Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/02/2013:  12:50:48

THE DUKE OF PADUCAH

Although I am writing this post from home sitting at my kitchen table, it will be about the wonderful day I had, yesterday in Paducah, Kentucky. First though there are a few photos from the day before that... Around 11 AM the queen made port in New Madrid, Missouri. This sweet little town's claim to fame is that it sits astride the New Madrid Fault which shook for several days and gave us the most powerful earthquake in American history back in 1812. This quake was so powerful it caused the Mississippi river to run backwards. Here is a nice rainy day view towards the islands near where we landed.

The Queen of the Mississippi docked in New Madrid...

Yesterday morning I awoke to this sight. The confluence of the Ohio and the Tennessee rivers in Paducah, Kentucky. The more brown water is the Ohio river and the closer blue the Tennessee.

Two of the Ingram towboats having a bit of fa testosterone overload...

Actually they were checking out the power of their engines by pushing each other at full bore!

Here they are working on the levies adding rick rack rock.

Here we are taking on fuel from a fuel barge...

The Irvine Cobb Hotel. Remember Bawn In The Mash?

Our first Mate Tim sharing with some folkes on the Paducah river wall mural!

My son Sam (who went with me and played exelent bass on this tour) in front of the Queen of the Mississippi.

More purty soon!

tendogman - Posted - 07/02/2013:  16:26:21

Dan,

Of all people, you know I love the Father-Son thing with all the racing my son and I did over the years... Very cool.....

herbsandspices - Posted - 07/04/2013:  11:16:59

When are we gonna see a video of one your classes showing off what their teacher taught 'em?

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/05/2013:  05:48:35

Bob,

Yes that is so true... I love those race cars of yours.

Herbs...

Maybe sometime in the near future.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 07/05/2013 05:49:01

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/05/2013:  06:34:55

INDEPENDENCE DAY ON THE 5TH.

Good morning! It is July 5th. and I'm up doing this post and drinking my morning cup of Joe. As I was getting this together I figured that y'all might like to see my little buddy from which today I imbibe this early morning black energy. I made this cup over at the Lee Academy for the Arts a couple of years ago and it is my present favorite.

For me the forth was spent over in Cottage Grove, Tennessee. Cottage Grove is a tiny community that is about 10 miles from my home here in Paris. For such a small place they have a very large celebration. There is a parade, lots of great food and of course music! They had a wonderful fireworks display until this year which was canceled due to the price of insurance which went through the ceiling (more than doubling).

The music was provided by the Ryan Holladay Band (I introduced them as Ryan and the Holladay Inn Trio!). Ryan has quite a large group of accolades to his name; The youngest musician to perform on the Grand Ole' Opery (8 years old), Carnegie Hall, Opra Show and of course the Cottage Grove Freedom Festival!

Band members are (left to right) Danny Conger, fiddle, Ryan Holladay, Banjo & mandolin, Mark Holladay, guitar and Sam Knowles, bass.

The great West Kentucky group Bawn in the Mash slims down for this all acoustic set as the Wheelhouse Rousters.

They are Eddie Coffee, Bass, Josh Coffee, mandolin, fiddle & tenor guitar and Nathan Lynn, guitar.

My guitar hero and great friend Dr. Eddie Pennington. Eddie is the 5 times National Thumbpicking Champion, has toured with the Smithsonian Institutes Masters of the Steel String Guitar and is a member of the Thumbpickers Hall of Fame. They don't make 'um much smoother nor better! Here are a couple links to Eddie... his website and a Youtube video. Here he's playing his Wayne Henderson guitar.

eddiepennington.com/ 

youtube.com/watch?v=kNeR5ANRhbI

I had to include this one... my long time pickin' pal Mark McWherter totally engrossed by Eddie's magic!

MORE VERI SOON!

Weitzel - Posted - 07/05/2013:  08:44:05

Do you realize you just made comment #1000? Wow!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/05/2013:  17:45:24

Have we all talked that much? Amazing!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/05/2013:  18:07:42

BOB"S & BOLTS

Tonights post could almost be self explanatory, but y'all know me, I'll still run my fingers and make a whole bunch of verbiage.

