Beautifully handcrafted banjos made with the best timbers, craftmanship and attention to detail. 

Slim Jim Banjos is a small UK based company, based in the heart of Hampshire started in 2014 and run by Jim Heasell. 

Slim Jim Banjos is a small UK based company based in the heart of Hampshire started in 2014, run by Jim Heasell. 

Jim has always been a craftsman, having it in his blood passed from his  great-grandfather, a cabinet maker and following into his father’s  footsteps into yacht and boat building.

I started playing the banjo a some years ago now. Within a few months I was hooked and on the lookout for a better banjo. After looking but not able to find something  that was affordable and really good quality, I decided to put all my skills I had acquired over the years of being a craftsman into making my own banjo, after being inspired by such makers as  Jason Romero, Mac Traynham and Chuck Lee, to name but a few. 

After a lot of research I made my first open back banjo .At the time I was having lessons from the late Dave Marshall. I took the banjo along to my lesson for Dave to play and give me his opinion , Dave took one look at it ,played it and said “ You need to do this for a living”. So from Dave’s comments and the support and encouragement of my family, I took the plunge.......Slim Jim Banjos was born!!

Each and every banjo I make, I put my heart and soul into, working hard on attention to detail. So from the timber I select, I make sure  only the very best quality  is used and  that time is taken to match the woods that work well together for both the tone and look, that goes for all aspects, from the hardware to the heads. Ensuring that I work closely with customers to design and build them  the banjo of their dreams.