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Rioga
Deluxe
Tenor Banjo

rioga deluxe 18 fret tenor banjo
rioga deluxe 18 fret tenor banjo
rioga deluxe 18 fret tenor banjo

AMAZING TONE 
PROJECTION  
SUSTAIN
QUALITY

The Rioga Deluxe is our highest professional level tenor banjo. The sound is perfectly balanced with an overall tone, good sustain and volume. It is so easy to play, set up brilliantly with low buzz free action. The arm rest and neck in particular are quite unique in design with great innovative touches in both feel/function and also aesthetics. We are now introducing the Rioga Supreme which will have a cast flange and concaved burl walnut resonator and fine wood marquetry edging

  • Neck width at the nut: 29 mm

  • Scale Length, Nut to Bridge: 19 fret – 23 inches, ; 18 fret – 21 – 1/2 inches,

  • Approximately Weight: 3.8Kg

  • 18 fret design with 21.5″ scale length
  • Walnut 7 piece laminated neck with rock maple/pear wood centre strips
  • Maple & ebony capped heel cap with custom pearl inlay
  • Two way dual truss rods fitted to all models.
  • Beautifully hand cut mother of pearl custom inlay
  • Solid block sycamore rim with walnut veneer and checkered wood marquetry
  • Rim end faced with birdseye maple veneer and 4 walnut/pearwood separators
  • Our own bell bronze forged archtop tone ring
  • Bacon & Day style hooks and nuts
  • Handmade wooden armrest ( carved from neck block cut off)
  • Prucha clamshell tailpiece

Rioga Deluxe features

Neck wood

7 piece Irish walnut neck with centre pearwood and maple laminate strips. Our woods are locally sourced wherever possible and cured for a minimum of 3-5 years. We only choose select straight grain hardwoods quarter sawn to give increased structural integrity. This model uses an adjustable carbon fibre truss rod for extra strength and stability.

Rim wood

Our block rims are constructed from Irish sycamore which are built in three tiers and covered in veneers to match the neck wood. The banjo rim is such an important factor in the tone and resonance of a banjo which is mostly overlooked. Our rims are highly decorated with wood marquetry and ivoroid binding along the inner and outer edges. Our rims are then covered in a matching walnut veneer which are thicknessed from the same wood as the neck to maintain the same colour and grain match.

Resonator wood

The Deluxe resonator version is concave in shape and made from maple laminate and burl walnut veneers. The tone produced by a banjo with a concave resonator is generally warmer and less bright, making it well-suited for folk, traditional, and more intimate acoustic settings.

Headstock

Exquisitely hand crafted multi layered headstock design with Rioga name/logo in mother of pearl. The Deluxe model is the most intricate of our whole range and takes much longer to carve and offered in various inlay designs.

Armrest

We use the off cut of our 7 piece neck to create a cohesive match to the neck. We believe the wooden armrest offers better comfort and an attractive appearance. The armrest is attached to the tension hoop via a brass ferrule insert & 3 screws which is tapped into the hoop, this is a solid attachment. Some banjo players can have nickel allergies and cannot use nickel plated armrests, so this is a perfect solution!

We have also considered the possibility of customising the armrest with intricate patterns, adding a touch of visual elegance to the banjo.

Mother of Pearl Inlay

We try to keep the mother of pearl inlay to a minimal on our other models due to the time it takes to hand cut MOP. The Deluxe can take up to 2-3 days to hand cut and inlay the celtic knot patterns. Pearl inlay is a work of art and we are very proud to present our artist flair on this particular Deluxe model.

If you require further information on the Deluxe

  • Send us a message below or

  • give Paul a call (07854061995)

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