Details
Chuck Waldman is a California builder working in the Sierra foothill town of Sonora. His instruments are his own designs and he has come up with some interesting variations for his shells. This model is called "The Chromatic" and it features a cherry pot with a Douglas fir tone rim. This is drilled in progressive depths in the same proportion to the fret spacing, hence the "chromatic" designation. The banjo is loud and bright and not at all "plunky" or dark sounding. It has good volume with strong projection. “This banjo has my new concept for a tone ring: Douglas fir,” Waldman says. “I’m using a “guitar top wood” where the rim contacts the banjo head. Just as this wood affects the voice of a guitar, it produces a clear, concise tone for the banjo.” This Chromatic has a 25 1/2" scale length and a full cherry neck that feels solid in your hand. The metal parts including the tuners are raw brass which will develop a nice patina over a few years. Ebony fingerboard and headstock veneer. It has a 12-inch head and is beautifully crafted.
Specs
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Fingerboard
Ebony, with Scoop
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Finish
Oil Varnish, Rubbed
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Make
Waldman
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Model
Chromatic/Step
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Neck material
Cherry
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Nut width
1 5/16"
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Scale length
25 1/2"
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Total frets
17
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Tuners
Gotoh, Raw Brass
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Diameter
12"
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Shell
Cherry, 2-Ply Plus Step
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Tone ring
Douglas Fir Tone Rim
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Case type
Gig Bag
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Serial number
168
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SKU
WALCHROMATICSTEP-168
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UPC
141674
