All Discussions Tagged 'Boucher' - Minstrel Banjo2024-03-28T15:13:47Zhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Boucher&feed=yes&xn_auth=noGig Bag or Decent Case for Bell Bouchertag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2017-11-16:2477478:Topic:1679352017-11-16T01:01:26.922ZJim Garberhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/JimGarber
<p>Hi All:</p>
<p>I see the last time this was discussed was over 5 years ago, so I apologize if it is old news. I tried all my existing banjo cases and the only case that fits it in the house is a guitar gig bag. Not so bad but it seems a little too thin and flimsy.</p>
<p>I see that the Boulder bags are recommended for some banjos but the dimensions seem to be too short (39 x 19 x 22 inches) for that longish Boucher headstock. The banjo seems to be almost 42" long.</p>
<p>Any…</p>
<p>Hi All:</p>
<p>I see the last time this was discussed was over 5 years ago, so I apologize if it is old news. I tried all my existing banjo cases and the only case that fits it in the house is a guitar gig bag. Not so bad but it seems a little too thin and flimsy.</p>
<p>I see that the Boulder bags are recommended for some banjos but the dimensions seem to be too short (39 x 19 x 22 inches) for that longish Boucher headstock. The banjo seems to be almost 42" long.</p>
<p>Any recommendations?</p>
<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Jim</p> Bell Boucher For Sale $450tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2016-06-06:2477478:Topic:1489562016-06-06T19:59:09.794ZSam Pajannahttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TomMessmer
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<p>Bell Boucher for sale, kit finished by me in warm red, hand rubbed finish. Incredible tone, just a month old. I bought several to finish and play with, selling this one, sounds amazing. Selling due to medical bills. Buying this will help us a lot. Thank you. $450…<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037125604?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037125604?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a></p>
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<p>Bell Boucher for sale, kit finished by me in warm red, hand rubbed finish. Incredible tone, just a month old. I bought several to finish and play with, selling this one, sounds amazing. Selling due to medical bills. Buying this will help us a lot. Thank you. $450<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037125604?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037125604?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p> Busking and Play-for-Pay - Our Experience; What about yours?tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2015-04-02:2477478:Topic:1254312015-04-02T18:45:46.996ZCharles Edward Leehttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/CharlesEdwardLee
<p>I'm part of a trio, and we do mid-19th century music at events and historic sites in Louisiana, east Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. We charge for our services; and we do not only music, but a number of other period entertainments. The list is long: poetry recitations, Temperance meetings or rallies, preaching (comedic sermons on Saturday, serious on Sunday), medicine show pitches of products we've 'developed', Phrenology readings, and we're working on several others.…</p>
<p>I'm part of a trio, and we do mid-19th century music at events and historic sites in Louisiana, east Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. We charge for our services; and we do not only music, but a number of other period entertainments. The list is long: poetry recitations, Temperance meetings or rallies, preaching (comedic sermons on Saturday, serious on Sunday), medicine show pitches of products we've 'developed', Phrenology readings, and we're working on several others. We don't make Beyonce money; or ZZ Top money; but we do get paid enough to continue to make it worth our while.</p>
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<p>Events aren't all that plentiful within our travel range; and many events and sites hire bluegrass groups for $50 or $100 - these are antebellum and Civil War venues, mind you - where $100 won't cover our gas there and back - sometimes not even "there" for the more far-flung events. So we sometimes create our own mini-event by busking.</p>
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<p>If you're not familiar with the term, "busking" is a slang term from 1851. Its several meanings include selling articles or obscene ballads in public houses; playing music on the streets; or performing as a sort of informal comedian in pubs. Playing music on the streets (of New Orleans) is what we do sometimes, between playing contracted performances.</p>
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<p>There are lots of rules about busking in some places; less so in New Orleans, from what I understand, than most. Though no one owns a "spot," it's funny how fast you find out that lots of folks own "spots" on the streets. If I played one corner for 22 years, I'd be a bit proprietary, too. There are lots of folks playing modern music - they're the ones who get the occasional $1 tip in their instrument cases. They play for their own enjoyment - they play to be seen. </p>
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<p>If you want to make a little money busking, we've had success by dressing as we would for historic sites: in attire of the 1850s - and using instruments reproduced from period instruments. Our instruments include two Boucher banjos, both by Bell & Son (one was a kit, and the other was completely finished, with all the bells & whistles - no pun intended - thanks to the generosity of Mr Bell); plus two gourd banjos I made, using necks I got from Bell & Son; and a reproduction Sweeney banjo that made its way here from somewhere in Nebraska, I think it was. Those, plus limberjacks and two reproductions of an 1856 CF Martin guitar, plus a reproduction of a 1790 violin, round out our principal instruments. We also have tambourine, bones, spoons, harmonica, and jawbone.</p>
