Very nice work! I have built a half dozen dulcimers and my son is a Luthier. I have been wanting to build a banjo. No time like the present I guess. My dad built the first dulcimer I ever saw and gave it to me. If he only knew he started.
@@chuckbowen5024 Thank you. I made one banjo after I retired and couldn't stop making stuff, lol. Banjos aren't too hard. My first was fretless because I was nervous about fret work. I'm over that now.
Great instrument, and beautiful playing/singing. I've never seen a pick like that. I always leave the corner of my 2nd and 3rd finger nails a little longer - heh heh. Sounded great with the nylon strings though.
@@morbanjo2503 Thanks! I watched a bunch of your other instruments. Excellent work and playing! I'm a violinist, but play fiddle and old time, bass, mando, claw hammer banjo, guitar, etc and also started building instruments. Really enjoy your art!
👍👍 nice I like the tone a lot. Bet it sounds fantastic with 2 or 3 other banjo's. It's no fun if they all sound the same, you need that different tonal mix to keep it interesting ☺️
have a bunch of different ones with different scale lengths. like a piccolo banjorine, this one, a bass banjo, some can have frets, some can be fretless. This is what minstrel orchestras (and later ragtime) did, there are a huge variety of different varients to the banjo from the late 1800's/early 1900's
Really wonderful work sir and great Sound! i tbought a means to use guitar Tuners and one for the 5th string peg. You could simply use a block of Wood on the side of neck drill a hole in it and have the peg face uppwards with the turner Standing out of the block and thread the string that way.
do you make any of your instruments electric? If you put a metal spring somewhere in the interier of the instrument, you can have a magnetic coil pickup (like a singlecoil or humbucker) pick up that metal spring, so you can still use nylon/gut strings and still get humbucker sounds out of it!
Thank you. The pick is a Fred Kelly clawhammer pick. If the head loosens up, I use some heat from a hair dryer to tighten it. The violin tuners work great if you use a tapered reamer to match up with the tapered pegs.
I wonder how different an original banjo from the 1600s/1700s would sound compared to this. This is basically what they were like when the instrument came over from Africa, as far as I have read
Thank you! I make my gourd instruments the same way as these salad bowl instruments. In some ways, salad bowls are easier and sound quite similar to gourds.
Thanks Kent, I'll keep that in mind. If you already play fretted there is a small learning curve to fretless but most folks adapt pretty quickly. I usually put indicators on the side of the neck so you can see where frets would be. That helps me a lot since I mostly play fretted.
What a beautiful sound this instrument has, and what an evocative song, thank you sir.
Fantastic, I wish we were neighbours . We would have a many a good Sunday afternoon jam
Thanks jason. That would be fun.
Very nice work! I have built a half dozen dulcimers and my son is a Luthier. I have been wanting to build a banjo. No time like the present I guess. My dad built the first dulcimer I ever saw and gave it to me. If he only knew he started.
@@chuckbowen5024 Thank you. I made one banjo after I retired and couldn't stop making stuff, lol. Banjos aren't too hard. My first was fretless because I was nervous about fret work. I'm over that now.
Wow!! Nice!!
Thank you!
Great stuff. I’d buy your album no doubt!!
Thanks for your kind words Drew!
Another outstanding and beautiful build!
Thank you David.
Lovely job and great sound as always. Thanks
Thanks!
What a sound!! Great stuff...
Thanks Kurt!
Love it. Another A+ build.
Thanks Daniel. I appreciate your kind words.
this is excellent!
Thank you! Sorry about the left hand being sort of hidden.
very nice job
Thank you.
Very nice tone! I’m gonna be looking for a salad bowl now.
Great job with the tacks, by the way. I know from experience that isn’t easy.
Thank you! Yeah, I sometimes get the tacks all crooked looking but it gets a little better the more I make.
Old Timey on sunny Sunday. doesn't get much better.
Thanks SlowHound.
Great instrument, and beautiful playing/singing. I've never seen a pick like that. I always leave the corner of my 2nd and 3rd finger nails a little longer - heh heh. Sounded great with the nylon strings though.
Thanks. The pick is a Fred Kelly Freedom made for clawhammer. I started using it when I injured my finger and sort of got used to it.
@@morbanjo2503 Thanks! I watched a bunch of your other instruments. Excellent work and playing! I'm a violinist, but play fiddle and old time, bass, mando, claw hammer banjo, guitar, etc and also started building instruments. Really enjoy your art!
