Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on April 16, 2019 at 6:52am

It wont matter if it’s paint, coffee, or cookies, as long as it has a big enough lip to catch the box & thick enough to handle the downward pressure from string pull without bending? Use the Search bar for pics, I’m sure you’ll find a few that have been made over the years? Cheers :)

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Permalink Reply by François on April 16, 2019 at 9:42am

On mine I used a cake baking pan (an old Bake Rite) which I found fit perfectly inside a wooden salad bowl... Used both.

As long as it's metal and it resonates fine, it will work.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on April 17, 2019 at 4:25pm

Hi, I have, I'll try to post a video of it, I can't play banjo but you will get an idea of sound, and get a laugh. Check out the video section, its too bad to put on you tube.

Taff

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Permalink Reply by Troy Eckstein on April 19, 2019 at 2:44pm

Hi Ashley, I’ve built many cookietin guitars and a few banjos as well. I just posted a video here of a banjo I built using a salad bowl for the hoop and a silver-plated serving plate for the head! It sounds reasonably good all things considered. Give it a go! Just about anything will work as long as it’s secured well to the body.

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Permalink Reply by François on April 21, 2019 at 9:34am

One thing I discovered when I built mine is that in order to get that true banjo sound you have to use real banjo strings.

And on the good side they require less tension than guitar necks.

I discovered this by accident when I noticed that the neck on mine was slowly bending from the tension of regular guitar strings. So I was forced to replace them.

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Permalink Reply by JL on April 22, 2019 at 12:04am

Just be careful of the down pressure from the strings' break angle across the bridge, cookie tin lids aren't as rigid as paint can lids.  Perhaps some sort of jack screw to raise the tail piece like a commercial banjo has to allow you to adjust it to get just enough break.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on April 24, 2019 at 12:23pm

Hi, I put a brace in the bridge area to stop any sag, it adds some stiffness to the top and stops the strings from going too low, so easier to set the neck/action.

Taff

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