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Banjo Building!!!

Hi Guys,

I'm making a Banjo - I am stealing a bit of an idea from youtube - basically I am making a sort of bolt on neck to a wooden salad/fruit bowl.

I actually have the materials to do 2 banjos the other one being an old tambourine (tambourine in transit from Ebay - hence i am keen to move on this one)

I have pretty much everything figured out, mostly the usual components as my CBG's - apart from what to use as a drum skin. I figure i need something leathery/hyde type material and tack it on tightly over the salad bowl rim. I do own a Banjo and I know the heads are made from a polyester type material - but i am unsure where i could get something like this (any ideas)

I want to keep it fairly low cost as this is a first attempt - and also something that is easily available, so i can build it this weekend. I was thinking of a leather Chamoix - but after having a look at them i dunno if they look ideal, a lot of them seem to be little pieces stitches together so i reckon they won't last.

Does anyone have any ideas? What i could use that is either household - or available in the hardware stores/supermarkets etc.

I live in Scotland - so we don't have quite the same stores as our pan-atlantic cousins - please bear in mind if it's all Home Depot stuff.

Andy

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Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on July 31, 2010 at 4:25pm

Randy S. when you build those do you cut a hole in the box below the top, or is it placed on top box Ron

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Permalink Reply by Andy White (Noisetop Guitars) on August 7, 2010 at 9:30pm

Thanks for all the input guys. Really helpful and lots of links were really inspirational.

The salad bowl Banjo is still a work in progress - however I started concentrating more on the Hand drum/tambourine one - which is now finished.

Keni Lee - here's the link, glad i can do somethin in return, I have found lots of your YouTube vids very helpful with my CBG playing, aswell as entertaining.

(I'm not much of a Banjer so apologies in advance for the sloppy clawhammer)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyRLpPcXCFI

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Permalink Reply by ken farmer on August 14, 2010 at 4:38am

That looks good and sound good - nice job!

What tuning, strings and scale did you use?

I've been wanting to build an open-g tuned banjo with a short scale (22-24"), but am uncertain about the strings.

I was thinking of going the cookie tin route, but I doubt it would sound as good as what you've got there. Did you attach the raw hide while wet, stretch it, then pin it, then let it dry?

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Andy White (Noisetop Guitars) on August 15, 2010 at 9:45am

Hi Ken,

Thaks buddy - i left the rawhide/saladbowl build for another day - this one is just an 8inch tambourine.

It's open G (ish), I'm not much of a Banjer, so someone better could probably show it off a bit more. Regarding scale length, I was slightly inaccurate if I tell the truth. I have a CBG fret ruler that i made and have used to mark out previous builds. I foolishly made the msitake of not checking the scale length precisely on the store bought banjo I have, as when it's sat next to a guitar the fret lengths kinda look the same, so i assumed the scale length was more or less the same - however after fretting I did check, and realised my mistake.

I don't really mind cos the stuff i can play is all in the first 5 frets which (unless you have a great ear) I don't think anyone would really notice the difference. but when you get up to 11th/12th fret you can tell it's not quite right........however.......it's a 1st build, a prototype, and a one of a kind - I like the wee guy so I like him.

I'm definitely gonna build another Banjo (and will definitely have to learn up and develop my claw-hammer to show the next one off better)

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Permalink Reply by Andy White (Noisetop Guitars) on August 15, 2010 at 9:51am

oh - and strings

I used Banjo strings cos i had them available, I think you could use electric guitar strings. I made a 4 string CBG that is Open G, which kinda led me onto wanting to build the banjer.

If you're gona have to buy strings get banjo, but if you already have a set i don't see why you couldn't use the leccy ones.