@@bennyblanko3 Thank you!
Lovely tone !
Thank you Ryuji.
Angeline
👍👍 nice
I like the tone a lot. Bet it sounds fantastic with 2 or 3 other banjo's. It's no fun if they all sound the same, you need that different tonal mix to keep it interesting ☺️
Thanks. I agree!
have a bunch of different ones with different scale lengths. like a piccolo banjorine, this one, a bass banjo, some can have frets, some can be fretless. This is what minstrel orchestras (and later ragtime) did, there are a huge variety of different varients to the banjo from the late 1800's/early 1900's
Awesome
Thank you!
It has a pretty sound!
Thank you.
Sounds good
Thanks William.
Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuperb Build Jim
Ha, thanks Alan.
Sounds great!
Thanks!
Really wonderful work sir and great Sound!
i tbought a means to use guitar Tuners and one for the 5th string peg.
You could simply use a block of Wood on the side of neck drill a hole in it and have the peg face uppwards with the turner Standing out of the block and thread the string that way.
That's a good plan!
Thanks Sean
What tuning is this i kinda wanna make one
do you make any of your instruments electric? If you put a metal spring somewhere in the interier of the instrument, you can have a magnetic coil pickup (like a singlecoil or humbucker) pick up that metal spring, so you can still use nylon/gut strings and still get humbucker sounds out of it!
what is the scale length? 24"? Can you make one for me?
What strings are you using and what's the tuning for this? LOVE that sound!
These are Aqwuila Nylgut strings tuned to double C tuning but down a few steps around double A.
I love this. I want to make one, too. Where you get your finger pick. How do you keep the head tight. Do the violin tuner work well?
Thank you. The pick is a Fred Kelly clawhammer pick. If the head loosens up, I use some heat from a hair dryer to tighten it. The violin tuners work great if you use a tapered reamer to match up with the tapered pegs.
Thanks for the info.
I wonder how different an original banjo from the 1600s/1700s would sound compared to this. This is basically what they were like when the instrument came over from Africa, as far as I have read
I like to think that the tone is very similar to those early banjos.
Did you sell this banjo? Would you consider making another one like it (fretless/short scale)? Maybe with peghead-style tuners? Thank you.
Yes, this one is still available. email me at
morbanjo@gmail.com
Have you ever tried making a uke with small salad bowl
Yes, I've made several like that. Here's one of them
th-cam.com/video/X91DLWaZyow/w-d-xo.htmlsi=bjFriFwyJSHuGuwm
Bonito banjo, y suena muy bien :)
Gracias Luis.
What a great idea. Was thinking of making a gourd banjo but might try making one of these first.
Thank you! I make my gourd instruments the same way as these salad bowl instruments. In some ways, salad bowls are easier and sound quite similar to gourds.
nylon strings?
Yes, they're Aquila Nylgut strings.
has a very different sound to modern banjos.
Yes it does.
@@morbanjo2503 I honestly like the sound of this much better then modern banjos. more elegant and refined sounding
Loving the sound! If selling it, how much?
Thanks Kent. This one is spoken for(I think) I usually sell them for around $200.
Thanks if it falls through let me know as I may be interested, though I've never played fretless...love that sound!
Thanks Kent, I'll keep that in mind. If you already play fretted there is a small learning curve to fretless but most folks adapt pretty quickly. I usually put indicators on the side of the neck so you can see where frets would be. That helps me a lot since I mostly play fretted.
Great sound! But can I get the soup instead of the salad? :)
Thanks Stephen. How about a soup can canjo?
Sure, I'd buy that. Chicken soup is good for the soul, I hear.
Soup cans worked for Andy Warhol!
I was serious about buying a canjo. A lot of sound for not much instrument. Not sure how a soup can would sound--aren't they a little thick?
We'll talk Stephen. Soup cans don't resonate quite as well as a good 24 0z beer can does but they're not bad. Hmm, what kind of beer goes with soup?
Do you make these to sell?
Yes I do Drew. This one was made for a client who changed her mind so it's available.
Well I was hoping to ask you about a ore custom thing. How much for this one?
I'd be happy with $150 plus shipping for this one since the buyer changed her mind. You can email me at morbanjo@gmail.com
These fiddle pegs and nylon strings are tough to keep in tune.
They certainly can be!