Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
This is a cool topic.
A favorite (modern) old time player has been Frank Fairfield. He plays finger style and clawhammer on old and cheap banjos, which I can relate to and appreciate.
Nine pound hammer
Cumberland gapThe cool thing about the new Americana neck is that I’ve added some ogees to the side of the fingerboard. The older model did not have this feature. These shapes are unique to the Americana kit; the minstrel kit also has side ogees but they are shaped differently. The ogees line up with certain frets and can be very helpful for the fretless option.
As for the sound difference in 11” vs 12”. I think it could be debated but to me it is subtle.Attachments:
Feel free to stain the rim. You will want to scuff up the top so wood glue will stick. This is a crucial step to keep the skin on tight for a long time. It’s in the assembly video, which I am wrapping up at this very moment.
Great Steven!
I no longer pre-drill tack holes because I think you should be able to set them without too much trouble.
Probably best to wait on the assembly video. It’s a pretty simple process but the dowel can be tricky and I go over it thoroughly in the video.
I wanted this video to have everything anyone could ever need to make these kits. I’m pretty sure I’ll have it wrapped up and posted tomorrow or the next day. It’s about an hour long. I know it’s not a masterpiece but phew editing all the clips and trying to get the info condensed has been a project.In theory you could probably take the body apart and put it back together without losing the head tension, but it’s not something I would do unless prepared to completely replace the skin in the worst case. You’ll have to replace the skin if you use a different tone ring because the dimensions of the tone ring are what the original skin has been stretched on and dried on and therefore uniquely fitted to that original tone ring.
Thanks for the entries so far!
I am seeing a lot of sign ups but only a few posts. Running this forum is a learning experience for me. I’m thinking confirmation emails might be sent on a delay to new accounts. So if you haven’t been able to login or post yet, let’s give it 24 hours and see if those confirmation emails come through.
I will be working on this and if the issue persists I will extend the deadline or find a new way to do the giveaway. Thanks everyone!(Example submission)
I first noticed the banjo when I was a kid, watching reruns of the Beverly Hillbillies. I was drawn to the sound. From there, I started listening to a lot of Earl Scruggs. I got my first banjo when I was about 16 and I tried learning the 3 finger Scruggs picking style. I had a lot of trouble getting the hang of this. Once I discovered Pete Seeger’s music I realized there are other ways to play and I took to the clawhammer playing style. Almost 20 years later and I’ve turned banjos into a complete way of life, but I still can’t pick a decent 3 finger (Scruggs) roll lol.Attachments:
Hey Martin, I’ve finally got the file size upload limit raised. Feel free to try it out. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Hey Martin, thank you for contributing to the forum! I’m still looking into a way to post larger pics here. Sorry I’ve not been here much, I’ll be checking the forum more often!
Hey Georgi,
Have you sorted the issue? It’s hard for me to understand exactly the problem just from your description. If you could post a picture it would be useful.
I’m thinking what could be dented? I suppose the skin could be loose which is causing the bridge to sit lower and this would cause string buzz. If this is the case, the skin might have pulled through the tacks due to shock, or sudden humidity changes. Maybe the skin was tacked on too tightly or maybe wood glue was not used when tacking the skin?
Does the neck angle need to be adjusted? You can change the string height by setting the dowel to the rim at a different position.
Is there extra string ends on the tailpiece where it was tied? Maybe the extra bit is resting on the drumhead and vibrating when you play.
I’m sorry for taking so long to get back here, I’ll be checking often for new posts. -BrianHey Kclason, I think you have the mountain banjo kit?
First make sure to watch my assembly video here: https://youtu.be/x7ZIUjqtkuQ
The first 4 tacks are the most important. Put them in then pop in the tone ring and close the top and bottom plates together to check the tension on the skin.
Remove the tacks and try again if the skin os so tight you can’t get the top and plates to squeeze together.
Once you have a good tension, fill in with the rest of the tacks. Pull the skin evenly and space the tacks about and inch apart. If you are seeing wrinkles, it’s not tight enough.
Be sure to use glue on the inner lip to insure the skin won’t pull through the tacks when it’s done.
Take your time and make sure to get a good tension right off the bat. The skin will be pliable for a long time so no need to rush the process. I believe I sent an extra skin along, so I’m sure you’ll get it.
If you need more help, post pictures. As many pics as possible to show where you are having the issues.Hey guys, my apologies for not being active on this forum this past week. I have been on a small vacation in a national park (BANFF) without any service. I’ll be back in a few days and follow up with everyone! Thanks for posting here!
Hey Joshualouis, welcome to the forum!
I love the sound of a banjo tuned low with nylon or gut strings. It sounds mellow and calming.
I’ll link a few videos people have made playing their cello banjo kits.
I plan to make all of my kits with the option for cello tuning. I’ve widened and standardized the neck widths across all the kits so they can accommodate the thicker strings. All the kits will come with a set of strings that allow you to choose if you want to equip it for cello tunings.
Hello to anyone reading this out there. I’ve been wanting to add a forum to this site for a long time. There are now thousands of carver kit owners out there and over the years many have sent me photos and video links of their builds. I think it’d be cool to get people discussing their builds here. I am admittedly bad at answering all emails, so I figure it’ll be a lot easier to stay in touch with people here. I want kit owners to be able to help other kit owners with any questions. Once you put one of these banjos together you will likely have some tips to help out the next person.
I know there are other banjo forums out there, I don’t want to take anyone away from them. My main goal for this forum is to build a community based around the DIY banjo kits offered here on this site and my personal goal is to get to know my customers on a more personal level. Thanks for checking out the site! Anyone is welcome to join the forum, its free to join.
If this forum doesn’t really take off, as its just an experiment, I’ll use it to post updates on new kits and to give the backstories on how they came to be.
-Brian Carver
