Dave1climber - Posted - 08/11/2014:  07:28:52

Seems as though you and family had a wonderful time on the left coast, and yes its good to be back home again.

The Puppet Master is coming along nicely.

60spicker - Posted - 08/11/2014:  09:40:06

Dan, I'm sure there's a personal reason for Pig Lady, but I find her off-putting in the harshest of ways. The painting itself would have incredible commercial appeal if that was different. For me (and everybody has an opinion) it is so distracting that it's hard to appreciate the quality of the actual.

And what about the blue boob hanging out of the person showing Pig Lady a piece of paper? Nevermind. I'm in too deep.

Terry

Rick Turner - Posted - 08/11/2014:  12:07:46

Hey, the next time you're in Santa Cruz, come on over. Westside...

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/11/2014:  20:46:31

Dave,

Thanks.

Terry,

I love it!!!  You are letting me know that this work is successful in stirring folks up to think. Thanks for your comments.

Rick,

I'd love to pop in sometime! Thanks for the invite.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/12/2014:  19:37:49

TODAY

What a better way to stat todays post? 

Today...

Daw-gone I could get real phil-is-if-ical and talk about tyme and its importance, using the day wisely & etc. ... but I won't. Here is a bit of what I did today...

Laid out and glued patterns to some of the pearl for Tyler's banjo.  Here's the peghead batch. This will be rather simple just a logo and his scare crow symbol. In this part I'll be using black, sunburst & gold MOP, green and  red abalone, green sea snail and fresh water Tennessee river mussel shell. 

Here I'm removing the clamps from the heel gluing....

I'm ripping the neck in half so I can increase the stability by reversing the orientation of each half and adding a center filet of ebony...

Thickness sanding to true each piece...

Gluing the basic neck blank up. I am using tinted epoxy to stick it together. I don't like using water based glues on necks, adding water to neck wood joints seams counter productive and could cause bowing or twisting later... I just don't trust it other wise...

Clamping it up....

See You Reel Soon!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/13/2014:  19:19:36

WEDNESDAY

One of these days I'm gonna try and write a complete post, misspell everything (on purpose) but still have it understandable. I think titwould be fun to try. It might even upset the spell checker! Maybe I could screw up the rules of grammar too. Perhaps even rotate them a notch...

Well, maybe not. 

I aged most of the metal parts for Shine today. Here's how it went.

Here's a square tube for a tubaphone tonering getting rotated through a aging soloution bath.

One of my Van Eps style tension hoops gets aged...

Coloring...

Bracket shoes aged and drying...

After all of the pieces are patinaed, they are given a water bath to remove the solution... 

Complete...

Oh ya, I drilled holes in the rim for the attachment bolt and c-rod...

Chamfering the inside of the holes ...

Applying the first coat of oil finish...

I wanted to add a tiny decoration to the wooden co-odernator rod so I looked in my stash for a piece of fossil walrus ivory. Found one. Then prepped it for the lathe and turned a small washer like decoration...

Turned. Tomorrow I'll go ahead and cut this off its base and mount it on the rod...

MORE TOMORROW!

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 08/14/2014:  04:35:48

Geez Dan - nearing 100 pages here! Congrats and love watching all the work being done and works of art being created.

jbalch - Posted - 08/14/2014:  09:14:35

Dan:  Is this the banjo you built that Bela is holding on their new Rounder Records CD cover?

Edited by - jbalch on 08/14/2014 09:15:33

dbrooks - Posted - 08/14/2014:  10:52:29

It sure looks like the banjo that Dan made that appeared in one of Abigail's publicity photos, so I am betting that it is the same banjo. 

David

DEmery - Posted - 08/14/2014:  15:27:59

Dan can speak for himself; but that appears to be Dan's work. If I am not confused, this banjo was at George's shop in Nashville years ago. If it is the same banjo; I recall it. Having one of Dan's banjos in that design....but extensively distressed, it has the Dan look. David E.  

Dan Drabek - Posted - 08/14/2014:  16:16:35

Some serious slant on Abigail's bridge. 

