This website is about current projects of R. Willy Banjo Works and Luthiery Services...but first a little about me (Steve Adkins)...

I collected guitars and banjos from 1966 to 2004 and then attended Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery in Phoenix, AZ, graduating in Spring '04. Then I attended a 3-day banjo-building class at Anderson Banjos in Conneaut, Ohio (with "Bob" RN Anderson),  then I got a job at Saga Instruments in South San Francisco setting up Saga guitars and banjos where I had to learn set-up work at fast speed. In May '05 I attended a 5-day course at Custom Pearl Inlay in Malone, NY with pearl specialist of the Martin D-45 and D-41 guitars, David Nichols. I completed a pearl engraving class with Grit Laskin at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Indiana in Sept 07. I'm working on registering for a metal engraving class in Stockton, California.

I learned to play professionally by being a pit musician for 25 years in the South Bay area (SF); I have performed 400+ Broadway-style shows on bass, guitar, violin, and jazz banjo. I'm a former Peninsula Banjo Band President (1999, 2000). 

During my luthier training I also learned I could make professional leather guitar straps in a 40's/50's style tooled western-flora pattern. I realized that I was of a few in the leathercraft community who could correctly design and fabricate these fun products. I then joined the Silicon Valley LeatherCrafters Guild in Los Altos, CA, and graduated to Sheridan-style leathercarving.

Now, about the website for R. Willy banjos. I picked the name Rockabilly Willy as the business was originally going to be a pro guitar shop but due to high Silicon Valley overhead I decided to focus on small workshop banjo-building, guitar-building, steel-guitar repair, and guitar-strap making. I exhibit only at Texas Amigos' World Guitar Shows on the West Coast. Guitars now in process are the following:  D-18 clone dreadnaught, also a single cutaway 1P/U rockabilly guitar with 25" scale. I am also building 7 plectrum banjos and 2  5-string banjos. 

What drives me:
Buying and Selling! Current electric guitar (Rockabilly or Jazz style), acoustic guitar (Dobro and lap-style), and jazz-banjo design. Guitar-strap design. I exhibit at California World Guitar Shows (The Texas Amigos) in San Rafael,CA. I'm a registered reseller so I can sell guitars and banjos in California and conform to Dept of Equalization standards. 

More about  my banjos:

I use a Vega Artist-inspired (similar) headstock shape and use a combination of Vega/Fairbanks motifs with gravlam inlay Gibson-girl artwork. I also make my own block-style 9/16" X 11" rims using the same maple as the necks, and use a figured dowel-stick to match. I use cocobolo (or other accent wood) and brass rolled tonerings to get rich woody tone. 

Guitar/Banjo Straps; Leathercrafting

I've practiced advanced leather-tooling for 7 years, creating hand-tooled banjo and guitar strap designs. I use 100% cowhide Tandy leather with backing of responsibly-harvested buffalo or pigskin hide.  I'm a member of The Silicon Valley Leathercrafters Guild. They review and critique each guitar strap. I build straps in 1" to 3" widths, or any width, with classic 50's style leather-covered buckle designs. You can contact me here via email (see the email link on the homepage). I'm working on getting a sewing machine, too. (2/1/11)  Thank you for visiting my website!

-Steve Adkins