Mountain banjo, tack head banjo

[MulchMaker]

Anyone here make one before? Looks like an easy project. From what I can gather as long as you get in the ballpark with the Neck length from the nut you can move the bridge forward or back to get the correct scale length. As far as the parts go it looks like the most important part is the Neck system and then you can stuff that into just about anything (wooden bowl with tacked rawhide, gas can, cookie tin, gourd etc.) am I far off? I have dear bone for the nut and plenty of wood and lots of rawhide running around on my property. I'm not looking to build a commercial looking banjo, something primitive but playable and definitely fret less don't need those I'm a bass player.  Thanks for taking the time to read and for your thoughts

[bjrogg]

Sorry can't help with your question but I sure do love listening to someone pick a bango that knows what there doing. That's definitely not me though, hope someone can answer your question
Bjrogg

[MulchMaker]

Me too bjrogg When figure this out I'm gonna make something super primitive that anyone could build that owns a knifes, small saw, a rasp, and a plane. I love banjo music,and I play music, may as well learn how to play banjo now, and may as well build it myself.

[osage outlaw]

Please post a build-a-long when you start making your banjo.  I would be very interested in following along.

[MulchMaker]

I will definitely post a build along. It will be no problem to take some pics while I'm building. You guys have done so many to help me out with bows and arrows, I'd be just returning a favor.

[bubby]

You can make one pretty easy i make cigar box guitars and stuff. Google cigar box nation you will get all the info you want

[MulchMaker]

Thanks bubby, that is enough info to get me started, if you can stuff a banjo Neck into a cigar box and it sounds like that, what I'm planning to do will work. Might have to make two cause I've got two ideas to make this "primative"  banjo. The reason i put it in quotes is im gonna use primative methods with the aid of steel tools, its to cold out and will be for some time to be outside messing around with stone tools for this man. I'm sure anyone here can convert it to there own style of interest. Anyone else wanna chyme in with some suggestions I'm all ears. Thanks everyone for the encouragement and help

[nclonghunter]

I have made two from scratch. One was a hickory hoop and deer hide with a cherry neck. The tuners were also wood and the nut was bone and bridge I think wood. The other was pine boards with an inside coffee can with deer hide. The tuners were store bought with with fake ivory. The nut was also bone and the neck I dont recall. They both play well once tuned. The directions can be found in the "Fox Fire" Books. Old timers used to use domestic cat hides for the thinness I guess. Groundhog was also used.

Getting the neck to lay correctly so the strings are not too high or too low (close) to the head is the trick. And keeping it in that position is also necessary. Most wood when put under the stress and torque of the strings will want to flex or bend. that is why most necks are laminate or grain oriented to resist the torque.

I started a third using a cookie tin but lost interest. I don't play but wanted to learn. Would be great to make your own and play it...Good luck

For the tapperd fiddle style tuners you can buy a tapering tool to groove the holes in a taper. It allows the wood to tighten and stay tight with a little pine pitch added to the end.

[Buffalogobbler]

This does sound like an interesting project, I too would love to see a build along if you make one.

Kevin

[DC]

Old timers used to use domestic cat hides

Now there's a reason to make a banjo

Whoa, did I say that out loud

[MulchMaker]

I forgot about the foxfire books, vol. 3 if memory serves me right.. looks like I've got cherry and hickory scraps for the Neck and if I screw up another bow I'll have more!! Lol. Should be fun

[Pat B]

Do a search on You Tube. I was looking up cigar box guitars and ukuleles and was amazed how many build alongs, some detailed, some pretty simple.

[MulchMaker]

For my banjo, I'm going primative no cigar boxes for me, but if you can stuff a banjo Neck into a cigar box and have it come out sounding pretty well, then what I am going to do will work. The key to the whole thing has got to be the Neck and fitting it well to the "body" this is gonna be a fun project. I think I'll go into the woods today and see if the ice storm has given me any bow staves, and for the first time a banjo..

[Pat B]

They don't just have cigar box guitars but other instruments, modern and primitive.

[nclonghunter]

Managed to get pictures of the two banjos I made and two deer hide drums.