About Us
Ringley and Sons specializes in quality handcrafted acoustic instruments with unique designs and methods of fabrication to produce the ultimate sound. The vision and dream of Ringley and Sons started with the very first banjo built by Jack Ringley in 1980. He was a recent engineering graduate, an avid bluegrass fan, and becoming an accomplished banjo player. So, he decided to combine his passions in applying technical approaches to the design and construction of banjos which is where it all began.
This passion only continued to grow and as his two sons grew older, they too got involved. Both Jonathan Ringley and David Ringley are engineers as well and developed an equal passion for bluegrass music and playing acoustic instruments. Jonathan, David, and Jack along with other family members formed a bluegrass band in 2000. Over the years the family band has performed at numerous charity events and festivals throughout middle Georgia and produced two independent albums of classic bluegrass music. In 2004 the boys surprised Jack with a banjo they had secretly made out of pecan wood harvested from long-time family property.
As the Ringley trio continued to excel in their engineering careers, they decided to apply that knowledge and expand into the design and construction of the mandolin and guitar. Several years of research and prototyping with rigorous testing since 2017 has resulted in a proven process for tap tuning of the mandolin to give the often sought after sound of Lloyd Loar. The Ringley’s are in the early stages of guitar design and building but are anticipating a great sound by incorporating similar techniques and methods proven over the years and decades.