Comment

Comment by Rand Moore on March 20, 2014 at 2:48am

Hi Uncle John,

The circular piece of metal I use for the resonator is the internal lid to a squarish cookie tin that also has a squarish external lid. The tin is colored in a red plaid and contains egg-roll like cookies (long, rolled up and hollow). Let me see if I can get a better photo uploaded...

What makes this lid a nice resonator is that it has a lip all the way around it. I just set the lid inside the hole in the sound board, and use the bridge and string pressure to hold the resonator in place. Here's another photo...

The bridge I used for this was a violin bridge which I cut flat (the top edge was rounded as they do for many bowed instruments, including the violin), and I painted it black to go with the box better.

You might also want to check out the CBN discssion group called "Banjo Players Unite!", which is where I generally post all my banjo related discussions/writings, etc. There is also a great banjo oriented website called "Banjo Hangout". Their discussion boards should also prove very helpful for your banjo project. My only bit of advice is to measure the string space requirements before choosing a board to use as your neck. That way you won't end up with a weird 4-string banjo like I did;-)

-Rand.

Comment by Mr.C on March 20, 2014 at 2:26am

Love that lid

Comment by Uncle John on March 20, 2014 at 1:36am

Thanks for the good info with this.   I like the look.   What is the reso?  Looks like a paint can lid.

Rand, I am working on a banjo.   Could not decide how many strings.   Currently 4 tuner holes in the peg head.   I may try it as a 5. 

Comment by Rand Moore on March 19, 2014 at 9:30pm

Hi Richey,

Thanks for the kind comments. My fingers are pretty thick and un-coordinated, which is why I like a lot of space between strings. When I drew out the string placement (something I tend to do when I'm making the tail piece), I felt the strings were just too close together. So, I'm planning to do another similar instrument with a wider neck for a 5-string banjo. I have fabricated the blank for the neck, but now I find I have no fretboard wide enough. I'll have to talk to my supplier to see if they can cut me something to size. In the meantime I'm working on a 3-string stick dulcimer with the same resonator and body. It's the inner lid from a squarish red plaid tin of egg-roll style cookies. The two characters, I'm told, is a place in Hong Kong's New Territories where they make these tasty treats. I also have two other (headless) box dulcimers in process of being built. One of them will have a resonator as well. So, a neat set of 4 "guitars" to be finished this month. After that, maybe I'll be ready to tackle another banjo-style neck and headstock.

-Rand.

Comment by Richey Kay on March 19, 2014 at 7:05pm

It's a beautiful instrument Rand. Great idea with the fret wire markers. I do think the neck would be wide enough for 5 strings though. My Ozark banjo is only 30mm at the nut...

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