DD

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/14/2014:  19:18:17

R. Blakslee,

Thanks! I find it wild and amazing how this has gone.

John, David & David E.,

Yes that is indeed a KNOWLES OLD CREMONA DELUXE minstrel banjo. That is my logo inlay just above his hand. This particular banjo has a finely figured maple neck, rosewood rim and fingerboard & custom inlay. The rim is an internal adjustable tack head and is gilded on its inside. I'll have to look in my records as to when, but that banjo was sold to Bela through Gruhn's in Nashville. I'll have to write Bela a thank you note for using it,

Dan,

Tiz isn't it.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 08/14/2014 19:24:26

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/14/2014:  19:22:20

Here is  link to a tune from Bela & Abigail's new CD. Railroad.

pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/201...ecks.html

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/14/2014:  20:07:00

THURSDAY

AUGUST 14, 2014

The day I found out that a banjo I built is to be featured on a Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn CD.

That could be my complete post....the whole thing, what else need I write?

At 10:41 Jon Eaton (BHO member) sent me a text it said "Your banjo is on the cover of the new Bela Fleck record. Congrats"

I wrote back, "Oh Man! Thanks"

Jon wrote, "Did you know already?"

"No." was my reply.

Then he sent me the photo which John Balch posted above.

I'm Still dancin'! 

Here is another photo that I found....

And the banjo by its self...

Even with all that fun work was still callin' so I finished up Shine's center rod...

And worked on gluing on Tyler's necks peghead....

First though, I ripped a slot for the trussrod...

Ran the peghead slice through the thickness sander...

Cut the skarf joint for the peghead to glue to the hand sanded it perfectly flat. Here I'm rubbing charcoal on the surface. I'll sand it again and again until all of the charcoal vanishes with just a quick swipe on the plate glass sanding surface.

Spring clamped in place, I drill for my locator brads...

Epoxy slathered on the first clamps are applied...

Last but never the least My friend Bill Goldberg sent me this photo of  a belt that he had made. The design is from a banjo that I made for him. What a wonderful tribute!

More Soon...

Dave1climber - Posted - 08/14/2014:  21:46:32

Dan

I have a banjo that Bela signed and played, needless to say any time i pick it I feel like dancing.

Peg Head

Rick Turner - Posted - 08/14/2014:  21:55:13

Dan, is that a "vintage" Craftsman table saw there in the photo?  If so, I have one.  Probably needs restoration, just like I do.

DEmery - Posted - 08/15/2014:  03:42:01

Dan I appreciate you telling the story of the Fleck banjo you built. I do indeed recall it hanging in Ghrun's shop but it was a good while ago and early in my knowing you. Had you build Ole' Abe at that time? There are lots of similarity in the overall design (discounting the internal adjusted tack head design). If I recall you right; before Abe was distressed.., you told me someone told you Abe was one of the prettiest minstrel banjos you had built - and you beat her up and made it old. I doubt you left scars like this on Fleck's banjo. I like em'.   

Ole' Abe built by Dan Knowles

Ole' Abe built by Dan Knowles

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/15/2014:  05:31:35

Dave,

 How Cool! I like that Steve Martin signature too!

Rick,

Yes guilty as charged. Does yours have the crappy old fence that you've figured how to fudge anyway?

David,

Yes the were built around the same time, maybe 10-15  years ago. I'll look it up in the shop records today and try to post it tonight.

I was building a lot of minstrel banjos back then and George Gruhn was selling them in his shop. Calvin Miner (who worked there) was a big promoter of my work there. If someone came in and liked one of my banjos but wanted something different he'd give them one of my cards. I have always been quite thankful for his, yours and everyone else who has helped promote my work over the years. I wouldn't be here doing what I do without it.

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 08/15/2014 05:32:35

jbalch - Posted - 08/15/2014:  06:21:20

Dan:  I was in Gruhns one day while you were there talking with Calvin.

I remember him saying that you MUST mark your distressed minstrel banjos with your maker's ID and date.

Otherwise he said that the could really fool even an expert.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/15/2014:  10:20:38

John,

That's right, you were there. What a fun day that was!

