Another shot of the headstock showing the set of 1x3 in-line tuners I used. These are quite commonly available in China and pretty cheap. About 20 RMB as I recall (maybe $4.00 U.S.). Cheap tuners and strings is what I can get best in China. Forget fret wire unless you want to buy it by the ton. Forget anything that you can buy in small quantities. There is no hobbyist builder market here.
Read more…
I was visiting the official Dulcijo web site (http://www.ezfolk.com/dulcijo/index.html) and saw that they have a new model of Dulcijo that uses a "disappearing 3rd string", a 1x3 in-line tuner and a slotted headstock. It sells for $299 plus $20 shipping & handling.
And between yesterday and today they have sold out! I was thinking to buy one as a reference model for what I want to build. I am thinking of building more Dulcijos. They are an interesting instrument to me.
The disappearing string on my Dulcijo is pretty cool looking, but is more difficult to tune as the extra "bends" in the string cause the string to "stick" a bit. So, if you are tuned a bit too sharply and want to tune down, you loosen the tuner a bit, nothing happens. You do it again, and nothing happens, and you do it again and then it makes a bit of a popping sound, but now you are a note or two too low and have to tune it up again. A bit tricky to tune.
I cut a groove (channel) in the neck where the string "disappears" and I drilled a couple of angled holes in the fretboard from just past fret 4 to just before fret 0. After gluing it up and clamping it down, and allowing some time for the glue to get tacky, I ran a thick guitar string through the channel to wipe away the excess glue. I had to do that several times and then wipe the glue off the guitar string with tissues. Then I got smart and used a couple lengths of pipe cleaner and ran them through the channel and it wiped out the excess glue quite quickly. I was also thinking I could screw the fretboard to the neck to avoid the mess with the glue, but then I forgot about doing it when it came time for me to finish the instrument.
Also, I might not have needed to have the 3rd string come up and over fret 0 and the nut. Maybe I could have come out under the nut and gone directly to the tuner. That would have eliminated and extra bend or two which might make it easier to tune. I will need to try that some time.
I plan to buy some Banjo 5th tuners this summer when I visit the States. The friction kind seem to retail about $10 (USD) and the geared ones sell for maybe $20 (USD). I was also thinking of the possibility of using a ukulele friction tuners.
Just remember, I did this on a 3-string dulcijo, and you'll be doing it on a 5-string banjo, so watch what string and at what fret you make it "disappear".
Very interesting the way that third string disappears like that!!!!!!!!!!!! I need to learn more because I just started building an experimental banjo thingy for a pro banjo player. He just might like a disappearing string!
Comments
I was visiting the official Dulcijo web site (http://www.ezfolk.com/dulcijo/index.html) and saw that they have a new model of Dulcijo that uses a "disappearing 3rd string", a 1x3 in-line tuner and a slotted headstock. It sells for $299 plus $20 shipping & handling.
Hi JP Swenson.
The disappearing string on my Dulcijo is pretty cool looking, but is more difficult to tune as the extra "bends" in the string cause the string to "stick" a bit. So, if you are tuned a bit too sharply and want to tune down, you loosen the tuner a bit, nothing happens. You do it again, and nothing happens, and you do it again and then it makes a bit of a popping sound, but now you are a note or two too low and have to tune it up again. A bit tricky to tune.
I cut a groove (channel) in the neck where the string "disappears" and I drilled a couple of angled holes in the fretboard from just past fret 4 to just before fret 0. After gluing it up and clamping it down, and allowing some time for the glue to get tacky, I ran a thick guitar string through the channel to wipe away the excess glue. I had to do that several times and then wipe the glue off the guitar string with tissues. Then I got smart and used a couple lengths of pipe cleaner and ran them through the channel and it wiped out the excess glue quite quickly. I was also thinking I could screw the fretboard to the neck to avoid the mess with the glue, but then I forgot about doing it when it came time for me to finish the instrument.
Also, I might not have needed to have the 3rd string come up and over fret 0 and the nut. Maybe I could have come out under the nut and gone directly to the tuner. That would have eliminated and extra bend or two which might make it easier to tune. I will need to try that some time.
I plan to buy some Banjo 5th tuners this summer when I visit the States. The friction kind seem to retail about $10 (USD) and the geared ones sell for maybe $20 (USD). I was also thinking of the possibility of using a ukulele friction tuners.
Just remember, I did this on a 3-string dulcijo, and you'll be doing it on a 5-string banjo, so watch what string and at what fret you make it "disappear".
-Rand.