Bob Campbell's banjo came in for todays abuse... On go the bracket shoes...

I worked out a new system for these 50 shoe sets, mostly I installed all of the bolts, wound the shoes onto them (in the next step) and lastly tightened the whole bunch down...

Next on with the head. This is the original head that I have repaired...

On with a few J-hooks...

And more...

The last bit of true polishing to the neck happened today. Here I'm working on the peghead with a very thin mixture of French polish...

After the polish I buff & burnish it surface with my bare hand...

After setting awhile the neck is installed, here the neck brace.

These are new brass wood screws so I patina the heads...

Now the newly cleaned tuning machines are installed...

MORE PURTY SOON!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 07/05/2013 18:14:23

cbcarlisle - Posted - 07/05/2013:  20:58:56

MORE PURTY SOON!

Really? I think it's purty already.

tendogman - Posted - 07/05/2013:  21:27:25

Dan,

It's looking beautiful....

Bob

banjeaux bob - Posted - 07/05/2013:  21:48:05

I'm going to have to buy some of Eddie Pennington's music!

DEmery - Posted - 07/06/2013:  03:52:12

Dan it is always fun to watch you bring an old banjo back to life. Very nice. David E.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/06/2013:  05:50:42

Curt, Bob & David,

Thanks. I'm gonna try and string it up today (along with teaching).

Bob,

You won't go wrong with Eddie Pennington!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/08/2013:  06:08:00

KETCHUP

Here it is Monday and the past two days have flown by! So today before I head off to the ole' shop I will play catch up.

Saturday was shop teaching morning and summer student drop off is very apparent... only one student managed to come in, the rest are on vacation and such. Here is Eric sanding on his guitar box. He got it sanded yesterday, shellac sealed and next time will be ready for grain filler and neck affixing. We can see the home streach!

As Eric sanded, I strung, set up and played Bob Campbell's banjo... here goes I using Nygut strings. I am so glad we have these strings available to us now a days, these old banjos were not built for nor deserve the abuse of steel.

On goes the second string...

Here I'm adjusting the depth of the nut slot. This is one of the most important things to achieve a good set up.

Checking the the depth...

I like to clip the strings off neatly. I've a few clients who want them rolled up (you know who you are!) and although I do it for them my OPC or PQC or ADT or whatever y'all call it just nearly drives me crazy!

What a sweet banjo! No wonder Grandpa liked it.  I will keep this a few more days to make sure everything has settled and is working as it should.

Sunday was spent with these fellas in Nashville. These are the grandkids that used to live with us ... you've seen them here before. (l to R) Keaton, Ryland & Braden. What a nice day we had! Adventure Science Center, River Front Park, McDonalds & Krispy Kream!

MOORE REIL SOON!

jbalch - Posted - 07/08/2013:  08:10:13

Bob's banjo looks GREAT!

BTW - when it comes to curly string remnants- GUILTY - But ~I do it JUST to drive you and David Emery crazy.

DEmery - Posted - 07/08/2013:  08:19:51

John I have become accustomed to my son's waist length dread locks and your curly strings wrapped in a roll. I would be confused if that part of my world changed. David

jbalch - Posted - 07/08/2013:  08:28:24

quote:

---

Originally posted by DEmery

 

John I have become accustomed to my son's waist length dread locks and your curly strings wrapped in a roll. I would be confused if that part of my world changed. David

---

Yeah - but - this one is dusty too....

reckon16 - Posted - 07/08/2013:  11:09:07

My apologies if this isn't the correct forum for the question, but do you foresee putting any more of those nice little minis on the Classifieds?  I saw, I coveted, and.....was too late!

Love this thread.  If I had any patience/talent/mechanical aptitude, I'd aspire to building.

Tony

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/08/2013:  12:06:33

Dan

Its always good to get together with the grandkids, but to top it off with Krispy Kream, it doesn't get much better than that.  

