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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 22, 2015 at 1:01pm

add a tamborine 

YUP , I popped an aged skin tambourine in a double wide body , and used a dollar store drip plate as the screen . etc etc …
BUT , it is more than just a tambourine in a guitar body , I retro-fitted the skin and tambourine body to act as those toy kids echo microphones , with the addition of proper gauge spring , pulling tension directly from the skin , then to the body . To make like an echo / reverb tank . it works very well . will even echo your voice like the toy mic does .
I originally figured I’d release these as a new line / model . she is a turtle of a different feather , that’s for sure . ;-) And takes some getting used to.
ill wait and see if she stands the test of time , and I get used to her , before I decide to make more or not .
till then .. enjoy this tease ;-) LOL ..
It’s like a national , a banjo , and a swamp witch had an orgy and this popped out . ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Thumper on October 22, 2015 at 6:06pm

Now that's just F--kin" KOOL !!! Thanx, I owe you one.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 22, 2015 at 6:17pm

cheers  man  .  ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Borczon on October 23, 2015 at 6:48am

the tuning also has a lot to do with it. there are wooden head banjos that sound very nice. So you can do a lot with the right strings and tuning. If it is 5 strings open g is the standard but there are other cool ones as well. I drool over picks banjo every time it shows up here. It is my white whale. In a perfect world I would be able to afford it but for now I play it in my dreams. Pick if you do decide to make it as a style you will sell please let me know so I can start to sell my plasma.....matt

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Permalink Reply by john w on October 27, 2015 at 5:46am

If you are using a wood sound board (vs the very cool tambourine approach)  I think the tone sounds more like a banjo if you offset the soundhole(s). So, rather than placing the soundhole directly beneath the strings put them in the upper or lower corners of the body.  

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Permalink Reply by Suspect Device on October 27, 2015 at 6:08am

Typically, the closer the bridge is placed to the middle of the soundboard (lid), the more banjo-ey it will sound. A narrow-footed banjo style bridge will also give it a more trebly, banjo sound.

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Permalink Reply by Thumper on October 31, 2015 at 1:44pm

Hey, AP, did you have to back the skin head under the bridge for strength? Mine seem's a little weak for all that tension....just got a 6" tamborine off ebay. Here's a pic of the bit's and pieces coming together,

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on October 31, 2015 at 2:02pm

thumper  - i  didnt have  to  reinforce  it at all  .  if    you  notice  in my  pic   , the  bridge  is  close  to  the back edge  to avoid any  spooning  ,  altho  .   the aged   look  tam  that i  have  may  be tougher than    the one you  got  ,  i would  try  that  ,   or a wider  bridge  with a bigger  footprint  before  attempting to  brace  , that  would kill   most  of the  reso  me  thinks.

matthew -  will  do  buddy  , this one went to  the hwy 61 roadhouse  tho  .  

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