David,

The banjo that Bala and Abby have was built in 2004 #154  so even though yours was built the same year it was a bit earlier as yours is #162. It is correctly named the Old Cremona Deluxe. Until I looked back at the photos I had forgotten that the heel was carved on this one, what's more I don't remember what it was that I carved!

 

Kaelri - Posted - 08/15/2014:  10:29:18

quote:

---

Originally posted by jbalch

Dan:  I was in Gruhns one day while you were there talking with Calvin.

I remember him saying that you MUST mark your distressed minstrel banjos with your maker's ID and date.

Otherwise he said that the could really fool even an expert.

---

What a COOL compliment! 

R. Blakeslee Gilpin - Posted - 08/15/2014:  10:54:03

That is REALLY cool Dan. Look forward to hearing the new CD.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 08/15/2014:  11:22:29

Dan..what a great happening...congrats! You should ask Bela to autograph a cover and send it to you..way cool!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/15/2014:  19:49:02

Ellen, Blakeslee & Doug,

Thanks everybody, this has been quite exciting for me!

kwl - Posted - 08/15/2014:  20:22:27

Dan, I hope that was your banjo on Railroad. I really enjoyed Bela and Abigail doing that song. I'm glad they put your banjo on the cover because now I know they have a new album coming out. Thanks for sharing your good fortune.

Ken

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/15/2014:  20:25:57

FRIDAY

PAGE 100

Now this is a true accomplishment. I never figured we'd go this far. This Luthier's Life thing always amazes me. You've stayed this long Thank you so much!

*************************************

This has been such a busy day. Soooooooo much accomplished. After looking at the 150 or so photos that I reached out and shot today, I found it almost impossible to choose what to use and what to not.

So what follows is just a snapshot of part of today...

My old Farland Artist Grand popped its head. This is a beautiful old classical banjo which I love to play here in to shop or at home. Never on the road. Still the other day I found it broken one of the prettiest skin heads I've ever owned. Broke my heart. I wonder if John Balch has a pretty white one? I sure don't right now. I thought that I did, but after checking I found that I don't.

So it had to come off.  Was it ever a tight fit. I had to tap it off the rim with a stick and mallet.

Truss rod time on Tyler's neck. First I loaded the bottom of the slot with silicone. The kind for tub & bath...

Clamped it in. First with spring clamps later with screw type bar clamps...

After 5 or 6 hours the silicone has set up and off it came...

Did I tell you that my son Patrick is an expert metalworker? Well he is. He cam in and fabricated a bunch of star bracket shoes for a run of 1850's Jacobs banjos that we are making. 

Here he is working his magic brazing ...

Here is the first of this group of reproduction of this 1850's instrument. It has a ways to go yet. David Emery owns the first one of these which I made....

Here I'm marking hole placement for the bracket shoes, preparing and drilling...

This rim is air dried quarter sawn white oak and is one of a batch which I made with my friend Tommy Ogle a few years ago. It's a special one that I've been saving. Because of the tannins in the white oak it is a perfect candidate for my metal stain which is reactive to tannins. In fact it needs the presence of tannin to be able to change color. On with the stain...

Here is the stained rim with one of todays bracket shoes in place...

MORE REEL SOON!

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 08/15/2014 20:31:28

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/15/2014:  20:35:18

Ken,

I think it sounds like Bela's using a steel string banjo in a very low tuning. The Old Cremona Deluxe is a gut or nylon strung instrument and is also tuned low, so I don't think he's playing it here. I could be wrong though and wouldn't that be fun!

jbalch - Posted - 08/16/2014:  06:24:41

Dan:

Too bad about the hide on that old banjo.  I don't use bleached white skins.  I have not had the best luck with them.  In my experience, they are too easily broken.  Maybe something in the bleaching process weakens the hide - I'm not sure.

Here is an e-bay seller that might have what you need:  ebay.com/itm/Calf-Skin-Banjo-H...e901bd66e

DEmery - Posted - 08/16/2014:  06:36:49

Dan those star shoes and that thin rim were great looking...and that banjo is one lively piece. I have ole" Abe out this morning; and probably need to grab the Jacobs. It has been a few days. David E.

