Photos of our Facilities

 

1. Welcome to our "Home Away From Home"

2. Getting ready for another production run for our present and future customers



3. Paul Hopkins watches closely while our machinest turns out another Hopkins flathead tone ring. Each stage of the work is meticulously excecuted. We have machined hundreds of tone rings. Each one passes a rigorous inspection. Samples are taken on a regular basis and submitted for metallurgical analysis to insure the correct composition.

 


4. Necks in construction.

5. We build several necks simultaneously during our production run to fulfill existing and future orders

6. One of the critical elements of our banjos is to ensure a proper heel cut to match the pot assembly and this allows us maximum sound transmission, contributing to the "Classic" Hopkins sound.



7. In order to produce the most precise inlays possible, we use this state of the art CNC cutter to produce both the inlays and the openings into which they fit.



8. Then the fingerboards and inlays are brought over to this table, where they are assembled carefully by Paul or David Hopkins.


inlaytable

9. David Hopkins at work on a neck assembly after fingerboard has been attached. Next, David will stain it and Paul will put the finish on it.

paul necks


10. Paul inspects necks in progress.

11. Necks being prepared for finish work before installation into our new banjos


12. Some of the assembly is done at this table, under Mike Longworth's watchful eye, using the very tools he used to work with, shown below.






13. Final assembly is done here under bright light so every aspect of the instrument can be clearly seen. On this same table, Mike Longworth inlaid the fingerboards of the stringed instruments of many famous musicians. His work is still known world-wide.


dave paul inspect

14. David and Paul Hopkins inspect every banjo after assembly is complete. Both David and Paul play each banjo to be absolutely sure that each instrument is properly adjusted and ready for the stage. Finally David and Paul sign the seal and then it is placed inside the rim and only then is it ready for shipping.

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