![[clap]](./images/smilies/smiley32.gif "adulations")
Now there be somethin you don't see too often any more. Nice clean craftsmanship, well appointed choice of woods....YAY! Patric...congratulations, very well done!
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| My latest-not a mandolin http://mowrystrings.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10128&t=42559 |
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| Author: | cphanna [ Sun Jan 26, 2014 10:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | My latest-not a mandolin |
Hi, Friends, Okay...it's not a mandolin, but I want you to see it and I don't know where else to post it. Lance, feel free to move the thread if you think that is appropriate. It's a tenor banjo. I have flange plates for it, but have not yet made the resonator nor the arm rest. The rosewood nut is temporary, as I am waiting on my back-ordered bleached bone nut blank. But it's playable so I'll post it. The pot is laminated from bent maple hoops, with birdseye "show" faces. I stumbled across the neck maple at Menard's one day (talk about being in the right place at the right time!). The head plate and heel cap are slices from a rejected gun stock blank. This was my first attempt at pearl inlay. Sawing, filing, etc. were easy for me. Inlaying was a DEFINITE challenge, but I will probably do it again some time. Position markers are not well shown in these photos, but were achieved with cross banding of maple and walnut veneers beneath the fingerboard. This was directly inspired by the work of a fine banjo maker named Ken LeVan. Metal parts are from a variety of sources. I've had the tone ring, tension hoop and coordinator rods for about 30 years. Tuners, bracket shoes, tail piece, hooks and nuts, etc., came recently from Stew Mac. I am an arch top guitar player. My band mates and I play older swing tunes and standards. The idea with this banjo was to create an instrument I could double on for the really old tunes from the 1920s. I hope you like it. Patrick |
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| Author: | Chris Pile [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:01 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Very nice, indeed. |
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| Author: | Quine [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 1:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
That's one good looking banjo |
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| Author: | sdsollod [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Nice Job! |
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| Author: | the Padma [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
| Now there be somethin you don't see too often any more. Nice clean craftsmanship, well appointed choice of woods....YAY! Patric...congratulations, very well done!
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| Author: | johnparchem [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:37 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Wow! gorgeous. |
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| Author: | Beth Mayer [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 4:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Very pretty. I don't know anything about Banjos but I sure like the aesthetic of this one! |
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| Author: | WudWerkr [ Mon Jan 27, 2014 4:19 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Beautifull Work , Banjo's are always welcome here ! ![[:Y:]](./images/smilies/smiley20.gif "Thumbs Up")
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| Author: | cphanna [ Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:38 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Well, many thanks to all. I'm glad you like it! Patrick |
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| Author: | rtpipkin [ Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:07 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Very nice banjo Patrick. I really like the inlay. Also, did you turn the pot? The hardware fits exceptionally well. Ray |
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| Author: | cphanna [ Fri Jan 31, 2014 6:24 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Thanks, Ray. The pot was laminated in an outside mold from several slats of plain maple, with birdseye slats on the two "show" faces. Slats were bent free hand on my bending iron. Inner and outer butt joints were centered on a line. The other butt joints were staggered around the rim. I didn't like the looks of the two joints that showed, so I made walnut "end grafts" for them. Of course, one is totally hidden by the neck heel and the other will eventually be hidden by the resonator, but I know they are there. It only required a bit of lathe work to true the outside and cut the ledge for the tone ring. I then chased down a few shallow voids between the laminations, packed them with fine sanding dust and flooded them with thin CA glue. These were limited to a few places on the top and bottom edges, and did not run through the rim. Then I glued on the laminated, nine-segment bottom cap and a walnut veneer cap on the top edge. These were trapezoidal segments. I trimmed them with a flush trim bit in a router and then rounded over the bottom edges on the lathe. I made a Longworth lathe chuck for this work. The tone ring sits perfectly in the ledge, and just touches the veneer on the inside top edge. Attachment: rim-bending94.jpg Attachment: rim-turned89.jpg Attachment: rim-cap96.jpg Attachment: rim-cap99.jpg
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| Author: | Kent Wilkinson [ Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
I love this. I am a tenor player with the Kettering Banjo Society. I have been wanting to attempt a banjo build. |
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| Author: | rtpipkin [ Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:55 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
I've been kicking around a banjo build since having the good luck to acquire an early 1900's A. C. Fairbanks open back. Thanks for the photos Patrick. And for the record, your fitting, including the inlays, completely surpass the Fairbanks. Ray |
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| Author: | Dave Stewart [ Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Absolutely beautiful work Patrick...congrats & well done! |
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| Author: | Bob Matthews [ Sun Feb 02, 2014 5:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
cphanna wrote: I hope you like it. Like it? It's absolutely stunning in every detail. Bob |
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| Author: | Nick Royle [ Mon Feb 03, 2014 6:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Beautiful work, Patrick! Love it! |
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| Author: | Don Williams [ Mon Feb 03, 2014 7:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Wonderful! |
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| Author: | Shaw [ Sat Feb 15, 2014 3:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
That's a great looking banjo. Nice job! |
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| Author: | Ken McKay [ Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Classy!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Ken |
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| Author: | cphanna [ Sat Jun 07, 2014 8:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Thank you, Guys. I appreciate this a lot. Since first posting the banjo, I've made a wooden arm rest for it that might be of interest to some. I haven't edited the photos yet, but I'll add that to the thread as soon as I get those sorted out. Still no resonator, though, and not likely to be one until after the humid summer weather. |
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| Author: | Bryan Bear [ Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
VaVaVavoom. I like everything about the aesthetic of this instrument. I wish I had a good eye for design! |
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| Author: | dzsmith [ Fri Aug 01, 2014 6:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: My latest-not a mandolin |
Patrick, that is really a work of art. The material and craftsmanship are top notch. Thanks for sharing! Dan |
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