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Looks great Ian, thanks for sharing!
I’m going to try to raise the size limit on attachments, so maybe you can try to repost that video and it might work.
I’m going to move this post over to the “completed kit builds” thread pinned to the top of this board. Trying to keep all the builds in one thread since it’s a pretty slow forum here.Hey Richard, welcome to the forum!
I don’t recommend steel strings on any of my kits and I’ll explain why. Each part of the kit is selected to work together. Nylon strings are easy to tie to the leather tailpiece and easy to keep in tune with the friction pegs. If you use steel strings you’ll almost definitely need to find a tailpiece that will work since the strings won’t have a good way to attach and can stretch the leather.
Then you may need to upgrade to machine tuners which I didn’t really design these kits for. You’ll see that on the friction pegs you wind the string downward and close to the peghead, you can’t do this with most machine tuners and the string will sit higher on the post, causing less downward tension at the nut and possible string buzzing issues.
Another point to note is that these necks do not have truss rods so they could become distorted or twist with higher tension strings, though I wouldn’t really be too concerned with this as they are pretty sturdy necks regardless. The last point: the drum is a tackhead which means it’s only as tight as you make it the first go, and can’t be adjusted to compensate for higher string tensions at the bridge- in short the skin could start to sag from extra tension.
I chose all the parts to work together in harmony, so changing one small thing could mean you must change several other things to stay in balance.
These are my recommendations and reasonings, but you are free to experiment and try out anything you want because it is your banjo and the main point of these kits is to have a fun hands-on project.Thank you for your order! I don’t have the dimensions off hand but the nut is non standard in every aspect so you’ll have to make one from scratch if you go that route, use the 3d printed nut for reference.
Screenshots of the original listing attached.
Attachments:
The kits have sold out in under 24 hours! Thank you everyone. I will be processing those orders over the next couple weeks, thank you for your patience.
I will be moving information from the sales page to this thread: assembly instructions and videos etc.
Someone commented on the YouTube video that they feel like they got the golden ticket in Willy Wonka and I thought that was pretty funny. I’d love to be thought of as the Willy wonka of the banjo world haha. Alright, check back here, I’ll have all the info up by the time these kits are shipping out.
-BrianAttachments:
Hi Bill, thanks for joining the forum!
The strings will go over the zero fret and through the small hole, come out the back side and then wrap around the peg on the back of the peghead.
No need for notches in the nut because the small holes are spaced to place each string where it needs to be- therefore we use a simple fret here.
I used to route the strings like this to get a good downward tension on the string at the fret zero nut, and then there was no need to make an angled or scooped peghead. It was all to make things as simple as possible. I’ll look for a time stamp in a video where I show this.
Hope that helps!Hi GF, welcome to the forum.
The minstrel neck has shapes called “double ogees”
The swoops and points correspond to the 5th, 7th, 10th and 12th fret positionsGlad to hear David! Looking forward to seeing it!
If the pegs are holding tuning, I wouldn’t even worry about the shellac being a factor. If you need to clean the shellac out, roll up a piece of 320 grit sandpaper and turn it around in the hole a few times.
The pegs should sit wherever they need to to hold the strings in tune. You’ll want to guide the strings downward on the peg as you turn to keep a good downward tension of the strings at the nut. This will prevent nut buzz.
The exception is the fifth (thumb)string peg. You’ll want to guide that string to whichever height you prefer- usually to the same height that the other strings are floating above the fingerboard at the fifth fret position if this makes sense- it’s uniform string height.
I never used a 5th string small screw (pip) on this type of neck. Because the peg passes through the fingerboard I have always used the peg itself as the pip. It’s a simplified way of terminating the fifth string and it in my opinion is better than a pip because it allows you to adjust the fifth string height (action) to suit your needs. I do use a small screw in necks that have the peg going into the side of the neck as you can see on other models on the site.The thumb (short) string is number 5
Please watch the assembly video here at the 5:49 minute mark https://youtu.be/lVs0yYWGEt0?si=nq8sbvPtkNN8NIu6Strap and hardware used to be an option I sold but I no longer have a source on those materials to be able to sell at a reasonable price. Sorry for any confusion. My videos are a bit outdated but you will receive everything shown in the pictures on the kit page.
Thanks for your order!
You can do that if you want, but you’ll still have to handle the skin and pull it with each tack and push/hammer the tacks into place. I focus on getting the skin tacked to the rim, it’s a pretty physical process, then I wipe the extra glue off of the skin and rim with a damp rag. You’re doing all of this while the skin and glue is damp, so it’s not really possible to set the skin on and not slide it around while you are tacking it.
Hope that helpsIt’s still a long term goal for carverbanjos. I imagine having a large workshop and space for about 10 people for a long weekend retreat. I think it will be within the next 5 years. I’m not planning to stay where I currently live, so I don’t want to build a shop here. I’d like to find a property where I can make this happen, there are lots of things that will have to line up before then.
I’d like to do a few “camps” throughout the summers, emphasizing different banjo constructions: gourd banjos, rim banjos, mountain banjos. I’d like to provide space to sleep/camp with option for hotels nearby. I’d like to provide meals and invite musician friends for entertainment in the evenings.
I see all this being the final product of my life work with banjos. Finally making banjos in person and interacting with people face to face.
