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Can Jo Consortium

The simplest little resonator instrument of all. Please add links to plans, photos of your canjos and ideas you've found that make the most of this diminutive instrument. (The image is a temporary placeholder, I'll replace it any day now!)

Location: the vegetable aisle in a grocery store near you
Members: 250
Latest Activity: Jan 31, 2023

Discussion Forum

The Cookie Tin Variety: a community image bank

Started by Diane in Chicago. Last reply by Keith Zorn Dec 27, 2022. 37 Replies

Post up photos of your tin-tars!  These are the ones that look mostly like this:Continue

Canjo Tablatures

Started by Adam Jellison. Last reply by Adam Jellison Jan 8, 2020. 6 Replies

Maybe it is just me, but I love to sit there and pick out songs I know or songs people want to play on my Canjo.  I own a couple of Canjo Song books from Gitty, and looked around online and found a…Continue

Can Cutting

Started by Mike Whisenhunt. Last reply by Glenn Watt Nov 22, 2019. 9 Replies

So I've made a few of this tin can banjo things. Having a blast playing on them. I've made a couple out of empty tin "soup" cans and one out of a beer can. I cut a few other cans to prepare them to…Continue

The Gas/Kerosene/Oil Can variety: a community image bank

Started by Diane in Chicago. Last reply by James Conder Nov 5, 2018. 7 Replies

If you've used an upright can on a chordophone, here's the place to show your work.I'm looking for an olive oil can right now, one of those really pretty ones from Eastern Europe.Continue

Comment Wall

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Comment by Thomas "Duck" Petry on September 2, 2014 at 9:21am

I have had no problems with piezos in my CBGs. Usually encase them in silicone in the bridge and have also encased them in silicone in bottle caps and they worked fine. This particular canjo was an experiment and it failed. Rebuilt it as a single string bass with a small CBG and it sounds great. I've built several acoustic canjos and prefer to keep the cans unamplified.

Comment by Seasick Mick on September 2, 2014 at 8:51am

Just encase the piezo in lots of whatever you choose as your insulation material (hot glue,cork sheeting,neoprene,etc).It's a case of try it and see what happens.I've given up on piezo discs.If I don't use a magnetic pickup,i use a rod piezo.It's far superior to a disc and it doesn't seen to feedback as much as the disc....

Comment by Thomas "Duck" Petry on September 2, 2014 at 3:09am

I tried a piezo in a canjo once and even encased in foam tap it picked up every little sound in the area. If you touched the can or slid the string it would make weird sounds. It probably can be done, I just didn't have the patience to work it out.

Comment by The Capo Kid on September 1, 2014 at 11:09pm

Hi Guys , I'm going to build a Canjo using a round Tea Caddy it's quite big 4.5in x 6in so I thought I'd suspend the neck inside the can I'm using 1in x 1in timber for the neck and I'd like to fit a disc piezo , I've read about all the feed back issues with piezo 's in a can , so does any one have any thought's on this .

Comment by Thomas "Duck" Petry on August 27, 2014 at 7:37am

Should work fine Ben, just use a bridge piece with legs like on a multi-element resonator so you will get all of the cans working.

Comment by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on August 27, 2014 at 5:36am

All of that being said, I itend to try that multiple-cans-in-a-circle design! Seems like a great use for old beer cans.

Comment by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on August 27, 2014 at 5:29am

I intend to keep looking, TN! I have always felt that the idea of using a metal can to make a homemade banjo has to go way back. And to call it a canjo is just too easy. To try to claim that this idea originated in the late 20th century has always struck me as absurd. Further historic evidence will only further prove that point.

Comment by TN Twang on August 27, 2014 at 5:09am

Looks like definitive "prior art" to me. (I remember that there were later claims to originating the term.)

Now, since Wikipedia traces metal cans back to 1812, we need to see just how far back we can find "canjos" or "can banjos" using one or more cans as a resonator.

I'm betting on U.S. Civil War days--lots of junk lying around and lots of time on their hands.

Comment by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on August 27, 2014 at 3:13am

Here's an interesting little tidbit I found this morning:

http://issuu.com/american_folk_art_museum/docs/clarion_13_3_sum1988

(use the search feature to search for "Canjo" or just skip to page 45)

This issue of The Clarion, published by the American Folklore Museum in 1988, shows a canjo built by William Wiley in 1971. It clearly refers to the instrument as a canjo, and the instrument clearly features a single string and tin can(s) as the resonator. 

I believe that this is what the US Patent and Trademark Office would refer to as "Prior Art", and it certainly pre-dates 1994, which is the year some folks have identified as significant in the history of this instrument.

Comment by C Cook on July 6, 2014 at 5:14am

Maybe you'll like this one then. I made it last June and call it my Spamjo. Fully fretted three string. Set up for ball end strings. More picks on my page.

 

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Discussion Forum

The Cookie Tin Variety: a community image bank

Started by Diane in Chicago. Last reply by Keith Zorn Dec 27, 2022. 37 Replies

Canjo Tablatures

Started by Adam Jellison. Last reply by Adam Jellison Jan 8, 2020. 6 Replies

Can Cutting

Started by Mike Whisenhunt. Last reply by Glenn Watt Nov 22, 2019. 9 Replies

The Gas/Kerosene/Oil Can variety: a community image bank

Started by Diane in Chicago. Last reply by James Conder Nov 5, 2018. 7 Replies

How to adjust Intonation???

Started by JL. Last reply by Wichita Sam Mar 10, 2017. 9 Replies

1st Electric Canjo Build

Started by Greg Thompson. Last reply by TN Twang Aug 19, 2016. 4 Replies

Reds Wicked Apple canjo

Started by Greg Thompson. Last reply by TN Twang Aug 14, 2016. 8 Replies

Chromatic fretting.

Started by Graham Alibone. Last reply by Graham Alibone Sep 15, 2015. 6 Replies

Gunpowder Jug Resonator

Started by David Harris. Last reply by Greg Thompson Nov 27, 2014. 1 Reply

Can Jo for Children

Started by David Bowes. Last reply by David Bowes Sep 29, 2014. 11 Replies

Strings: Materials, Techniques, Sound, Etc.

Started by Dustan Eichler. Last reply by TN Twang Jun 13, 2014. 23 Replies

Circular hole tuner design

Started by Philip Daniel. Last reply by Rand Moore Apr 4, 2014. 10 Replies

cookie tin banjo (tinjo)

Started by Hillbilly Hobo. Last reply by Rand Moore Apr 4, 2014. 1 Reply

mag pup

Started by jabes. Last reply by jabes Mar 25, 2014. 2 Replies

Overthinking a simple cookie tin ?

Started by Piht Bull (Delta Dawg Guitars). Last reply by PKB Jan 31, 2014. 7 Replies

brass canjo/cbg

Started by Mario Poggio. Last reply by Mario Poggio Nov 28, 2013. 7 Replies

Can Orientation

Started by Alan "Poor Boy" Ackerson. Last reply by Alan "Poor Boy" Ackerson Oct 20, 2013. 6 Replies

Scale length and bridge

Started by Battmann. Last reply by Thomas "Duck" Petry Jul 23, 2013. 5 Replies

Attaching the Can

Started by Jim burt. Last reply by Russ Dugger Dec 13, 2012. 9 Replies

Loudness Versus Scale Length

Started by Randal. Last reply by Randal Oct 27, 2012. 9 Replies

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