About Me
My name is Brooks Masten. Like you, I'm really into old-time banjos.
I've been playing since 1992, and I started building them in 1999, while I was living in New Mexico. I learned under the tutorship of Stephen Owsley Smith, and I also met many local artisans who helped me learn the fine arts of wood and metal working—key components of my banjos.
The first 29 Brooks Banjos were made in a small off-the-grid cabin, and in a 1959 Chevy Spartan school bus parked on my land. I lived at the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range, about 8,000 feet above sea level.
After six years of making banjos in a shop without electricity, steaming rims over wood heat, and the general battling of the elements, I packed up and moved to Portland, Oregon in 2005.
Living in Portland has greatly improved many aspects of my banjo-making. I have a fully-equipped shop, powered for both the wood and metal working aspects of my banjo making. It beats working out of school bus.
But my favorite part about living in the Northwest is the abundance of beautiful Black Walnut trees. I handpick my lumber from local folk with portable saw mills and I air dry it myself. The Willamette valley of Oregon is historically renowned for its Black Walnut trees and the beauty of this wood shows through in each hand-carved Brooks Banjo neck.
Brooks Masten
Portland, Oregon U.S.
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)