Kaelri - Posted - 07/08/2013:  13:57:41

mmmmm, Krispy Kream.....as Kryptonite  is to Superman, Krispy Kream is to me.   Glad I don't live near one!!!!!! It's healthier that-a-way. 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/08/2013:  18:00:09

John & David...

Hummmmmmmmm.........????????

Tony,

I've got another little 'un that I'd be proud to put your name on!

Dave & Ellen,

I agree with both of those emoations!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/08/2013:  19:30:01

BOB & MANDORA D'AMORE

I figured that y'all might like to see Bob's banjer in its completed form so here's a few photos.

Front view (as if y'all couldn't tell)...

Back view (again...)

Heel and rim (yet again...)

And head...

Today I chawed out three pieces of curly maple to make up the Mandora d'Amore's neck and glued them up...

Here I'm turning (on the lathe) a rosette for the soundhole of the d'Amore...

The face being sanded before the center ring is removed...

On the body of the d'Amore. The face piece is from a very figured hunk of Spanish Cedar and the center ring is of Walnut. It is designed to act similar to a speaker port.

MOIRE VIRI SOON!!!

tendogman - Posted - 07/08/2013:  20:12:05

Dan,

I don't know anything else to say but Oh My God..... It's just flat out beautiful... THANK YOU..... Very, Very Much!!!! My Grandpa would be proud.

Bob

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/08/2013:  21:05:35

Bob,

Thank you!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/11/2013:  05:58:47

JULY 10 (on July 11)

The air conditioning in the shop went out Monday afternoon. Temperatures went somewhere in the 90's.  Humidity was around 90%. I went to checking... Was it electrical? Maybe... (Was I whining? YES!)

On the roof I went looking... To bad I didn't know what I was looking at!

So I called my good buddy Lloyd Bennett (a retired Heating & AC guy) and we went on the roof Wed. morning opened the cover up. Low and behold Lloyd said, "Dan your capacitor is shot!"  We went got a new one by 10 AM it was working. A $16 fix! Thank you Lloyd!!!

*

This is the neck blank for the Woojo d'Amore (oops... Tom Bergan) or ah... Mandora d'Amore. I've got the truss rod installed and the 5th. string tunneling laid out. I've changed my design after much thought. This instrument will have 9 instead of 10 strings following the sucess of Tom's Banjo d'Amore.  I'll be using a set of mandolin tuners along with one standard banjo tuner (for the 5th. string). This instead of the Portuguese 10 string tuners.

I made a test routing for a binding ledge. This will be the first routing of two.

These shims are to level and stabilize the body so it won't move when it is in the binding machine.

Here it is in the binding machine getting the first rout. Sounds almost like a war story doesn't it?

Gluing on the back purfiling. I'm using cyno glue for this... I am in a mood to really move along today!

Binding and purfiling glued in place I rough level the binding. Next I'll true it with a file and scrape it.

Scraping the binding flush. I love looking at these pieces of Walnut, the figure is sooo deep!

MORE OF THE d'AMORE REEL SOON!

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 07/12/2013:  14:59:23

Dan, I just want to say that I really enjoy watching you perform your artistry. I've often wondered... and so I'm gonna ask... How long have you been doing this?

p.s. I've enjoyed your CD!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/12/2013:  16:33:01

Marvin,

My hat is off to your Mini banjo work. They are spectacular!

To answer you question...I don't remember when I started woodworking. I guess I always have done it. As a child I always loved playing in my dad's shop. To this day I've a box of some of my Grandad's tools which I open up and the smell pulls me back deep in my memory. I did start playing mandolin at age 7 on my grandpa's old Gibson A style.  But this is probably not answering your true question....

When I was a Junior in High school a violin maker moved to our town. I'd go stand and watch him work (talked his ear off too , I'm sure!), completely fascinated. One day he told me that I needed to go home and build a dulcimer and that he'd sell me a kit. I bought into it, got a book from the library and with my dads help fashioned my first instrument. I soon sold it to buy wood for the next project.

