Tulsa's Banjo Craftsman

Thursday, February 15th 2007, 9:59 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa craftsman calls himself a â€˜banjo nerd,â€™ and News on 6 reporter Rick Wells reports Rob Bishline is an accomplished banjo picker, but more than that, he's a craftsman. He makes banjos.

"Banjo players tend to be tinkers by nature," says Rob Bishline. That's how it all started. He got his first banjo when he was 12 or 13, and pretty soon he was taking it apart and putting it back together. Bishline says he studied good banjos and tried to make 'em better. "It's kind of the old way of doing things, where you get your hands dirty and make your mistakes and take your lumps and continue on 'til you can create something."

Bishline says doesn't make many mistakes anymore. And the words out, players from all over the world have commissioned him to make them a banjo.

Bishlineâ€™s shop is located near 11th and Elgin and for more information check out his website, www.bishlinebanjos.com.