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Comment by JIm Trussler on June 2, 2013 at 2:06pm

Whats the best or recommended method for playing a 4 string Cigar Box Banjo - Frail Claw hammer ????

I just got a decent cigar box and am planning the build and thinking down the road. Blues is the intent. Thoughts?

Comment by Jim burt on May 20, 2013 at 5:56am

Hi Guys!...Glad ot be on board....Hoping to get some insight on making banjo...Want to build a cigar box or tin can...but l have a opening mind...Some time it get muddy lol

Comment by Mr. Toad on May 12, 2013 at 3:28pm

Thank you for your input.

Comment by Ben on May 12, 2013 at 10:54am

Mr. Toad, there is no difference in the formula used to derive fret spacing. The difference in you two "tenor" instruments likely comes from different scale lengths. Tenor instruments often fall in the 19"-23" scale length range (similar to how guitars are not all the same scale length...Fender vs. Gibson, etc). Other groups to check out would be the Scale Lengths group and the Tenor Guitar group.

Comment by Mr. Toad on May 12, 2013 at 10:34am

Is there any difference between the fret spacing of a guitar and a banjo? I am making a tenor banjo and printed out a template using "wfret" and when I compare the template to the tenor banjo that I have, they are not the same.

Comment by frank tennyson on December 5, 2012 at 8:31am

I have a 12" round John Deere sign and a vintage Houston Harvast Dairy 3 Flavor Popcorn container made of tin with a 10" lip. It tapers down to 6 1/2" at the bottom with a flanged base of 8".  There are two handles on the sides 1 1/2 inches from the top. I want to use the two to make a banjo. Any building suggestions? Neck length, neck attachment, attaching sign to container, scale length, fretting, fret board, bridge design, ANY suggestions & EVERY idea WELCOME!

Comment by Marmelade on December 1, 2012 at 3:25am

Hi, here is my banjo finished, it's made out of a floor tom, a "14" one, large enough to have a really good resonance, too large to have this banjo special sound.

http://youtu.be/7cH00zYA-fs

Comment by Rand Moore on October 13, 2012 at 6:44pm

Here's another Banjo oriented website I came across while researching lyrics and music to an old minstrel song: "Minstrel Banjo", a Ning based website like CBN,

I thought there might be some cross-over interest with the members of this CBN discussion group.

Comment by Rand Moore on October 5, 2012 at 10:11pm

Hi Frank,

Banjos take a lot of time to learn to play, at least for people w/o talent like me. My advice would be to start him with a diatonically fretted instrument like a canjo, stick dulcimer, or dulcijo. The dulcijo is played more "banjo style" using a technique called claw-hammer (aka "flailing"). There is a write-up in this discussion group I did on the dulcijo (you can build one fairly easily), As far as playing a 5-string banjo, claw-hammer is probably the easiest playing technique with blue grass picking style being the hardest. There is a fellow called Patrick Costello (and his father, Pat), who have put a lot of training material, much of it for free, via the Internet. They have a book called the "How And Tao Of Old Time Banjo" that I was able to download off the Internet for free (they sell it too; can Google the title). It seems to be pretty good, but I'll still need to put more time than I have available to master frailing. In the mean time, I'll just keep playing and building "easy-peasy" stick dulcimers (strum sticks). But, I'm a big fan of banjo players!

-Rand.

Comment by frank tennyson on October 5, 2012 at 11:01am

My son-in-law wants to learn how to play banjo. My daughter bought him a banjo, however he heeps himself so busy in their bussiness he has no time to learn it.

So, I have this idea. He loves rustic and hand made things. His house has decorations of old windows and coffee can men. He has John Deere collectables. His neice and nephew call him Tractor Boy. Get the picture?

Maybe, If I make the parts for a hand built rustic banjo and send it to him to assemble he will strum it while tuming, and play whatever learning vid I send with it. WHat do you all think?

If you like I need suggestions, plans, plans with step by step photos work best with me. Evry detail, nuts, bridges, fret, scale length, you name it. and where to get or put together akiller intro and learning vid to send with it.

email me on my page here at CBN. THANKS!

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