I guess I'm still doing it cause I never did figure out how to quit...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/12/2013:  21:07:53

BEAUTY & da BEAS...

We just got home from having a great time with our granddaughter Katelyn who appeared in a local theater production of Beauty & the Beast. They all did great! But you can tell who I'm partial to!

More in the AM

Dave1climber - Posted - 07/12/2013:  21:18:58

I know who is the beauty in that photo, and the other person doesn't look like a beast ether.  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/13/2013:  05:28:26

NECKIN'

I'm looking forward to today! I'll be teaching and as part of that I'll carve the neck for this Mandora d'Amore (as Tom Bergan calls it) or (as I like to call it) Woojo d'Amore! Also I will be going to Eddieville, KY to a water park with my son Sam and his family. But yet I realize that this post is about what I did, not what I'm planning to do!

For those of you near Murfreesboro, TN today remember that it is Uncle Dave Macon Day and they will be honoring Ricky Skaggs!

I got the neck blank all glued up today and here is how it went...

First a fingerboard had to be prepared. So a sandwich of the fretting template and a rosewood fingerboard blank were carpet taped together and the fret slots were sawn.

Next the fingerboard profile was laid out...

And sawed to shape...

This instrument will be using a tunneled 5th. so the groove for the tube was routed and the tube fitted...

The neck blank with glue and clamps...

Although this neck will get bolted on it is going to also have a mortise and tennon joint. Here I'm chopping out the mortise.

I just love this Clario walnut! What great figure! The body has a coat of shellac to prepare it for grain filler.

The first of the filler is applied...This BTW is made from sheetrock mud and tint.

SOON * SOON * SOON

Kaelri - Posted - 07/13/2013:  07:29:35

A tunneled 5th? Interesting! Does this mean the 5th string will run thru the (copper?) tube that I see you inserting in the space that appears to run beneath where  the fret board will attach? 5th pic above) 

I am curious...what are the thoughts behind this? To clean up the looks? or just give a "different" look? Or is there a more mechanical thought behind this that I am not understanding? 

I  continue to enjoy this thread,

Ellen

ronwalker49 - Posted - 07/13/2013:  07:34:38

The "sheet rock mud" thing is a wonderful trick...I recently tried it and it works so well...Loved it..!!!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/13/2013:  14:18:26

Ellen,

The tunneled 5th. is really quite an old idea. To my knowledge it was the English zither banjos in the 1890's that it first appeared. In the states it first showed up on the Stealth banjo in the late 1980's or early 90's. The idea is that it 'cleans' up the neck by getting the 5th string tuner out of the way. This helps remove a obvious obstruction to ones thumb when moving up and down the neck.

Ron,

Glad you found it too!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/13/2013:  16:49:33

SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

Back on the Woojo d'Amore with more grain filling... there will be at least three goes at this to get all of that Clario Walnut perfectly flat. On it goes and then it is wiped back off leaving a small amount in the grain hollows...

After the filler dries it is sanded flat and then given a couple of coats of shellac...

This instrument will only receive one layer of backstrapping and this is of ebony. Here it is in place being glued and clamped...

The neck will be connected with bolts, in goes the first receiver...

Both in...

On goes the neck...

Checking the neck fit and getting ready to mark the heel...

SOON THEIR WILT B MOR

BNJOMAKR - Posted - 07/14/2013:  04:26:25

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

 

Marvin,

My hat is off to your Mini banjo work. They are spectacular!

To answer you question...I don't remember when I started woodworking. I guess I always have done it. As a child I always loved playing in my dad's shop. To this day I've a box of some of my Grandad's tools which I open up and the smell pulls me back deep in my memory. I did start playing mandolin at age 7 on my grandpa's old Gibson A style.  But this is probably not answering your true question....