New 1850 Jacobs by Dan Knowles, Luthier

New1850 Rim

Star Bracket Shoes

 

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/17/2014:  03:53:24

John,

Thanks for the link! I'll check into it! That old Farland deserves a nice white head.

David,

I'm finishing this 1850's Jacobs out in a darker tint than the original or yours. I'll post some photos later today of it.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/17/2014:  19:39:03

SUNDAY NIGHT

CATCHIN' UP FROM SATURDAY

Well here is tis Sunday evening already and the week beginith again. Oh my, with grandkids here and working on my son Sam's house the weekend has just fled by. So now I'm slowing down enough to do a quick post with some photos of yesterday morning at the shop. Nothin' like yesterday's news, Huh!

Saturday morning in the class it was just Kevin and I. Summer always takes its toll with the number of students. But I don't worry (be happy), for I know that as fall opens up they come poring in. The nice thing about it being just the two of us is we just work & chat. He may ask my advice or I may show or explain a technique, but more and more we just work and talk. What a wonderful way to spend a morning.

Today Kevin carved most of his braces on his guitar top. It has been very satisfying watching his skill level and confidence grow over the past couple of years. His is a true example for all of us of persistence making the skill.

For my part I worked on the 1850's Jacobs.

Both the neck and rim have been colored darkly with the metal stain. I'm quite pleased with the color. After a couple of coats of shellac I grain filled the rim. The white oak has very outstanding pores and I want the finish to be a bit smoother than it would be otherwise. My filler is a home concoction of sheetrock mud & tint to make it a dark brown. Rub it on, rub it in and rub it off. Later it will be sealed with more shellac.

A coat of oil for Shine's rim. Actually, after applying a coat (and letting it set up) I'm rubbing it off...

The Jacob's neck being metal dyed. 1. On with the metal stain. It goes on this walnut a light rusty color. 2. After two applications, sanded between. The final tint is from some medium brown leather dye, one of my favorites...

More Soon!!@

Dave1climber - Posted - 08/17/2014:  20:33:16

Sheetrock mud and tint!   Who a though!   

Paulf - Posted - 08/18/2014:  00:20:25

Congratulations on the 100 pages, looking forward to many more.

Paul

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/18/2014:  03:40:46

Dave,

I don't remember where I got that technique from but it works as well as any. Put it on, let it set up fully and then wash off the surface. The surface needs to be sealed first on all but perhaps the most oily woods before filling.

Paul,

Thanks so much.

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/19/2014:  05:39:21

MONDAY

Here it is Tuesday early in the morning and I'm reviewing Monday's day at the shop.

My eyes are barely open and this old mind s running on low gear. I can't figure yet wither it's going up or down hill. 

Let's see what the pictures show...

Oh ya, I see it now!

There's the new 1850's Jacobs model banjo neck, it is being French polished or what in the old days they called Spirit  Varnished. This was because the basic ingredient in the polish/ finish is shellac. Shellac is melted with alcohol or 'spirits'. Hence the name. There are probably as many recipes for Spirit varnish out there as there are French Polishers. Mine is one which I worked up years ago with Charlie Derrington of Gibson. It basically consists of flake shellac, benzoine, sanderic and copal. I earlier times I used to do the technique totally in a traditional manner, with a grinder, rottonstone, polish, oil and etc. for a slow build. Now I start with what in the old books was called English Polish.  The first coats or build is applied with a brush, allowed to set up, sanded and then French polished out.

Here is the neck with the first brushed coats on and dry...

Oh and Tyler this is for you. 

On goeth the peghead overlay...

     

After sanding on goes the French polish. This was the only moderately good photo of this that I got today. The hand and pad have to be always moving or the finish gets ruint (Snider). Originally I was going to oil finish this instrument, but the original...

