xixiant - Posted - 04/12/2011:  21:28:37

It's tax time! I've got a refund coming, and a friend who's been lusting after my banjo.

I would love to have a loaner/gift(?) banjo, and I was thinking about trying to build something out of a kit. There seem to be only a few available these days, though there's a lot of evidence that Stewmac, elderly and others used to make them... (alas)

This one is promising:

stoneyend.com/dulcimers.html

Reviews on playability, ease of assembly, or anything else would be great. I'm going to email those guys and ask if they have any sound clips.

Thanks!

wcstringuy32 - Posted - 04/12/2011:  21:58:49

I have been real close to getting one of those kits (stoney end) several times but never pulled the trigger. I had a little extra tax refund too and have been wanting a gourd banjo for a while so when I saw this one a couple of days ago in the classifieds I couldn't stop myself...banjohangout.org/classified/20974. I am building (assembling) a walnut pot block rim with beechnut tone ring (from Henry J banjo shop) with a Gold Tone BC350 neck (just waiting on the neck from GT). I had one on those ebay asian necks on this pot but it was fairly bad in construction (got it cheap and will put it on a cookie tin type head). I have a travel type banjo I built from a kit purchased at backyard music and it is decent sounding and fun to play with no worries about being one of my "nice" banjos. It doesn't sound like a standard banjo but more like a cross between a banjo and a dulcimer (I like it though). They have some sound files on their web site.  You are correct, there don't seem to be many kits around but you can buy parts and make your own kit or if you like the older sounds of a nylon strung banjo buy a gourd or tackhead banjo (Eric Prust makes great tackheads at really good prices) from a maker here at the hangout. WC 

Edited by - wcstringuy32 on 04/12/2011 22:01:42

xixiant - Posted - 04/12/2011:  22:03:04

Well, and another option: backyardmusic.com/catalog/item...htm 

Nightfrailer did some great vids of putting it together on youtube:

youtube.com/user/nightfrailer#...GdMV5jxHQ

xixiant - Posted - 04/12/2011:  22:21:03

Woooah, that is a beautiful gourd banjo you just found. Wow. I'd be very curious to see something on youtube when you've got it all done.

LOL! I thought I was talking to myself. So the backyard banjo is a bit like a dulcimer, eh? Hm. That's strangely appealing.

Have you seen this video? He's got one of the stoney end kits.

youtube.com/watch?v=g4eVb7tU-eQ

Have you built a lot of instruments? You seem to have some skills there. (should I be worried...?)

Mumble Peg - Posted - 04/13/2011:  04:09:59

Check out Musikmakers banjo:

harpkit.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?S...de=banjos

andyboyman - Posted - 04/13/2011:  04:47:28

There's also a gold tone kit that looks like it makes a fairly nice banjo. Or the Saga RK kit.

SoggyBottom - Posted - 04/13/2011:  06:40:12

I’ve made the stoneyend mt banjo, it was lots of fun and a good experience for a first-time project.  It is relatively inexpensive so making those neophyte mistakes is easier on the psyche.  IN THE END, I had a nice little player and gained enough experience to build an open-back from scratch (except for the rim). BTW—use nylgut or nylon strings on the Mt banjo, (the skin head included in the kit is not strong/tight enough to handle even light gauge strings). Overall, the experience was well worth it for me … and the second experience “building the open-back” taught me a lot about banjos, their sound and how different parts and adjustments change sound.  

andyboyman - Posted - 04/13/2011:  06:40:27

That musicmaker kit looks really pretty. Anybody have one or played one?

wcstringuy32 - Posted - 04/15/2011:  10:28:24

Xixiant, thanks for the link to the mountain banjo youtube (youtube.com/watch?v=g4eVb7tU-eQ). Sounds pretty good to me. Although it is not a kit I am excited about getting the gourd banjo from Barry Sholder, I hope to make a gourdy or two down the road and having a decently made one in hand might give me some guidelines and ideas. I think the banjo/dulcimer sounds I hear from the backyard banjo kit (fireside banjo model) I put together come mainly from the thin wooden head of the banjo. I do really like the sound but haven't gotten my skills together quite enough to record and put up a sound file. It is on my list of things to do. Nope, I haven't built a lot of instruments just putter about assembling a couple from parts....I have done a little finish work and attached a couple of necks to purchased pots/parts. So....absolutely no worries for the banjo making or playing world (or Napoleon Dynamite, imdb.com/title/tt0374900/quote...qt0271239) from my skill set. WC 

xixiant - Posted - 04/15/2011:  11:00:20

Thanks for shoring up the good recommendations, WC. I think I'll go with the backyard banjo because, well, it's wicked cheap and super light, so if my friend winds up rejecting this little gem--I will still own a nice little backpacking/travel banjo. Plus, painting it sounds fun. I think a sunflower would look nice.

Pictures to follow...

xixiant - Posted - 04/15/2011:  11:01:49

Oh, and please post pics of your gourd banjo--that thing looks just awesome.

wcstringuy32 - Posted - 04/15/2011:  11:09:04

I just did the basic finish they recommend in the backyard banjo kit but I probably will paint or wood burn a design on it at some point. As soon as I have the gourd banjo I'll post up some pics. The builder sent me this quote a couple of days ago " I think you are going to really like this banjo. I took it to an oldtime jam last week to show it off and all I got was OOhs and AAhs." Kind of makes me drool a little, (oops, weirdness alert!). WC

wcstringuy32 - Posted - 04/15/2011:  11:46:21

Here are a couple of youtubes of the backyard banjo. youtube.com/watch?v=MIBMf40aBN...e=related  and youtube.com/watch?v=CrLkgoxgTJ4&NR=1. There are also several on putting it together.  youtube.com/watch?v=6WGdMV5jxH...e=related

youtube.com/watch?v=aSmFokn1O1A&NR=1

Edited by - wcstringuy32 on 04/15/2011 11:52:42