When I was a Junior in High school a violin maker moved to our town. I'd go stand and watch him work (talked his ear off too , I'm sure!), completely fascinated. One day he told me that I needed to go home and build a dulcimer and that he'd sell me a kit. I bought into it, got a book from the library and with my dads help fashioned my first instrument. I soon sold it to buy wood for the next project.

I guess I'm still doing it cause I never did figure out how to quit...

---

Well, all I can say is, don't ever start to try to figure it out!  

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/14/2013:  20:31:25

SUNDAY IN BED...

Today I have been blessed. While laying up in my bed (my back having gone out yesterday) and feeling sorry for myself, I recieved a phone call. It was from my young friend Tyler Andel. I've known Tyler since he was 12 or 13 years old and I've watched him grow into a very talented and honorable young man. He had news of Uncle Dave Macon Days. The Old Time String Band he played in won first in the nation and he also won first in the National Old Time Fiddle contest! Then he laid the kicker on me...He also won the National Old Time Banjo Champion ship! A true three ringer! I'm as proud of him as if he was one of my own kids!

Then tonight I turned on the computer looked up the hangout and found David Emery's post about the slot head banjo (that I built for him). Such kindness...I am truly fortunate for such friends. I am blessed.

So tonight I'd like to play catchup as these photos are all from yesterday...

Saturday morning was a time for lutheri teaching and my faithful students Eric & Kevin made good progress on their guitars... Kevin got his neck carved out...

And Eric filled his grain...

Meanwhile I carved the neck of the Mandora d'Amore. Here I'm band sawing away the big waste

Gouging the heel...

And beginning to rasp it into shape...

Using a horse hoof rasp I start shaping the center of the neck...

And a small box plane to true the edge a bit...

Next a half round rasp to shape the peghead transition...

The price of woodworking!

Here I am sanding true the fingerboard before fretting.

And deepening the fret slots...

Maybe I'll green string it soon!

dbrooks - Posted - 07/15/2013:  03:21:23

I used to have the impression that Paris, Tennessee, was an out-of-the-way retreat with a slow pace and quiet charm.  Now I see that it must be the center of the old-time banjo universe. Tyler Andel's triple play at Uncle Dave Macon Days seems truly amazing until I put it into the context of all the other music-making, banjo-making, guitar-making, strange new instrument-making, music instruction, exotic coffee making and Lord knows what else happens in that little town.

David

Kaelri - Posted - 07/15/2013:  06:20:46

Wow! Congrats to Tyler! What an accomplishement! 

And Dan, I can see from your entry above that there is now proof that you truly put your blood, sweat and tears into your banjo work! 

Ellen

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/15/2013:  19:47:38

David,

Don't be fooled by apearences...Tyler lives in Nashville and grew up in White House, TN.

Ellen,

That was the worst cut I've ever had too!

ronwalker49 - Posted - 07/15/2013:  20:22:04

Dan, do you use a sealer before you start with the grain filler..?..

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/15/2013:  20:33:04

Ron,

I use shellac before I apply the grain filler. This keeps the color in the filler from staining the wood.

Fer everybody...

Here is a photo of Tyler competing...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/16/2013:  07:36:22

WOOJO d'AMORE- MANDORA d'AMORE

Yesterday the Mandora d'Amore was test strung. Sometimes it is called stringing in the white (because the instrument is un finished) but I like to call it green stringing for the same reason. Just my quirk.

I fretted the fingerboard, bolted the neck on, made a bridge and then strung it up. I got so taken up with what I was doing and so I didn't make many photos. Here I've made this quick, crude test bridge. The string slots are being sawed.

The frets are in and now I'm marking the fret tops for leveling...

Using a diamond hone I level the frets...

Frets leveled, crowned and polished on go the strings...

Here is the instrument a long view from the peghead...

Here we are, I've just played it and I am very pleased!! This one passes my expectations. It's gonna be hard to take it back apart to finish. Fortunately I can't leave those 'F' model mandolin tuners on it so I guess I'll have to finish it!

MORE SOON!!!

