Camp made guitar

[georgewunderlich]

Re: Camp made guitar

You may want to use the oak. Oak is a well known tone wood. Poplar is neither strong enough nor tonal enough to make a good sounding banjo. Oak, ash, maple and hickory are all good tone woods for the banjo.

Just want to save you a mistake. I tried poplar once in a banjo body. After I made the entire banjo, the body went into the firebox...sounded awful and dull.

Just a heads up

[Silas]

Re: Camp made guitar

You may want to use the oak. [ ] Just want to save you a mistake. I tried poplar once in a banjo body. After I made the entire banjo, the body went into the firebox...sounded awful and dull.

Just a heads up

I'll heed that advice. Oak for the body is just as available as the poplar. Being new to the banjo, my playing can sometimes sound "awful and dull" already so I don't want to magnify the awfulness and dullness by creating a lousy box.

The peghead has been angled by making an 8" diagonal cut in the width of the board then gluing what was the top piece to the underside. I'm still cutting down and shaping the neck. (As I'm exclusively using hand tools to create this banjo, the going is a little slow. Sawing oak wood is a great way to relieve tension from work. I'm hacking an area or two every night.) The box frame is cut and ready to assemble. I hope to commence assembly of the box this weekend so there's time to avoid a potential disaster. I'll find some other use for the poplar.

The violin "F" holes are not going to be done. I've got enough work to do with the violin neck that I dont need to make extra work. I'll likely go with four diamonds near the corners which point toward the center of the box.

I still intend to hold the banjo together by using 1/4" oak pegs. I'm rethinking my idea about using brass screws for the slats on the box. Likely switch to carpet tacks or some form of "U" shaped nail. Not sure how else to keep the slats firmly in place. Suggestions?

I'm enjoying the work and hope the sound is worth the effort. Worst case scenario is that I yank the box and replace it with a standard, round head.

In doing research online, it's surprising how much information and photos are available about period banjos. The Banjo Clubhouse is a treasure trove. Also, many photos have also been posted showing what others have done to create their own period style banjos. Then there are the cookie tin and cigar box banjo sites....

Thanks for the advice against using the poplar.

[Dan Munson]

Re: Camp made guitar

Quick supplement to Dan Wykes' comment (#13) regarding string sets. Elderly Instruments also sells Aquila "Gut and Silk" sets for guitar (about $28.00 a set; less if you buy multiple sets). I just put a set on my re-conditioned (i.e., de-modernized) Cordoba "cadet" model and they sound VERY sweet. This is the second set of "guts" I've played with, so I'm under no illusions about their, um, characteristics out of doors.

Dan Munson

[David Swarens]

Re: Camp made guitar

Hello again.

While I believe the reason no (period) citation seems to show up is not that camp made guitars were so common that no one thought to mention them, but rather that they may not have occured at all, I did run into the citation I mentioned, and "on line" at that, for tied gut "frets."
It is to be found at:

http://www.mugwumps.com/FretKnot.html

I do feel that it is important to remember where the line between "was" and "might have been" is, especially for "authenticity."

Again, best wishes on the project!
Yours,
David Swarens

[Silas]

Re: Camp made guitar

The box banjo was a bust. Looked great, but it weighed a ton, and very little noice came from the box no matter how hard I brushed the strings. Accordingly, I ordered a cherry rim from Cooperman, chopped off the box, stretched a calf skin to the rim, tacked it down, and viola! I've got a banjo which looks great and can be heard.

The neck is based upon a pair of Boucher banjos in the Smithsonian. (The banjo database was a great, great help.) It was entirely shaped with hand tools. It's got violin pegs and gut strings. The tail piece is a Georgia frame buckle. With the weight approaching a mere three pounds, I won't be overburdened toting it at campaign events.

Considering the amount of engineering and labor in the finished product, it would have been cheaper to purchase one. However, there's much to be said for the learning process.

[ohpkirk]

Re: Camp made guitar

Silas,
Not sure what happened with your box banjo....mine sounds pretty decent considering its a box and a plank. I played 'Juba' on it earlier and the sound was resonating nicely. Did you make sure to cut a 3 degree miter in the neck so that it was seated correctly agains the box?

Cody

[Silas]

Re: Camp made guitar

The box was firmly attached. I couldn't disattach it easily so I was forced to saw it off. I think the problem was more related to a lack of ventilation between the top of the box and the interior. I thought about drilling some fat holes into the top, but decided to go with a hoop and skin instead. Resonation is significantly better with the drum than the stiff box.

The weight of the box was really a drag also. I used some 7/8's hardwood for the frame and placed three, 1/4 x 4 x 12 oak slats on the top and bottom of the box. The box was reinforced by peg and glue instead of nails or screws. It looked great, but it lacked sufficient sound. With the gut strings, I could just barely hear it in my living room. Outside the sound was drowned out by other natural sounds.

No loss. I had fun making the box. Someone who wants to use metal strings is interested in it so I'll be happy to pass it on.

[ohpkirk]

Re: Camp made guitar

Here are some photo's of my box banjo. The body is a pine box, with sound holes inspired by the photo posted by Dan Wykes in an earlier thread and the neck is mahogany. The nut and bridge are bone, the tailpiece is a square headed bolt with a square nut.

Top

Side

In Action

[Cfarrell]

Re: Camp made guitar

Man, that sure does look mighty fine. Would be nice to hear her some time.

Regards