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Author Topic: Cookie Tin Banjo  (Read 26774 times)

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Offline zenmonkeyman

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Cookie Tin Banjo
« on: February 06, 2014, 09:34:53 pm »
A cookie tin banjo has been on my 2do list for a while now. Finally got on my butt and made one. Who am I kidding, I was sitting down already. Partly inspired by Pete Seeger's passing? Anyways, the banjo was invented by people making do with what they had and could build themselves. The cookie tin was commonly used as a banjo resonator. So believe it or not, this is a legit traditional instrument. I planned on making something that looked half-assed but would (hopefully) sound amazing. I sorta got it backwards haha. Some build info: The cookie tin was full of cookies when I got it for Christmas. I don't remember who gave me this particular one. I have a few. The neck is birch I had cut for a different project and this piece was left over. The nut is carved from a shed antler I found. The inlays are elk hoof from a friend's elk a couple of years ago. The bridge is chokecherry. The pegs are forks cut from saskatoon (serviceberry). The tailpiece is also antler. The frets are #10 copper wire hammered flat and carefully filed. The strings are dacron B50 bowstring, 1, 2, and 3 ply. A couple of coats of boiled linseed oil finish it off.

I wasn't real happy with the sound though. It sounded like what a doubter would expect it to sound like. Pops, buzzes, clangs, and crashes, depending on the note being played. Chords were especially terrible. I noticed the distortion diminished if I kept my pinky finger pressed in a certain spot, though, so after a couple of failed remedies, I decided to bend some brass nails into hooks and mount them through the face as shown, tensed by rubber bands. It was a resounding success, losing none of the volume, but increasing brightness, consistency, and especially sustain. It actually sounds very close to how I was hoping it would sound.

I hope you enjoy! As a project it involves a similar skill set to bowmaking. I only used a belt sander to fair up the fretboard, and a drill and palm sander were the only other power tools I used. Mostly drawknife and farrier's rasp.













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If the ppl ever allow private banks to control their currency, 1st by inflation, then by deflation, the banks & corporations that will grow up around (these banks) will deprive the ppl of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson

Offline mullet

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2014, 09:52:26 pm »
That is really cool. Do you think the B-50 had anything to do with the crappy sound? Curious what monofilament would sound like.
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Offline bowtarist

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2014, 09:54:11 pm »
Really Cool Man! Is it intonated(sp?) maybe not even a word. From the center of the nut to the 12th fret should be the same distance as the center of the bridge to the 12th fret. I have a friend who makes cigar box ukes. He's always talking about that. just a thought, maybe you already know about that. Nylon uke strings might work too to help the sound. I can send you some for free if interested. I think it looks awesome!! dp
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Offline zenmonkeyman

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2014, 10:39:29 pm »
Quote from: mullet on February 06, 2014, 09:52:26 pm
That is really cool. Do you think the B-50 had anything to do with the crappy sound? Curious what monofilament would sound like.

I don't think the B50 had a whole lot to do with it. I made one up and put it on my uke once and it wasn't as nice as a nylon string, a little duller sounding. No I think the real key was the untensioned head. A banjo head is normally stretched, where the tin bottom is merely held in place. Once I put those two hooks in and attached them to rubber bands the head became essentially tensioned.  That said, my research led me to find that banjo makers often make use of nylon monofilament fishing line. One guy was using a different make and strength for every string! The fun thing is that they were all different colors, too lol.

Quote from: bowtarist on February 06, 2014, 09:54:11 pm
Really Cool Man! Is it intonated(sp?) maybe not even a word. From the center of the nut to the 12th fret should be the same distance as the center of the bridge to the 12th fret. I have a friend who makes cigar box ukes. He's always talking about that. just a thought, maybe you already know about that. Nylon uke strings might work too to help the sound. I can send you some for free if interested. I think it looks awesome!! dp

Hey, thanks for the offer, but I plan on getting some proper strings on my next trip into town, but I'm pleased with the sound now so I'm in no panic ;) The frets are laid out by an Excel spreadsheet I downloaded. All I had to do was enter the distance from the nut to the bridge and it spits out the numbers. And it's easy to put the bridge in the right spot because the string center point harmonic should be directly over the 12th fret, which is easily checked.

