Beautiful highly-figured flame maple is used for all the Curly Maple models including the VRB-G. Curly Maple is a great tone wood while also offering a very attractive visual appeal.
Banjo players who favor the older instruments always rave about the sound, but also include the feel of the necks and their ease of playability in describing their preference for the prewars. With this in mind, Steve carefully digitized the neck of his favorite old banjo, capturing every curve and nuance. The Huber necks are produced using computer-aided machining technology, ensuring that each neck is crafted to the exact specifications – every time!
All our Curly Maple models, including the VRB-G, feature a 5-ply resonator with a veneer of highly-figured flame maple on the back and sides.
Resonators are built by Steve’s dad, Jack Huber, in Lancaster PA.
The VRB-G features the Flying Eagle pattern or the Hearts & Flowers pattern. During the prewar era, the Hearts & Flowers pattern featured 8 inlays. Upon request, we can inlay an additional marker at the 15th fret (9 total), or at the 1st and 15th frets (10 total), at no additional charge.
The headstock overlay also matches the classic Hearts & Flowers pattern.
The nameplate inlay at the 21st fret bears the name Truetone executed in individual mother of pearl letters, representing that this model was made with our HR-30 ring and Engineered Rim.
All of the Huber Banjos come with Waverly V-2 tuners installed. The V-2s work very well and closely approximate the look of those found on vintage banjos. The tapered underside of the peghead washer helps protect the headstock and the internal low-friction bushings help ensure smooth operation.
The tuners are fitted with authentic recreations of 1930’s “Amber Tulip” buttons and help create the proper vintage feel.
All stock models are made with a rosewood fingerboard.
The Huber bridge is made of carefully selected maple and ebony and is designed for tone, volume, and clarity. String slots are cut with a custom-built slotting machine that produces the exact depth, spacing, and angle every time.
The Huber bridge is also available as a separate accessory item order.
Our HR-30 Tone Ring represents the pinnacle in prewar reproduction, measured in both tone and responsiveness. It was created after a year of analysis into the vibratory physics of more than a dozen prewar flathead rings, and further research into casting methods that could consistently reproduce a ring that closely matched our prewar standard.
Through a special arrangement with Remo, Huber installs a head on each new banjo that is manufactured to his custom specifications. Steve finds that they offer a superior tone to that of the stock Mylar heads offered for banjo.
These Huber heads can also be ordered as a separate, after-market accessory item.
The Huber Engineered Rim is the ultimate in tone and response, developed over a year of extensive scientific measurement and careful prototyping.
Dr. Jim Rae is the brains behind the Engineered Rim. Dr. Rae analyzed the vibrational physics and sonic output of prewar rims and used these numbers as the benchmark. Brian Sims worked with Dr. Rae in the prototyping and manufacturing of the Engineered Rim.
We use a two way adjustable truss rod in our necks. The two way rod allows for adjustments in both directions – you can add relief or reduce bow as needed.
The rod is accessible under the truss rod cover in the headstock, just behind the nut.
All Huber banjos are finished with multiple layers of nitrocellulose lacquer, hand sanded between coats for a smooth appearance. They are then buffed to a high gloss with careful attention to detail at every step in the finishing process.
For the VRB-G, a golden brown stain is applied to the neck while the resonator receives a hand-rubbed shaded golden sunburst. This brings out the distinctive grain of the flaming maple, and gives the VRB-G a memorable visual appeal.