Thumbtacks to hold the goathide head. Maple bridge, Tailpiece is made from a two hole picture hanger and one of the feet off a Menising dough bowl. The one deck screw that holds it all together has an old Chinese square hole coin as a washer. Strings are a G and D string. Tuned to D and A.
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No it's not hard to do. In fifteen minutes in warm water, the rawhide softens like a noodle. You don't stretch it much. Just enough to get the wrinkles out. It shrinks in drying overnight. Tight as all getout. Get a hide from Thinnestman off ebay or direct from his site, Thin Man Banjo.com (sp?) you have to be gentle tacking. Light hammer blows or you will cut the hide with the tack head. It's noodle soft when wet. I pre drill tack holes about half way. Jim Morris has an instructional video of a tack head gourd banjo.
Comments
Was it difficult to stretch the skin over the form?
;-)
"Nice"
I'll go long, see if you can throw a nice tight spiral and I'm pretty sure I can catch it!
Looks like a good thick skin.