xomcat - Posted - 03/03/2011:  07:53:16

On my shop shelf, I have a 10" tambourine (tacked on skin) and a 10 1/4" wood salad bowl (with a small chip on the rim). As an experiment, I am interested in constructing a 5 string fretless banger and am wondering if anyone here has done similar projects and what they did about the neck. It certainly isn't going to be my main instrument or salable, but maybe a prototype for a better funded "keeper". I own power tools, but not bench tools, so constructing must be simple. I've considered old guitar necks (Craigslist and yard sales often have cheap guitars, but very rarely banjos) or pieces of furniture I've seen on the curb. I will appreciate any and all comments (even flames ).

rudy - Posted - 03/03/2011:  08:05:17

William,
Here's a page that has 5 pdfs to print out and make a full size neck from. It's easy to do and you can adapt it to whatever instrument you want to use it on.

bluestemstrings.com/pageWineboxBanjo1.html

mike gregory - Posted - 03/03/2011:  08:24:12

Flames? You want flames?

Ok, now you want neck advice?

Here's what I do:

I make a square dowel stick, which runs all the way through the salad bowl.
Glue up a heel on one end, and slant the top of the heel 3 degrees Farenheit or Geometric, or whatever.
Make a neck from a maple 1x2, with or without the back corners being rounded off much, and with the 5th string shoulder glued on to the side.
Bottom end of the neck is flat, glues and screws to the heel.
Since it's fretless, you can take the 1x2 before anything else is done to it, stand it on edge on your factory banjo, and make a little mark for the frets.
Then draw them on with permanent marker, and you'll have a guide as to where to hit the notes.
Don't worry about puttng the 5th peg in the end of the dowel.
I did it because I wanted to.

Filled the holes with Durham's	Cheap heel	Neck mount	Peg Closeup
5th Peg

xomcat - Posted - 03/03/2011:  10:28:42

Well, those two posts sure offer enough knowledge on how to do it. Thanks Rudy and Mike. I guess the next step is procuring the materials.