Banjo Parts

[charding4496]

Greetings,

Im in the planning stages of constructing my own banjo. Ive been shopping around for parts and am a bit stuck when it comes to hardware for a tensioning system. Fabricating the parts is a little bit out of my league and Im hoping to avoid some of the problems associated with tackhead banjos (unless anyone can convince me otherwise?). Just wondering if anyone might no of any sources for period appropriate banjo hardware. Im also open to any other suggestions so feel free. . .

Thanks in advance,

Cody J. Harding
Liberty Rifles

[Danny]

Re: Banjo Parts

Cody -

How serious are you about vintage hardware? For good advice and a source for finding authentic hardware Google for "George Wunderlich" and e-mail him. He's a national expert and maker of period reproduction banjos and is always willing to share sources and info., perhaps even to sell parts.

If you're not interested in maintaining museum standards for your banjo, then use modern hardware store stock that at least bows towards the period -- in general brass is best, though iron or steel is ok. It's not out of the question to paint your hardware , as was done at times for the real item, so who knows what's under the paint? The nuts (for the hooks) should be square in shape at a minimum, not six-sided. Don't use Phillips screws anywhere either, stick to slot-head screws. Solid head rivets were also used for the period, if you wanted to attach the lugs that way or join the tension band that way. You'd need a ring-roller from Harbor Frieght or somewhere to make a tension band from hardware store metal stock.

You have a friend handy with metalworking?

Some antique drum hardware could be adapted - find a trashed one on eBay with no intrinsic value. Or, like me, use the hardware from a modern adjustable hand drum, which although plated (there was some plating going on in the period) is at least roughly the right configuration - lugs made from flat metal stock.

BTW Elderly instruments now sells Aquila Nylgut "Minstrel" sets of strings - heavier gauges than classic Nylgut set, if you're not up to using and maintaining actual gut and silks in the field.

-Dan Wykes
Batt G 2nd Ill

[charding4496]

Re: Banjo Parts

Dan,

Thanks for the reply. I have done a bit of looking at the local hardware stores. That was sort of my original intention - to sort adapt and fabricate something myself.

I just thought possibly there would be something already out there, that was suited to our period and situation.

In the case of this instrument, Im more concerned with the look of the hardware and banjo, than necessarily the exact composition of the metal parts (brass, etc). Thanks again.

-Cody Harding
Liberty Rifles

[John Peterson]

Re: Banjo Parts

I believe making the hardware is easier than you might think but then I have a metal working background.

Fancy brackets with a shield back are the most time consuming thing for me although they are an invention on my part rather than copied from an extant original. Plain ones in an authentic period pattern are not difficult. Likewise, making hooks out of round stock and threading them yourself is not hard.

If you want to buy repro castings from a little bit later these have possibilities:

http://www.jeffreymenzies.com/hardware.html

[Danny]

Re: Banjo Parts

It's never been clear to me that shield brackets would be antebellum or CW period anyway. Have such brackets been identified on a surviving banjo from that time? or from a document, photo image, or account? Of course there is clear evidence that tells us shield brackets were used on post-war factory banjos.

Not that they wouldn't have been on some banjo for that period, somewhere.

Comments?

Dan Wykes