Ventana Freya Cooperage Classic Banjolele
- Regular price
-
$ 0.00 - Regular price
-
- Sale price
-
$ 0.00
Couldn't load pickup availability
Craftsmanship
This banjolele is handmade by our own Master Craftsman, Martijn Stiphout, in Aptos, California. It's named after wood used in its construction and the first name, Freya, of Martijn's baby daughter.
The banjolele is a four-stringed instrument with a small, banjo-type body and a fretted ukulele neck. The earliest known banjoleles were built in 1917.
The instrument reached peak popularity in the 1920s and '30s. It combines the tuning and playing style of a ukelele with the construction and distinctive tone of a banjo. The sound is similar to a uke, only louder.
This one has a 15-inch scale length. It is tuned in fourths and intonated to the octave, high G.
Responsibility
The sound board is made of local, bay laurel offcuts from Thamer Designs cabinet shop. The fret board is a piece of zircote offcut from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company that looks like a landscape scene.
The back and sides are bay laurel floorboards created in 1853 for the cooperage (where barrels were made) at the old Cowell Lime Works which is located on what is now the campus of the University of California, Santa Cruz. There is what we believe to be African blackwood around the circumference of the top edge of the sides. This rich, dark wood is also from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company.
The hand rest and nut are ebony from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company. The bridge is made of ebony and curly maple offcuts. The strap button is hand-turned brass with an abalone inlay on the end. There is also a stripe of SCGC purfling on the bottom edge.
The Ventana logo and other pieces of information about the instrument are engraved on small discs inside the body. These are made of Spanish cedar and give off the scent of a cigar box.
The name Freya is inlaid with black tinted, epoxy bio resin as is the porthole around the sound hole. This is the same, Entropy SuperSap resin we use to glass our surfboards.
It is hand rubbed with organic oil and wax.
This instrument comes with a stand made of charred, whisky barrels from Venus Spirits that are used to make their award-winning Wayward Whiskey. Two brass prongs hold the instrument in place.
Adventure
Strum out some surf tunes and island sounds at your next post-surf bonfire or beach party!
Shipping, Customs, and Returns
Free U.S. Insured Shipping & International Shipping Details
Every order includes free insurance and free USPS First Class or UPS Ground Shipping. Of course, you can select premium options, too.
We can ship anywhere in the world that is legally permitted under U.S. law. Any customs payments, local taxes, and processing fees are the responsibility of the customer.
We generally ship products between 48 and 5 days after we receive your order. In some cases, such as with surfboards, custom orders, or custom engraved products, we will contact you within 24 hours to discuss production and shipping timing.
Return Policy
Our Refund Policy is simple. We do the right thing. We trust our customers, and if you have any issues with any of our products, we'll work with you to do what's fair.
Note that for items that are printed on demand, we may not be able to take returns unless the product is defective. Still, we'll work with you to resolve your issue fairly.
Contact craftspeople@ventanasurfboards.com to discuss your return or other issues. We approve returns within 48 hours.
Any refunds will be returned via the method and way they were paid. For instance, a credit card payment will be refunded to the same credit card; a wire transfer or electronic check will be refunded to the same account from which it came, etc. A cash payment may be refunded via Venmo, bank transfer, or PayPal.
Why Print-on-Demand? An evolution of eco responsibility.
Ventana is deepening its commitment to sustainability by shifting to print-on-demand for many products. This change reduces overproduction and waste, while enabling more style and customization options. Though some suppliers may use less eco-friendly packaging, we are pushing our fulfillment partner to make changes in this area. Ventana remains transparent and dedicated to responsible sourcing, aiming to balance environmental impact with accessibility. Print-on-demand marks a new chapter in Ventana’s mission to innovate sustainably and deliver high-quality, planet-conscious products. Of course, we continue to use only reclaimed wood and bio-based resins in our handcrafted products - surfboards, bodysurfing handplanes, bookmarks, pens, and more!