I know Jeff Menzies hosts banjo building camps as well and I don’t want to copy or take anything away from his events and success. I make similar banjos to Jeff but I don’t see what we do as in competition in any way. I think we have some overlap in customers but mostly we reach different audiences.
Kirby and others,
What would you like to see from a banjo building workshop?
What are reasonable price points for such events?
How long does the typical person have to spend at an event like this?
I’m located in central indiana, how many people are local enough to join?
Any other suggestions?Thanks everyone
Hi Kirby, welcome to the forum!
If you are looking at the 10” full scale minstrel model here are my recommendations:
Option 1: use the provided strings and use the high set to tune to E.
Option 2: use the provided strings and use the low set to tune to low A (almost a full octave below standard G. If you go all the way to low G the strings are going to be maxed out and they won’t intonate very well).
Option 3: purchase a set of banjo nylgut, gut, or nylon strings that are intended for G tuning and tune to standard G.My provided string set allows you to choose from a wide range of tunings, but to get up to standard G they don’t quite allow it or want to hold tuning. I make the sets from classical guitar nylon sets. I discuss this in a previous thread about strings here on the forum.
Hope that helps out and hope to make a kit for you.Good job Thomas! Excellent pictures and review. Great to see these kits being put together. I like the added fret dot markers.
I can address the not so good points you made. They are valid points and I understand it is constructive feedback, which is always appreciated.
The frailing scoop is a little short, I put it there in all these necks though it could be longer on the fretless necks. I wanted a full 19 frets, so the scoop had to be shorter, it begins right after the 19th fret and that doesn’t leave a whole lot of length. You could extend the scoop easily since it’s a fretless neck.
The tacks will pass through the rim, you could test and trim the tacks before assembly. I talk about this in a lot of my previous assembly videos, I can’t remember if I mention it in the specific video for this kit.
The neck is what it is for thickness. I work with 1” lumber, so I understand but that’s not something we can change. As for roundness, you can shape the neck to your liking. I talk about this in my other assembly videos, but I left it out of this specific kit video.
The dowel is a bit wonky on yours. If it’s my error I sincerely apologize. It can happen because I was drilling the holes by eye, I’ve since developed a jig to help with the process. I’m not sure if it could have been glued into the neck at an angle to correct the offset or not. I’m glad the strings still line up and the banjo looks like it plays as intended.
I appreciate your feedback and pictures!Alrighty, got my calipers out.
For standard g tuning, I recommend using a set of nylgut banjo strings that are made for g tuning.I provide strings that are made from nylon classical guitar sets. Mainly because these strings are much cheaper, last a long time, and sound nice on the kits.
E tuning is recommended for most of my kits- this is a few steps below g. The guitar strings like e tuning, so I work with that. We take the top 4 strings from the guitar and add another top string or simply use a 50lb fishing line so you don’t have to buy extra guitar strings. Heavier fishing line can be suitable for the other strings. I think it’s best to use the guitar string for your 4th banjo string though because this string is wound.
1…0.025”
2…0.030”
3…0.040”
4…silver wound 0.035”
5…50lb line, 0.025”For the low octave tuning or “cello” tunings we are using the bottom five strings from the guitar set. An octave below standard g is a bit low and the strings don’t have enough tension to intonate very well, so I say tune up one step from that to low A.
1…0.040”
2…wound 0.035”
3…wound 0.038”
4…wound 0.043”
5…0.030”(you could use another 0.040 guitar string here if you want).If you can find strings +/- 0.001” or so you should be fine.
Please don’t feel limited by your strings. Try different gauges to find the sounds/tuning ranges you are looking for.
Thanks guys,
-BrianWelcome to the forum Patrick, thanks for posting! Your banjo looks great. I’m seeing a few customers are staining the rim to match the neck and I think that’s awesome.
A few threads below yours, there’s a member asking about staining the rim. Maybe you could pop into that thread or share a picture here of your rim? Specifically, the question is concerning the scarf joint taking stain as well as the rest of the rim.
The classic minstrel is my flagship kit and I have refined this kit over the years. I started making banjos just like this one almost 20 years ago! The price is a little higher than most other kits I offer, but I try to deliver on the quality. Thanks again, hope you enjoy your banjo for many years.Hi Alexander, thanks for posting
You can remove the small brass string guide with a flathead screwdriver, it’s just a wood screw.
I’ve already rough sanded the fingerboard and flattened it before sale. Just a quick hand-sand with a folded piece of 220 followed by 320 grit will have it ready for varnish. You could wrap a small flat block of wood with the sandpaper if you want to insure the fingerboard stays totally flat, but it’s not required in my opinion. Please post pics when you are all assembled!Thank you to everyone that has participated in this thread.
I enjoyed reading the posts and hearing how you’ve all gotten into the banjo.
It’s my hope that you all continue to check into the forums and post again in the future.
I know some people have had trouble signing up for this forum and that is something I am working on figuring out. If you have tried to sign up but we’re unable to post please email me and I will try to resend confirmation emails. I will do another giveaway in the future when I have all of these technical issues sorted out so that everyone will have a fair chance to participate.Now, the winner, drawn at random from a hat: tpierc
Please email your neck/fret choice for your 12” rim kit and shipping address to Brian at carverbanjos@gmail.com
