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mike gregory - Posted - 01/02/2014: 15:31:33
Was given this lovely red Chinese drum, SPECIFICALLY to turn into two banjos.
Here's the first:
And a special thanks to Bob Robert, for the drum.
Edited by - mike gregory on 01/02/2014 15:37:54
Marinie Toman - Posted - 01/02/2014: 15:44:10
looks good Mike, and it's round,lol
swamplunker - Posted - 01/02/2014: 15:53:22
Mike, is that heel attachment glued, or did you just Taiwan on?
Brooklynbanjoboy - Posted - 01/02/2014: 15:55:28
Clearly, the Chinese have appropriated the Helix design.
It looks as though there's a potential intellectual property rights lawsuit here.
Somebody alert our Helix banjo making friend.
mike gregory - Posted - 01/02/2014: 16:05:45
The Chinese drum uses curved staves.
That might be JUST ENOUGH different from the HELIX design, that their attorneys could convince a jury.
Nels - Posted - 01/02/2014: 17:55:01
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
The Chinese drum uses curved staves.
That might be JUST ENOUGH different from the HELIX design, that their attorneys could convince a jury.
AH SO!!
rudy - Posted - 01/02/2014: 18:00:34
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
The Chinese drum uses curved staves.
That might be JUST ENOUGH different from the HELIX design, that their attorneys could convince a jury.
They're immune from U.S. courts, so Helix is going to have go over there and look 'em up personally.
Besides, he has to go over to the U.K and defend his Trademark first.
maped.com/en/c/helix
(They have offices here in the U.S. so they aren't immune...)
Edited by - rudy on 01/02/2014 18:06:07
YWGbanjo - Posted - 01/02/2014: 19:47:39
I could redruM some tunes on that banjo.
Bob Robert - Posted - 01/03/2014: 02:54:13
Nice, Mike! How does it sound?
mike gregory - Posted - 01/03/2014: 04:44:13
The sound is much affected by the fact that the head is slightly thicker than the usual banjo head, and the body cavity is much larger, by about double.
I'll post a sound file this very morning.
mike gregory - Posted - 01/03/2014: 05:00:50
And here you have it:
banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=
It doesn't sound any better than I can play.
CRIPPLE CREEK, Seeger style, Scruggs style, and clawhammer.
Might be better with nylon strings, definitely would be better with a more skilled pluckist.
steve davis - Posted - 01/03/2014: 05:30:10
Sounds very "good n plunky",Mike.
Good low and high end tones.
Edited by - steve davis on 01/03/2014 05:31:00
Bob Robert - Posted - 01/03/2014: 06:52:52
Yep, sounds plunky. Well, now you have a banjo that was partly made in China.
wizofos - Posted - 01/03/2014: 16:19:22
quote:
Originally posted by rudy
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
The Chinese drum uses curved staves.
That might be JUST ENOUGH different from the HELIX design, that their attorneys could convince a jury.
They're immune from U.S. courts, so Helix is going to have go over there and look 'em up personally.
Besides, he has to go over to the U.K and defend his Trademark first.
maped.com/en/c/helix
(They have offices here in the U.S. so they aren't immune...)
Looked up that web site and it says since 1887, Unless Larry is a lot older than I think he is this is gonna be a lost case.
BobJJ - Posted - 01/03/2014: 16:30:12
quote:
Originally posted by Bob Robert
Yep, sounds plunky. Well, now you have a banjo that was partly made in China.
There just about ain't much that wasn't partly made in China.
mike gregory - Posted - 01/03/2014: 20:39:37
The neck is a used Deering.
Out of respect for Deering, I sanded off their name.
Wouldn't want people to think they had any role in the design of this little oddity.
Bob Robert - Posted - 01/04/2014: 04:31:45
A little wood filler and the appropriately colored stain and that neck would match right up with the pot.
Well, maybe. :)
mike gregory - Posted - 01/04/2014: 05:04:03
A LOT of wood filler.
Kurt Kemp - Posted - 01/05/2014: 08:54:55
Camo duct tape, you'll never see it.
Dan Drabek - Posted - 01/05/2014: 09:02:14
Well done Mike. It has a nice voice. Sounds like a banjo with a slight Chinese accent. 
DD
Edited by - Dan Drabek on 01/05/2014 09:03:43
mike gregory - Posted - 01/05/2014: 10:17:28
quote:
Originally posted by Dan Drabek
Well done Mike. It has a nice voice. Sounds like a banjo with a slight Chinese accent.
DD
And the question arises:
If I describe the banjo as going "prunk, prunk", am I being funny, or am I being racist?
Of course, my grand-daughter, born in China, but having lived in Wisconsin most of her life, speaks American English with no trace of what would be considered a Chinese accent, and has had to learn Chinese of of instructional tapes and occasional classroom sessions.
Dan Drabek - Posted - 01/05/2014: 17:25:06
quote:
Originally posted by mike gregory
quote:
And the question arises:
If I describe the banjo as going "prunk, prunk", am I being funny, or am I being racist?
It sounds like the perfect instrument for performing old engrish ballads.
DD
Bob Robert - Posted - 01/05/2014: 22:21:41
There's actually a website called, if I remember correctly, engrish.com
There's some pretty funny stuff there.
I may find the Chinese pronunciations of some words rather humorous, but I am sure they find my butchering of the Chinese language equally humorous.
mike gregory - Posted - 01/06/2014: 07:27:14
Irene's opinion was that, while English with a strong foreign accent may SOUND uneducated, the FACT is that anybody who speaks with a foreign accent must know at least one MORE language than she does, and is therefore OBVIOUSLY smart.