Here I'm re-cutting the heel on a Martin neck reset.  Back years ago during a epidemic of neck resets I designed and built this gig for cutting the shoulders. The neck clamps in. The table angle can be changed to fit the heel angle. A razor sharp chisel the removes the excess sliding along the table. I suppose that this could be used for banjo necks, although I never have.

After chiseling the heel is sand fitted to the body using strips of sandpaper. This is a technique that I use whenever a banjo rim fit is less than perfect.

MORE IS COMING....

Dave1climber - Posted - 08/19/2014:  08:06:01

Dan

I always wondered how one might recut the heel on a guitar, it seemed in my mind to be a very finicky job.  Seeing your jig and method, I will leave that job to you and all of the other very talented luthiers.

Dave

tylerandal - Posted - 08/20/2014:  22:24:18

Dan!  I have been working on a new tune on your ebony banjo.  It's a tune Jay Unger wrote called Wizard's Walk.   Just thought you and some others might be interested.  Here it is!

youtube.com/watch?v=URnnVXNa1t4

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/21/2014:  06:12:21

WEDNESDAY

I'm going to try something new today.

I'm speaking this post into my phone, one of these newfangled smarter than me things, is going to write it out for me. 

We'll see how this goes. It's already made some mistakes, but I've yet to give up on it!

Today when the mailman came by he brought me a post a package from Canada. It was from my good friend John Erlington. He sent a beautiful set of his sterling silver picks ( I guess I should say thimble).

These are so special as they are engraved with my friend Tommy Ogle's name on them and his dates of his life. John sent three of these thimbles. One of he wished me to keep, one I'm to give to Tommy's son Steven and one of them he wanted me to pass along to someone who I think would really use and appreciate it.

These thimbles are wonderful. Although I primarily use my nails to play with, I now use one of these for Minstrel music. They add a nice pop and tone that the nails just don't give. Note the texturing on the inside of the pick. This holds the thimble in place on my finger. I doesn't move. I've never had a pick that worked so well!

Tommy bending banjo rims.

Among the many things I did today I was preparing the Martin neck to be glued into its body. 

Here I'm doing the touch ups on the finish. There were some problems with the finish (which is not uncommon at all ) where the cuts were made and on the side of the heel. The aria is first touched with acetone to soften the lacquer. Then the lacquer is painted in...

Here's another Banjo that is heading towards the finish line. Its name is Julia B. If all goes well today I will attempt to string it up to string it up.

Of course Tyler here's your banjo neck.  I'll try to glue it up today.

Well that's the post. I'm not sure  this was not more work fixing it up than it would have been typing by hand.

Oh well, I guess I'll try this again and see if I can lick it anyway.

More Soon

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/21/2014:  06:14:55

Dave,

I used to be afraid of doing this neck reset job too!

Tyler,

Thanks for posting that great tune! I'm not sure my fingers can stretch like that anymore! And on my Ebony banjo too!

Here's another video of the ebony getting a work out by Matt Menefee.  youtube.com/watch?v=btCyiDEJWTc

Edited by - Dan Knowles on 08/21/2014 06:19:04

Bufo Bill - Posted - 08/21/2014:  06:55:21

Your thread is superb as always Dan. One hundred pages, and every one of them a corker!

Out of interest, do you play your minstrel shows with gut strings on your banjos?

Here's to many more pages of "A Luthier's Life"!
All the best from Bill. :D

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/21/2014:  07:10:57

Bill,

While I love the sound of gut strings & skin heads (and I really do), many of my shows are over water so on stage I use neither as they are wayyyyyyyyyyy too sensitive and unstable in that situation.

jbalch - Posted - 08/21/2014:  14:13:47

quote:

---

Originally posted by tylerandal

Dan!  I have been working on a new tune on your ebony banjo.  It's a tune Jay Unger wrote called Wizard's Walk.   Just thought you and some others might be interested.  Here it is!

youtube.com/watch?v=URnnVXNa1t4

---

 Great tune - the banjo sounds OK too ;<)

Rick Turner - Posted - 08/21/2014:  14:25:38

Gorgeous stuff, Dan.

guitarman8491 - Posted - 08/21/2014:  16:31:09

Julia B looks is going to be a fine looking banjo for sure..very nicely done!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/22/2014:  05:07:00

John,

Thanks for Tyler and me too!

