Hey. First of all, I'm a noob researching for my first build, so please excuse any stupid questions. I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about constructing a banjo, but I'm a little unsure about what how necessary the skin on the resonator is. I was strongly considering using an oilcan, but have been having trouble finding a suitable one. I recently found designs for a guitar built out of an ammo canister, and was wondering whether it would be possible to make a banjo this way, as I have more access to these because of local army surplus stores.
You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!
Replies
Small boxes produce a sharper attack and a higher voice. This one sounded more
like a banjo than a guitar, would have been perfect with a 5th string.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/comacho-stinger-finished-004
Most people feel that a round body and skin head is what defines a banjo, but for me anyway, it's the sound of the 5th string. I make lots of cigar box banjos. Seems to me you could make a banjo out of most anything you want.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/cbbfoothills-1
If you are looking at having a skin, and want some ideas on attachment. There was a good thread in an earlier discussion I had going a while back here is the link. Just a few ideas there:
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/forum/topics/banjo-builders-skin-ques...
Have fun.
I purchased and sold this banjo awhile back. When I received the banjo, it was in poor playing condition. A friend and professional guitar builder, James Millinchuk rebuilt it for me using a large cookie tin I found at a local flea market. The bottom of the tin made a fine resonator (skin). It had "neck through the body" construction. Possibly, you might consider just buying an inexpensive banjo neck to practice installing it into the pot. Of course making a neck is a craft too, but assembly an instrument correctly is a real skill. Enjoy your build. I look forward to seeing and hearing it, Keni Lee
http://youtu.be/BkRBqMOXaHA
Try out the square eel :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FxfZ9yZ0PY&feature=related
AKA packing tape. Cheers Ron.
Sean,
Further to the discussion, I noticed you mentioned you are considering an ammo canister, and are worried that it won't resonate. The top is what you want to resonate. If you look at a "real" banjo, most of them don't even have a back. They are metal (in some cases wood, and in some cases a combo of both) rings with a drumhead or other similar skin attached. As long as your soundboard surface is very thin (skin, Tyvek, cellophane strapping tape stretched reeeellly tight, kid's tambourine, cheap Remo drumhead, or thin wood as AFKAM correctly states), and can move / vibrate, then viola! you got yerself a potential banjo top.
Take your ammo canister, and give it a good head job. Errr...wait...awww, what the hell.
You can use a big square thin cigar box.
Lots of early banjos used thin wood tops instead of skin.
AFKAM
Sean,
You wanna make a banjo, the resonator skin is pretty important! ;-). If you wanna make something that sounds a lot like a banjo, then the cookie tin idea will definitely work, too. There are lots of examples here on the site. Many people use a tambourine, even a kid's 6" model will work well. One Group here at CBN that does these in depth is Banjo Players Unite! Look for them under the Groups tab. Lots of DIY discussion about builds there.
Hope this helps,
Oily
Here's one i made earlier from a bisected 12 inch tom drum - Ol' Roundy looks like a banjo, sounds like a banjo...and it rocks! (-: this was my most difficult build so far, but the rewards are many!
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next