rudy - Posted - 12/17/2008:  18:36:39

Hi clawhammer/old time lovers,
I posted this in the builder's forum, but I wanted to cross-post so folks over here could see this banjo. I'm interested to see what everyone thinks of the concept. Nothing particularly new, but it's a blending of several ideas I've had for a while and I'm pretty happy with the results.

So here is my latest addition to the family. It’s called “Mountain Banjo Nouveau” because it’s my take on an updated version of the humble mountain banjo. It is all cherry and has ebony pegs, nylon strings, flush frets, mother of pearl position markers, scooped neck, Dobson-style heel, single bolt attachment of neck for easy string height adjustment, and a wood tone/tension ring that exerts tension on the 10” Remo Renaissance head by means of a concealed tensioning system.



There are more photos on my hangout home page in the "Mountain Banjo Nouveau" folder as well as a sound clip. The entire story can be found at my website. At my website you can find the complete construction plan in PDF format that you can take to your local print shop to have the full sized 20” by 36” drawing printed for you. The website link is on my homepage and also here:

http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageMB1.html

Sound clip here:
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...asp?id=3035#

I would be interested in learning what "style" of music this is, if anyone listens to the demo clip. It's only 60 seconds, so that shouldn't be too painful...

Hope you all enjoy this stuff!

Randy

Edited by - rudy on 04/26/2009 04:59:51

pernicketylad - Posted - 12/17/2008:  18:41:02

Looks and sounds great.Congratulations.

There are three types of people in the world.....those who can count and those who can''t!

"King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O
Ki-Mo-Ke-Mo-Ki-Mo-Ke, Way down yonder in the hollow tree....."

mrmanley - Posted - 12/17/2008:  18:43:28

That is a beautiful instrument! I like how it sounds, too -- kind of like my Tradesman does (although I've got steel strings on it, not Nylgut). You play a hell of a lot better than I do, too.

black flag - Posted - 12/17/2008:  19:12:34

I like what you've got going on--you've really been thinking this out. It looks good, it sounds good and I don't usually even kiss on the first date...

brokenstrings - Posted - 12/17/2008:  22:19:47

Looks and sounds good.

Jessy

Frailaway, ladies, frailaway!

Hunter Robertson - Posted - 12/17/2008:  22:22:06

A very pretty banjo!

Hunter

Old Time Music for Body & Soul - www.hunterrobertson.com

tanglefingers - Posted - 12/17/2008:  22:46:18

nice, when does the first "comercial" serial numbered one roll out.. frettless how much?

the definition of "perfect pitch" is lobbing a banjo into a dumpster and hitting an accordian !

Paul Roberts - Posted - 12/18/2008:  16:40:17

Gorgeous design. I'd like to see one.

Paul Roberts

http://banjocrazy.com/ Cello Banjos and other fine Gold Tone instruments for sale at great prices.

http://banjocrazy.com/articles.shtml Articles and Interviews with interesting banjo players.

Edited by - Paul Roberts on 12/18/2008 16:42:26

J-Walk - Posted - 12/18/2008:  17:54:08

Nice job, Randy. I REALLY like all of the detail you provided at your site. I'm not a banjo builder, but I was fascinated.

rudy - Posted - 12/18/2008:  18:22:31

Thanks ladies and gents for all the kind words.

Tim, I'm not sure when I'll roll any of these out but I'll probably do a few and put on my website early next year. I haven't worked up hours yet, but my guess is they'll be somewhere in the $500-$600 US dollars range. I'm backlogged on making a few of the steel string tunneled fifth openbacks that are featured on my website. That's just my friends who have played them.

John, Thanks for checking out the information. You probably can't guess how many hours I've spent on posting info on the web. Most of it free, and I try to limit myself only to what I really know about. Lots of rubbish out there!

Randy

Boyd1 - Posted - 12/19/2008:  06:32:08

I envy your skill and eye. Beautiful and compelling.

-Boyd

***************************
Anything you can imagine is real. - Pablo Picasso

tfaux - Posted - 12/19/2008:  08:27:47

Elegant banjo Randy.
You really need to put a Cordle banjo/lap-steel touring show together.

Tom

rudy - Posted - 12/22/2008:  15:15:13

Hey Tom,
Thanks for the pat. My problem is I love to to play AND I love to build. Where does a working (or non-working) man get enough time?
Seriously, I love to inspire and provide any construction information I can in my own humble way. Hopefully some of this may work its way into providing us all with better banjos from whoever wishes to make them, and I'm all for that!

Having the time to woodshed with this one for a few weeks has really brought a new appreciation for nylon fretless. I thought intonation was going to be a huge problem, but it's pretty easy to get really close if you pay attention to the flush frets. There's two new single pass throughs of Logan County Blues (one with banjo and one without) at myhangout MP3 area if anyone wants to hear this banjo a little better.

I am tweaking the design, but only small details, as I think it's pretty good as built. My next one will have another 2 degrees of back angle at the peghead (mostly for appearance), a very slightly smaller neck cross section, possibly a little length decrease at the heel to position the bridge slightly to the rear (jury's still out on that one, and most likely a repositioning of the fifth peg to the sixth fret location. The move of the fifth peg would be to leave the fifth fret totally clear for 4th string slides. Not a big problem, but I think it would contibute to cleaner 4th string slides.
Any comments on those ideas would be appreciated!

I am updating the PDF CAD drawing on my website fairly regularly, so anyone interested in details or construction information should check back for the latest version.

Thanks,
Randy

whyteman - Posted - 04/26/2009:  13:54:00

As Joe Newberry said on a different thread, "this is the Golden Age of banjo building. We're in it."

Mtn Banjo Nouveau is one more great example.

Don.

Haul off your overcoat and roll up your sleeve.

rudy - Posted - 04/26/2009:  19:59:50

Thanks, I didn't mean to resurrect this post, but I edited the picture link as suggested by Eric after he re-located all the photos. If you edit your post it automatically goes to the top of the topic list.

Visit my website for assorted banjo construction information:
http://www.bluestemstrings.com/page...onTips1.html