ageing.

Q.       Do you have dealers?.

A.       No, we much prefer to deal direct with our owners. One exception is in North America we are represent by our good friend Jack Hatfield.

Q.       Do you have brochure you can send me?.

A.       Sort of but it's not very flash as most of the information is on this site. If you want one we're more than happy to send it to you.

Q.       Is there room for semi-customisation?.

A.       There certainly is. For example, our 'Falling Leaves' pearl fingerboard inlay can be fitted to the Eucalypt Standard banjo for an extra $300.00 AUD.

Q.       I'm not in Australia and feel nervous about ordering from such a distance?

A.       Understandable, but don't be. We're proud of the banjos we make and it's not in anyone's interest to commit some kind of fraud, least of all ours. You can feel safe and secure ordering a Eucalypt Banjo.

Q.       What about honouring the guarantee for an owner outside Australia?.

A.       In the unlikely event you need to make a guarantee claim we'll find someone local to you, with suitable skills, to effect the repair. Naturally, we pick up the tab.

Q.       If I need help and advise with my banjo, will you help me?

A.       Absolutely!

Q.       Is there any other projects under way?.

A.       Yep, we're working on the design of an electric banjo combining a Fishman Rare Earth acoustic pick up and an electric pick up. It's a work in progress project as we want to get it right, so far we're hoping for February-March next year to have it going.

Q.      What about extras I can order?.

A.       The most popular requests are for a pick up and/or Keith Tuners (sometimes called 'D tuners'). For the pick up we recommend the Fishman Rare Earth with inbuilt pre-amp and we only charge for the pick-up, the installation is for free. The same applies for the Keith Tuners.

Q.      Can I visit your workshop?

A.       Absolutely! Your would be very welcome to come and see how we make the banjos. Weekends are fine and as it's such a great drive to where we live family and friends are welcome. Just give us a ring beforehand to make sure we're home.

JAM SESSION FUN

Here's Amy Trevor and Eucalypt owner Hamish Sutherland at a recent jam session held at the home of Eucalypt Banjo's Roger and Anne Simpson.  We were all joined by Wendy Holman for an afternoon session that lasted well into the evening. Good friends, good food, music, and a bottle of decent wine ... what more is there to life?