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When you play our patented Crossfire electric banjo, you gain
the ability to play as loudly as an electric guitar without the
feedback problems you have with an amplified acoustic banjo. Not
only can you adjust your sound by turning the tone knob from bass
to treble, but the volume knob also gives you immediate control
over your output. With the Crossfire you have all the power you
need and you are in full control!
The Crossfire has two powerful magnetic pickups under the head, one in the neck position and the other by the bridge. Metal is attached to the feet of the bridge so that the pickups draw sound from both the strings and the head. Active electronics assure you of a wide frequency response.
By retaining a full and functional banjo head, this new instrument gets more banjo sound than a solid body electric banjo. A brass tone-ring is under the head. The hooks for tightening the head pass through the alder body and are adjusted from the back in recessed holes. Standard color is black but other colors can be custom ordered. The neck is blond maple with an ebony fingerboard and diamond shaped mother-of-pearl inlays. Guitar-style tuners provide accuracy in tuning and allow the Crossfire to fit in an electric guitar case.
Knobs adjust tone and volume and a switch selects between
the pickups or in the middle position plays them both. Imagine,
adjusting the bass or treble on your banjo at the turn of a knob
or just flipping a switch to get a different sound!
We recommend that you use a keyboard amp or an amplifier with a horn in it to get the full banjo sound. Guitar amps have a limited range of sounds and don't pick up the banjo highs.
One unique advantage in owning a Crossfire is the ability to practice almost silently. By using a pair of amplified headphones which plug directly into the instrument you alone can hear yourself play.
The Crossfire is the only banjo which is fully equipped to participate as an equal in all musical styles without the volume limitations. Just as an electric guitar sounds different from an acoustic, the Crossfire sounds similar but not exactly the same as an acoustic banjo. It allows banjo players to transcend the limits of an acoustic banjo.
The Golden Honey Crossfire pictured here is features Golden Honey stained Alder wood with a black head. A popular custom option is vintage sunburst, or custom colors. See the custom options price list for the cost on custom colors. Most colors are available including metallic colors. If you send a sample of what you would like we will do our best to match it.
Crossfires are available in tenor, plectrum, left-handed and long neck styles in addition to the 5-string shown here.
Many well known artists perform with Crossfire Electric Banjos, such as Bela Fleck, Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio, Bernie Leadon, Steve Lutke of the Killbillys, Allison Brown, Tony Trishka, Roy Clark, Kevin Evans, Tony Furtado, Cody Kilby, Jesper Lindberg of Sweden, The Pogues from England, and Mark Collins from Australia.
"It's been a few months since I've owned my Crossfire
and I have not been disappointed. You have given me an instrument
that I can finally hear on stage competing with electric guitars,
bass and drums. It sounds fantastic and is a pleasure to play.
This instrument has single-handedly sparked my interest in the
banjo again. Thanks for being so innovative."
Tom Pelow,
Canada
"I went out on the road with it (the Long Neck Crossfire)
in 1986. People went nuts! They fell in love with it. We started
to get press based on loud electric banjo leads alone! It's new
and it needs inventive players and technicians to define its parameters.
My top lead on it was done on the second Washington Squares album,
"Fair and Square on a song called "The Fourth Day of
July." One reviewer called my lead "the best lead the
Square's lead guitarist has ever done." I don't play guitar,
and that's not a guitar. It's an electric banjo, pal!
I sit down with the banjo and a small amp and write leads
that have never been written before for an instrument that has
never been used in such a way. It has the fastest neck I've ever
played, and I can beat any guitarist for speed by using the drone
string. Face it, leads were made for banjo, not guitar. Banjo
leads cut through a band better than guitar leads, and the tuning
makes it easier to play. Chuck Berry leads on banjo are way easier
to perform than on guitar!"
Tom Goodkind,
New York, NY
