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Latest Non-Banjo Project
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Author:  ballbanjos [ Mon May 07, 2012 4:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Latest Non-Banjo Project
OK, I'm Ball Banjos here mainly because I'm mostly a banjo maker. But over the years I've built about every kind of stringed instrument there is with one degree or another of success. Here's my latest project--a steel strung archtop tenor uke. Maybe it's more of a terz tenor guitar. Whatever--it has a 17 inch scale length and four strings tuned like a tenor ukulele.

This started out as a project to try out some arched plate models I had done in Rhino, to see if I could use my CNC machine to rough out plates that I used to do with router templates. I didn't want to risk full sized guitar wood on a first experiment, so I shrunk my 17" guitar model to a 10" tenor uke model for testing. I roughed out the plates with the CNC and then went to them with my planes and scrapers as usual. There's some information on this over on the CNC pages.

Anyway, the back and sides are really hard, dense salvaged mahogany. The neck is also mahogany, cut out of a guitar neck scrap I got from Martin years ago. No CNC used on the neck except for cutting, radiusing and slotting the fingerboard. Top is X Braced Engelmann and all the fittings are Maccasar Ebony. The fingerboard has a conical radius (12" to around 18" radius) and "built in binding." Finish is french polish. I felt compelled to put a hula girl on the peghead--it's a combination of gold lip and black mother of pearl all hand engraved. It turned out to sound and play quite nice, and if nothing else it's a cute little booger! And it's not a banjo....

Dave
Author:  Rick Cowan [ Mon May 07, 2012 5:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Beautiful Dave! Tell me a little more about your inlay. Do you use a graver to etch the detail and fill with an engraving filler (alla William Laskin's Special Blend)? What materials do you work with?

It all looks wonderful.

Cheers!
Rick
Author:  ballbanjos [ Mon May 07, 2012 5:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Rick Cowan wrote:
Beautiful Dave! Tell me a little more about your inlay. Do you use a graver to etch the detail and fill with an engraving filler (alla William Laskin's Special Blend)? What materials do you work with?

It all looks wonderful.

Cheers!
Rick


Thanks Rick! I do use a graver to engrave the pearl--I use a 120 degree "square" graver for just about everything--my avatar was engraved with the same tool. I fill with either Laskin's Special Blend (I use it mostly on fingerboards because it doesn't rub out of the engraved lines as easily as other materials) or a black lacquer stick (the kind that gun engravers use--I use this on pegheads because it isn't waxy and I don't have problems with finish not sticking to it...). My banjos are generally pretty fancy with lots of engraving and inlay--I really enjoy doing the detail work. I work with all kinds of shell as well as bone, metals, wood, corian, reconstituted stone etc. It all works well.

Dave
Author:  Chris Pile [ Mon May 07, 2012 5:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
I love it - very nice.
Author:  Clinchriver [ Mon May 07, 2012 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Very nice, Banjo's and archtop's quite the variety.
Author:  ballbanjos [ Mon May 07, 2012 7:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Clinchriver wrote:
Very nice, Banjo's and archtop's quite the variety.


Really banjos and archtops are actually a whole lot alike. Tailpiece/floating bridge instruments all have a lot in common, at least in terms of physics...

To Clinchriver--I lived off of Highway 61, just inside Union County for years up by Big Ridge Park, just up the road from you. I'm in Knoxville now.

Dave
Author:  Clinchriver [ Mon May 07, 2012 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Small world, I'd love to check out your banjo's and shop.
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Mon May 07, 2012 8:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
I like that! Looks like a real groove machine.
Author:  DannyV [ Mon May 07, 2012 8:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Outstanding Dave! That is one "cute little booger". [:Y:] [:Y:]

Cheers,
Danny
Author:  cphanna [ Mon May 07, 2012 8:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Yes, indeed, this is a beautiful little instrument. I love the arched plates and the execution throughout. But that fetching island girl, so beautifully engraved, just kills me. This entire instrument has a tremendous "wow" factor.
Patrick
Author:  npalen [ Mon May 07, 2012 10:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Beautiful work, Dave.
Now you can take it along up to the cabin to see how it does at altitude.
Author:  Colin North [ Tue May 08, 2012 3:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
That is just SOO Cute! [uncle]
Nice one Dave.
Author:  Colin S [ Tue May 08, 2012 5:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Very elegant, I love the lines of the re-curve.

Colin
Author:  Quine [ Tue May 08, 2012 12:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Gorgeous! How about a sound clip?

Why do you scallop the nut between the strings? Just for looks?
Author:  Parser [ Tue May 08, 2012 5:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Great work..!

Trev
Author:  ballbanjos [ Tue May 08, 2012 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Latest Non-Banjo Project
Quine wrote:
Gorgeous! How about a sound clip?

Why do you scallop the nut between the strings? Just for looks?


Thanks for the nice words everybody!

The scalloped nut is just something I've always done--it was done by several of the classic Boston banjo makers of the 19th century and I always liked the looks. Oh wait--what I really meant to say was that after years of intensive research and experimentation, I discovered that a properly graduated nut is essential for great tone :mrgreen:

Here's a link to a sound clip: https://files.me.com/ballbanjos/jiz6h9.mov

Dave
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