Building a fretless - Hicks Version - UK 5 Group Blog

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For 5 String Banjo Players based in the British Isles.

523 Members, Created 1/27/2011 -

Administrators: alfiedog (owner) , HSmith

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Building a fretless - Hicks Version

From will1976 on 6/3/2014 3:59:40 PM

After reading most of the posts on here, I have decided to try a build myself a banjo, akin to Stanley Hicks'. I have FF3, but I am a little confused.

I was thinking of using Sapele (part of the same hardwood family as Mahogany. The 1st problem I have is that the thinnest I can get in is 1 inch (25mm). Is it going to present any problems if all 3 sections that form the body are all if this thickness? Thus giving a rim thickness of 3 inches (75mm),

2nd problem is, as this will be my 1st selfbuild, I wanted to make it a little easier for myself, so I was thinking of using a commercially made 'tambourine' as the head. Will this work? Has anyone else done this? If so, does anyone have any suggestions of how to fix it to the middle hoop, and also how to get it so that the head is flush with the top of the banjo?

I am quite good when it comes to being hands on, so I am quite looking forward to doing this, so any help that anyone can give with these 2 problems will really be appreciated.

Kind regards

Will

1 Comments
	flatfootjohnny says: 6/10/2014 3:03:57 PM good on ya. nothing better than making your own banjo. No probs with a 3 inch thick pot that i can think of. the beauty of these banjos is every one is unique. i feel that they should be made from whatever is available. Personally i reckon using a real skin for the head would be easier but if you want to use plastic then Remo make a nice 6" diameter skin which should work fine - but you will have to cut a recess in the underside of the top pot to accomodate the thickness of the head - i.e. the remo head is about half inch deep so you will need to cut a half inch rebate in your 1 inch thick top pot (i hope that makes sense). You will then have to find / fabricate another post slightly smaller than the diameter of the head to sandwich between the front and back pot discs - this will tension the head. Some folks use steel strings on these but personally i think nylon or Nylgut sound better - plus they wont put so much tension on the neck (potential for warpage). Hope this helps. good luck with it.
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