Posted by Kevin Morgan on September 1, 2009 at 2:33am
Hi all I am all together new to all of this. I got my very first banjo this past Saturday and I can now play marry had a little lamb. It is a pie plate banjo made by a good friend that has made close to four hundred banjos. I started looking and found this place and that I can make my own out of a cigar box. I have made many projects out of wood and have a nice shop and thought I would give it a try. I make custom longbows and figured this would be a bit easier and less work. Being new to the guitar and making one figured I would ask for any and all help I can get. I have a few boxes and know how to make the neck but would like to know where to get the misc. other parts. Thanks and glad to be here.
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I'm a banjo player as well, clawhammer and old-time mostly. There's some great resources our there, but for music my personal favorite is Mike Iverson's site (http://www.bluesageband.com/Tabs.html)...excellent tablature accompanied by mp3's of him playing each tune.
I've built one cigar box-banjo, one mountain banjo, a neck for an old pot that I was given, but am currently at work on two more cigar box banjo's. The banjo is a great instrument...I still play guitar some buy the banjo has a way of taking over your life.
So far as parts I've mostly used the standard stew-mac (expensive shipping, but top-notch company to deal with) as well as ebay. Stewmac sells a set of economy banjo tuners for $12 that's hard to beat...for an extra 10 or so you can get a geared 5th string tuner which is nice, but not a necessity.
I've used their fret-wire for all my builds, I've yet to try any of the other alternatives out there. A harbor-freight japanese pull-saw makes a great fret saw.
If you check my profile I've got some pics the CBB I made, along with some of the construction details.
Best of luck and let us know if you have any questions.
Hi Kevin, I am pretty new too and have studied all 10,000 plus pictures several times. Probably skipped over more than half but that is a real educaition. And then I jumped in there and made a couple. found out there is a right side up for tuners and a bunch of other things. I've been having fun and expect you will too. They say there aren't any rules here? I have also discovered that there are better ways to do it and worse. I've been thinking about a walmart dog dish banjo Bill Ludeman
Thanks a bunch guys I have just finished shaping my first neck and need to get some wire and turners to keep going. I have a local shop that has lots of the paper boxes, or covered wood, I am just going to go with that for now and I did find two of the nice ones on ebay and they will be here soon. I have not even finished my first and I am hocked. I have a buddy that has made over four hundred three string banjos and even five cds and he has never heard of CBG. I now have him hocked and once he moves he will get internet. He now lives in the sticks and I mean out there. No electricity or nothing. He runs his shop and house on generators. Well thanks again and I am greatful and will post pics as soon as I get one done.
Hey KM welcome! I've only been around here about a month, and I'm testafyin' that you you've entered into a great bunch of folks. Look forward to the help you'll get. Now get started having some fun!
looking for tuners, fret wire, pick up or pezio thingy. I checked out the site that Monte told me about and they seem to have what I need. I am also trying to find Cohiba boxes and they seem to be hard to find.
I use Osage and Yew wood mostly but you can use others. The wood has to be able to compress and not splinter the back side as well. Other woods would be, hickory, Vine maple, Ipe, Blood wood, Purple Heart, The list goes on and on. So to say the least I know I am a newbie but I do have a tun of great wood on hand to build some nice CBB or CBG. I am going to start with the three string and see what happens. I would love to put a pick up in it so I will be asking how to do that when the time comes. Seems easy enough. Thanks for the help and welcoming.
Replies
I'm a banjo player as well, clawhammer and old-time mostly. There's some great resources our there, but for music my personal favorite is Mike Iverson's site (http://www.bluesageband.com/Tabs.html)...excellent tablature accompanied by mp3's of him playing each tune.
I've built one cigar box-banjo, one mountain banjo, a neck for an old pot that I was given, but am currently at work on two more cigar box banjo's. The banjo is a great instrument...I still play guitar some buy the banjo has a way of taking over your life.
So far as parts I've mostly used the standard stew-mac (expensive shipping, but top-notch company to deal with) as well as ebay. Stewmac sells a set of economy banjo tuners for $12 that's hard to beat...for an extra 10 or so you can get a geared 5th string tuner which is nice, but not a necessity.
I've used their fret-wire for all my builds, I've yet to try any of the other alternatives out there. A harbor-freight japanese pull-saw makes a great fret saw.
If you check my profile I've got some pics the CBB I made, along with some of the construction details.
Best of luck and let us know if you have any questions.
- Chris
Ted Crocker said:
Google Stewart MacDonald. Great catalog with affordable prices. Good luck.
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