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New and wanted to say hello

Hi all I am all together new to all of this. I got my very first banjo this past Saturday and I can now play marry had a little lamb. It is a pie plate banjo made by a good friend that has made close to four hundred banjos. I started looking and found this place and that I can make my own out of a cigar box. I have made many projects out of wood and have a nice shop and thought I would give it a try. I make custom longbows and figured this would be a bit easier and less work. Being new to the guitar and making one figured I would ask for any and all help I can get. I have a few boxes and know how to make the neck but would like to know where to get the misc. other parts. Thanks and glad to be here.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Morris on September 2, 2009 at 2:40pm

Hey KM welcome! I've only been around here about a month, and I'm testafyin' that you you've entered into a great bunch of folks. Look forward to the help you'll get. Now get started having some fun!

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Permalink Reply by Paul Doug on September 2, 2009 at 3:16pm

I see lots of Cohiba boxes on e-bay, if you can afford the shipping.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Morgan on September 2, 2009 at 5:21pm

Thanks a bunch guys I have just finished shaping my first neck and need to get some wire and turners to keep going. I have a local shop that has lots of the paper boxes, or covered wood, I am just going to go with that for now and I did find two of the nice ones on ebay and they will be here soon. I have not even finished my first and I am hocked. I have a buddy that has made over four hundred three string banjos and even five cds and he has never heard of CBG. I now have him hocked and once he moves he will get internet. He now lives in the sticks and I mean out there. No electricity or nothing. He runs his shop and house on generators. Well thanks again and I am greatful and will post pics as soon as I get one done.

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Permalink Reply by Bill Ludeman on September 2, 2009 at 6:29pm

Hi Kevin, I am pretty new too and have studied all 10,000 plus pictures several times. Probably skipped over more than half but that is a real educaition. And then I jumped in there and made a couple. found out there is a right side up for tuners and a bunch of other things. I've been having fun and expect you will too. They say there aren't any rules here? I have also discovered that there are better ways to do it and worse. I've been thinking about a walmart dog dish banjo Bill Ludeman

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Morgan on September 8, 2009 at 6:12pm

Thanks guys I am almost done and ready to take some pics of my first one. Thank you for the help and places to get what I needed.

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Permalink Reply by Shiverman on April 15, 2010 at 1:19am

Hey,

I'm a banjo player as well, clawhammer and old-time mostly. There's some great resources our there, but for music my personal favorite is Mike Iverson's site (http://www.bluesageband.com/Tabs.html)...excellent tablature accompanied by mp3's of him playing each tune.

I've built one cigar box-banjo, one mountain banjo, a neck for an old pot that I was given, but am currently at work on two more cigar box banjo's. The banjo is a great instrument...I still play guitar some buy the banjo has a way of taking over your life.

So far as parts I've mostly used the standard stew-mac (expensive shipping, but top-notch company to deal with) as well as ebay. Stewmac sells a set of economy banjo tuners for $12 that's hard to beat...for an extra 10 or so you can get a geared 5th string tuner which is nice, but not a necessity.

I've used their fret-wire for all my builds, I've yet to try any of the other alternatives out there. A harbor-freight japanese pull-saw makes a great fret saw.

If you check my profile I've got some pics the CBB I made, along with some of the construction details.

Best of luck and let us know if you have any questions.

- Chris