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Archtop banjo

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:09 pm
by Scout
I’m totally inspired by the DIY builders here and have found the mojo to finish my archtop banjo.
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Maple neck , one piece through body, spruce top, gaboon ebony fingerboard.
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Abalone electric bolt inlays, I’m gonna put a piezo under saddle pickup in it.
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I hope this gives someone as much pleasure as I get looking at other folks creations. Go make some noise.

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 5:57 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
This is cool as hell. I wonder how much different it'll sound. Maybe like a tenor guitar?

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 6:18 pm
by Scout
I'm curious as to how it will sound also.I just saw a flatish pickup I may try to fit . I used to gig with acoustic back in the day but I've gone all the way to the other end of the audio spectrum, this banjo will sustain like crazy . More to come, for sure.

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:01 pm
by somanytoys
Very cool, nice work.

Let us know how it turns out - it looks badass.

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:38 pm
by antisymmetric
Cool, I'm very curious as to how it will sound. 8)

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:49 am
by somanytoys
Yeah, I’ve never heard one with a wooden top, that seems interesting. I have seen a “banjitar”, a banjo with 6 strings, that are tuned like a guitar.

I’m guessing that it’s the “drum head” top that gives normal banjos a lot of their distinctive sound. I’d love to hear how this sounds.

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:44 pm
by Scout
Slow but steady, I fit a nut and started roughing in a bridge. I’ve been working out the design for an ebony tailpiece. That and the amplification. And I deep cleaned and semi organized the shop area.
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Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:21 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
Looking good Scout!!

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:13 am
by antisymmetric
I really like the way the inlays and the fingerboard wood work together, very cool!

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:12 pm
by Scout
I hope you’ll indulge me posting progress on this, I am enjoying the process. I realized quickly with guitar projects as with my music that if I relied on this for my food , clothing and shelter I would surely be starving, naked and homeless. I spent today’s lockdown on the tailpiece, I sawed some of the elm from the other project into the radius of the banjos so it would fit , the elm does have some wavy interlocked grain.
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The ebony is hard but nice to work.
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I’m fairly happy with the result, after I finish shaping the outside and glue it up the gaps will fill in.
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Some more rounding and a little drilling still left, ran out of time. Enjoy,I hope.
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Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2020 6:05 pm
by Shadoweclipse13
Whoa!! That's beautiful!!!

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 4:35 pm
by somanytoys
Damn, that is definitely turning out beautifully.

Good work, like the process pics.

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 3:04 am
by Shadoweclipse13
Amy more progress Scout?

Re: Archtop banjo

Posted: Mon May 18, 2020 3:59 pm
by Scout
No, reality has kicked back in along with a stretch of decent weather to pull me out of the basement. I’ve not forgotten my new friends here, as a matter of fact I keep diving in deeper to read previous build posts and can’t believe the depth of the DIY folks that have posted projects, from the CNCers to the forstner and filers. Much admiration and love for you all, I’ll be sure to update with plenty of pics.