Rick,

Thanks!

Doug,

Thank you!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/22/2014:  06:14:22

FRIDAY MORNING

Recently I bought a new battery on Amazon for my Apple computer. I received it a week ago. Well it just died, plugged in with a nearly completed post on it. I'm glad for another computer to do this on. Oh the frustrations of the computer age!

Yesterday my wife Debbie and I came home late after a delightful evening out with our friends and neighbors Jim and Fiona Jackson. What a wonderful couple and good friends to boot! Anyway Jim is an author who writes under the pen name of Aiden James, writing mostly paranormal novels. He has a new one coming out that releases today on Amazon in both paperback and for the Kindle reader. This one is called Welcome to Denmark. It takes place in a small west Tennessee town called Denmark and is very loosely based on our neighborhood. I keep looking around now for witches and warlocks!

Here is a photo I stole from Amazon...

You can take a look yourself at:

amazon.com/Welcome-Denmark-War...den+james

On to Luthing!

​I had a 30 year old Yamaha guitar (yep a red lable) that came into the shop. I figured that this might be a good example of set up that applies equily to banjo as it does to guitar.

This one has had the fool played out of the first two frets so they were both pulled and replaced. As is not uncommon with some of these chips were pulled from the fingerboard. Most are small enough that they would hide under the new fret, but I don't like doing that. So they are filled with a mixture of cyano and rosewood sawdust. 

Here they are being cleaned previous to filling...

After filling they are first leveled with a short file, then slicked up with 220, 400 & 800 grit sandpaper...

After the new frets were in and leveled, a new nut is cut and the neck relief is set. After the basic string slots are cut the depth of the slots in the nut are done like this:

Hold the string down between frets 2 & 3. Check the distance between the string and fret 1. It should be so close that only a few molecules of air can pass between. I will often tap the sting, lightly on the first fret to check progress...

Cutting on the slot. In this photo I look like I'm really bearing down. It must be a delusion for my hands are always relaxed and the cut is quite lite. 

The guitar finished my happy client Mike test drives his guitar!

More soon!

Dan Knowles - Posted - 08/22/2014:  06:21:25

Here is a video of our great friend (and one of my favorite banjo pickers) John Balch playing the ebony banjo Sherry Lynn.Check it out!

Muskadine

youtube.com/watch?v=uDgttgZk8yU

Soldiers Joy

youtube.com/watch?v=WEgQ0LB8DZw

Paul R - Posted - 08/22/2014:  08:48:04

Dan, Yamahas have to be the most underrated guitars. I know a guitar teacher in Toronto who ditched his L'Arrivee cutaway (which he'd bought from Bruce Cockburn) for a Yamaha. I was in the music store when he came upstairs and told me about his new guitar, and I should go down and see it. He handed me a Yamaha, and said it was the sound he'd been looking for.

Rick Turner - Posted - 08/22/2014:  09:02:55

Dan, if you do a lot of refretting, I highly recommend using an American Beauty resistance soldering station with a slightly modified handpiece.   The handpiece has two electrodes, and if you apply them to a fret, the power supply pumps low voltage high current through the fret, heating it up much better than you can do with a soldering iron.  The fret itself becomes the heating...and heated element, and the whole fret heats up at once to both break loose any old glue in the fret slot and also it seems to soften the wood on either side of the fret tang just long enough to get the fret out easily with flush cutting end nippers.  You can get frets out with hardly a chip to have to repair doing this.   It's pretty amazing.  Just be careful near celluloid fingerboard binding.  I've never caught binding on fire, but it's entirely doable!

Also...your hinged neck reset heel cutting guide...   A luthier who used to work for me made one of those, and he used an "offset laminate trimmer" to rout the new angle cleanly to within about 3/16" from the fingerboard.   Worked just great.   And...soaking a little bit of lacquer thinner into the end grain will soften lacquer just enough so it doesn't chip when recutting whether you use a chisel or router bit.