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<p>The sound of the banjo, and our peculiar costumes, draw the most attention. Folks come for our novel appearance; they stay for the music. They pay for pictures - voluntarily, without our even suggesting it - and of all the things we're asked about, the number one 'puzzler' to so many folks is "What is THAT?!" (as they point to the Boucher). The clothes are eye-catching - three fellows in black frock coats & trousers, black top hats, vests, wearing scarlet secession cockades with a brass 1851 badge in the center of them - but the sound of the banjo carries very well, and the song selection is so alien to so many folks. We p[lay nothing newer than 1864.</p>
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<p>(Oh - if you have CDs, you can't sell them on New Orleans streets without a business license. BUT - you CAN accept donations; and you can say "Thank you" (for the right denominations of donations) by giving the generous donor a CD. Donations of $15 gets a CD, for example; we have three titles, and we give deals, too. (A donation of $15 gets your choice of any one of the three; but if you donate $30, you can choose any two; and if you donate $45, you can choose ANY THREE - now THAT'S our kind of deal!...lol). And most of the money you'll make will come from people having their photos taken with you by their family or friends or passersby. Those are the $5 and $10 and $20 tips.)</p>
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<p>We donate a few performances, and we do limit the number of times we'll do that per year. </p>
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<p>That's our experience. What has yours been?</p>
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<p>Chuck Lee<br/>Elder Lee of Roscoe, Lee & Abadie<br/>Denham Springs, Louisiana</p>
<p></p> New Membertag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-07-17:2477478:Topic:960942013-07-17T15:56:06.474ZRichard Saathoffhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/RichardSaathoff
<p>New member here. I recently purchased a Terry Bell banjo kit and got it assembled. I've been a student of Antebellum, Civil War, African American History for years. Got my education in that sector years ago. Was a Civil War Reenactor for about 13 years.</p>
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<p>For music I've played guitar for about 5 years. I played banjo for a brief amount of time when I was 6-7. I was instructed in the Scruggs method. So at that age I could not get my right hand dexterity to work real well. So I…</p>
<p>New member here. I recently purchased a Terry Bell banjo kit and got it assembled. I've been a student of Antebellum, Civil War, African American History for years. Got my education in that sector years ago. Was a Civil War Reenactor for about 13 years.</p>
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<p>For music I've played guitar for about 5 years. I played banjo for a brief amount of time when I was 6-7. I was instructed in the Scruggs method. So at that age I could not get my right hand dexterity to work real well. So I got frustrated and that was the last of encouragement of playing music by the folks.</p>
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<p>Guitar I seemed to always use some of the techniques of learned in banjo with hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides etc. Getting back to banjo almost 40 years later seems pretty intuitive so far.</p>
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<p>Using the Boucher banjo I finally finished I am really enjoying fret-less. I don't read music and have always played by ear so for some reason fret-less it really grabbing me.</p>
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<p>Anyway Hi to all and I am sure I will be asking quesitons as time goes on. Already got my eye on some other Banjos Yikes!</p>
<p>In the mean time here are some pics of my first Minstrel Banjo kit build.</p>
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<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037134618?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037134618?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037151663?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/3037151663?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p> Bell Boucher Updatetag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-04-05:2477478:Topic:890032013-04-05T22:05:59.478ZVince Abadiehttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/VinceAbadie
<p>Just a quick update for those following the progress of my Boucher build. I've run into a little delay that is preventing me from completing the final step of stringing the banjo so I can play. But I hope to resolve the situation by some time Sunday. With some luck, I'll be playing my new Bell and Son Boucher by Sunday night! Stay tuned! </p>
<p>Just a quick update for those following the progress of my Boucher build. I've run into a little delay that is preventing me from completing the final step of stringing the banjo so I can play. But I hope to resolve the situation by some time Sunday. With some luck, I'll be playing my new Bell and Son Boucher by Sunday night! Stay tuned! </p> Hartel Boucher (angled 5th string bridge)?tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-02-02:2477478:Topic:813082013-02-02T17:19:43.598ZMichael Beanhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/MichaelBean
<p>Has anyone ever seen one of these bridges? If so, does anyone know where I might be able to come across one? Sorry that this does not necessarily pertain to Minstrel Banjo, but I thought this the best bunch of people to ask.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.classicbanjorm.com/images/HartelBoucher/cutbridgelarge.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">http://www.classicbanjorm.com/images/HartelBoucher/cutbridgelarge.jpg</a></p>
<p>Has anyone ever seen one of these bridges? If so, does anyone know where I might be able to come across one? Sorry that this does not necessarily pertain to Minstrel Banjo, but I thought this the best bunch of people to ask.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.classicbanjorm.com/images/HartelBoucher/cutbridgelarge.jpg" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow">http://www.classicbanjorm.com/images/HartelBoucher/cutbridgelarge.jpg</a></p>