The great British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton saved his expedition’s banjo from his ship Endurance as she sank into Antarctic ice, saying: “We must have that banjo. It’s vital mental medicine.” He went on to bring all of his men home in an epic adventure of heroism and extraordinary leadership. In the hundred years since then Shackleton’s leadership, adaptability and strategic thinking have become legendary....

After all the struggles, all the delays, and all the promises, we have finally started to send Shackleton banjos out of the door to wing their way to their new loving homes! In fact we have now shipped out 25 banjos and more leave every single day. And now we have built the first of the oak rim Shackleton banjos too. Today we sent out the first oak and birch models with Burr Oak rims and Schertler tuners. The oak rim Shackleton model is a...

The company behind the Norfolk-made Shackleton banjo named after Edwardian explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton announced today that it is to create a giant banjo sculpture on the edge of Norwich, which the company claims will become as famous as Newcastle’s ‘Angel of The North’. The 50 metre tall banjo sculpture, believed to be the largest banjo in the world, is currently under construction in the company’s Norwich workshop, and will be placed in a...

We have simplified the pricing structure for The Shackleton banjo, to give all customers a lower entry point to this superb instrument combined with simple, clear, upgrade options. Previously we had offered a standard maple model with Grover tuners and an an ‘oak special’ model with burr oak rim and Schertler Swiss engineered tuners. In recent weeks the standard model was £495 and the oak special £595. But with the new structure our...

We are thrilled and delighted that the first blogger review of The Shackleton says we’ve made something pretty special. Author and banjoist John Dow has fallen in love with The Shackleton banjo and in an extensive review on his blog he says: “Every aspect of the instrument reeks of quality and precision.” He adds conclusively: “It’s customary, at this point, for me to find a negative to balance my glowing review. Sorry...

In March 2013, whilst wandering around MusikMesse, the giant music trade show in Frankfurt, I made a life-changing decision: to create a new, high quality, affordable, banjo: and to make it in Britain. There have been banjos made in Britain for nearly two centuries, but since the World War 2 the industry has been pretty much dead. There remain a handful of craft builders, each producing half a dozen or a dozen instruments per year. And very...