Thanks guys!
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If the ppl ever allow private banks to control their currency, 1st by inflation, then by deflation, the banks & corporations that will grow up around (these banks) will deprive the ppl of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson

Offline Cameroo

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #4 on: February 06, 2014, 10:45:15 pm »
Hey Monkeyman, that's cool and all, but you can't just post something like that without at least a sound clip ;)

Very cool project, I like the hammered copper frets.  Great example of making use of what you've got!
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Offline lostarrow

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2014, 10:51:47 pm »
Never seen Flemish banjer strings! ;D More ambition than I . I would have opted for fretless on my first !
   Waiting for the video!
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Offline zenmonkeyman

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2014, 10:57:10 pm »
Otay, well here's how it DID sound before I tweaked it ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbENL7IxCXQ
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If the ppl ever allow private banks to control their currency, 1st by inflation, then by deflation, the banks & corporations that will grow up around (these banks) will deprive the ppl of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson

Offline bowtarist

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2014, 11:14:46 pm »
SWEET! I listened to it twice. I knew right away when you said she didn't ask you for money that you were singin about your dog.  ;D Love the line about the cat too!! ::)

First weekend in June here in Brown County Indiana is the Ukulele World Congress. Last year we had folks from 7 countries and 28 states. you should try to make it, it's a big ball and it appears you'd fit in well with songs and instruments like that. Check it out on line, youtube, facebook and mainland ukes web site.

Great stuff you're doin!! dp
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Offline zenmonkeyman

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #8 on: February 06, 2014, 11:19:56 pm »
Quote from: bowtarist on February 06, 2014, 11:14:46 pm
SWEET! I listened to it twice. I knew right away when you said she didn't ask you for money that you were singin about your dog.  ;D Love the line about the cat too!! ::)

First weekend in June here in Brown County Indiana is the Ukulele World Congress. Last year we had folks from 7 countries and 28 states. you should try to make it, it's a big ball and it appears you'd fit in well with songs and instruments like that. Check it out on line, youtube, facebook and mainland ukes web site.

Great stuff you're doin!! dp
Hey thanks! I appreciate the positive response! That indeed does sound like a ton of fun, I shall look it up. :)
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If the ppl ever allow private banks to control their currency, 1st by inflation, then by deflation, the banks & corporations that will grow up around (these banks) will deprive the ppl of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson

Offline lostarrow

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #9 on: February 07, 2014, 09:18:19 am »
 ;D ;D ;D
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Offline Stoker

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #10 on: February 07, 2014, 10:28:04 am »
Cool... That screams for a campfire....
Thanks Leroy
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Offline paoliguy

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #11 on: February 07, 2014, 01:36:19 pm »
That is really cool. A cigar box guitar is high on my to do list If I ever get to my to do list ....
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Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #12 on: February 07, 2014, 10:52:02 pm »
Quote from: Stoker on February 07, 2014, 10:28:04 am
Cool... That screams for a campfire....
Thanks Leroy

Don't listen to Leroy, that should never be thrown in a fire!  It's far too cool for that!
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Offline zenmonkeyman

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #13 on: February 07, 2014, 11:03:10 pm »
Thank you all!
 :D
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If the ppl ever allow private banks to control their currency, 1st by inflation, then by deflation, the banks & corporations that will grow up around (these banks) will deprive the ppl of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. Thomas Jefferson

Offline bubby

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Re: Cookie Tin Banjo
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2014, 05:05:54 am »
cool zenman, I built a cigar box guitar this year and am working on a hubcap guitar now, fun stuff to build, I think if you had taken a pc of copper or aluminum tubing about the width of the neck and cut it so it fit snug between the"head" and the wood below it would have solved the tension problem, cool build though, bub
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