Kaelri - Posted - 07/16/2013:  10:41:56

Beautiful instrument.  I have a question for you from my daughter Cassidy. She is 13 and a budding musician herself. She plays Uke and is studying guitar. She wants to know how this Mandora d'Amore is intended to be played. Here are her questions:

"It is played as a person would play a double neck guitar?" Will  the tuning of the strings provide a bigger palette for playing out of different tunings at the same time? Will the tones differ to add interest to the sound? "

Thanks Dan, she also likes following this thread with me. 

Ellen

bradtheraddad - Posted - 07/16/2013:  17:16:18

Hey Dan,

I just wanted to thank you for the hospitality you showed my elderly parents as they drove through Paris, TN from Corinth, MS last weekend. I had told my Dad (a mandolin maker, guitarist and recent banjo picker!) about you and he was hoping you would be around that weekend. He says you gave them a great display of  your many talents with some stories, some playing and your humbleness. They were very impressed with your handiwork and hope to stop by again in the future (as do I by way of Texas). Just wanted to say thank you and encourage you to keep up the amazing work that you do, touching lives and providing inspiration! 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/16/2013:  18:09:01

Cassidy,

Thanks for looking in with your mom!

I have never played a double necked guitar, although I have seen a bunch of pictures of them (if that counts), so I can't really speak on that. The Mandora d'Amore is played like a 5-string banjo. It can be played with any and all of the techniques common to its skin headed cousin (clawhammer, 3 finger & etc.).  The extra four strings are there for added resonance and sustain and are not plucked (although I suppose that they could be, I just haven't tried it yet...). You are correct in assuming that different tunings of the sympathetic strings would effect the overall sound. This is something I'm just beginning to find out about and experiment with.

Brad,

I really enjoyed visiting with your folks. Great people... they even taught me about slug burgers!

bradtheraddad - Posted - 07/16/2013:  18:11:54

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

Brad,

I really enjoyed visiting with your folks. Great people... they even taught me about slug burgers!

---

Hey Dan, 

Slug burgers are definitely a treat specific to that area, I'll make sure you get one next time we are in the area!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/17/2013:  19:43:13

Brad,

I kaint wait!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/17/2013:  20:23:42

WED.....

Well today was a day... I guess that is much like saying wherever you are... that's where you are. But it certainly was a day in which I got a whole lot done and that feels good! 

Here is how I started it out, streachin' a skin head. Yes Mr. Balch I still remember how to do it!

The problem with being the top dog in a one man operation is that you are also the low man on the totem pole! Here is the proof!

I cut and fit a cap block (made from figured Claro Walnut) and trimmed everything in.

Here I'm filing it flush. The strip of masking tape only protects the body in my mind... and helps me remember to keep the file off of it.

Here I'm cuttin' in my suto fralin' scoop.

I've drilled holes for the side dots (I'm using white pearl here) and in goes the glue first...

In with the dot...

Lastly I shove it home with a screwdriver blade.

Sanding the neck...

Sanding the little round peghead cut outs... I hope you like my sanding block. It writes notes too!

After sanding, staining. I use aniline dye on the maple....

After the stain comes the first coat of oil for the finish...

After the oil coat...

SOON THERE WILL BE MORE!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 07/19/2013:  06:25:42

THURSDAY...

Lots of repairs today, with a bit of time allotted to the Mandora d"Amore.

This morning while inspecting the neck I found a small spot of bad sanding on the heel next to the heel cap. It's odd how I always discover these imperfections sometimes later rather than earlier in the game... so I sanded it out.

Re-stained it...

And re-oiled it...

There was a spot near the backstrap that I was not happy with so I spotted in some stain on that also...

And re-oiled it too...

After the oil had set up and been cleaned off I burnish it with my bare hand...

About once a month on Thursdays I get away from the shop to have coffee with these fellas at Jack's Java. It is an amazing hour of philosophy, history, language and mind travel! From left to right they are Joe, Jim, Bob & me...How bout our little Eiffel tower on the table there!

I'm preparing for final finishing Friday I hope to have this in the spray booth...

SOON...