Sometimes it’s like jamming with the Beatles

When he’s not building or playing instruments, he’s involved in industrial instrumentation at his job.

“I started playing old-time music 25 years ago. My grandpa always listened to the old-time string bands, and I’ve always liked that kind of music. I’m in a couple bands now.

“You won’t find a banjo like this in a music store. It’s a replica of an 1852 Ashborn banjo. From start to finish it took me a couple months to build, but I was in a hurry.

“You go to an old-time festival, and the best people in the genre are up on stage playing. When it’s over, you go backstage and jam with them. It’s like going to a Beatles concert, and at the end of it Lennon and McCartney say come on back and let’s play some tunes. I’ve done some of that.”

— Chuck Chandler