Washboard accessories

[Bell Banjos]

I'm rigging up a washboard for my daughter who's in a wacky band in California, a million miles from her daddy in Michigan. She's good on the washtub, the bodhran, and especially the washboard. I found a dandy board with a nice sound, just the right texture. Thimbles are kinda loud, scraping it with coyote leg bones is even worse. Fingerpicks pop off.

Is there something anyone here uses on their pointer finger like a weird style clawhammer pick or something that would work as a nice sounding scraper for her new washboard, which will have woodblock, metal cup, splash cymbal, and of course, cowbell. Can't get enough cowbell.

 

That's a tableful of banjos behind me.

 

[John Masciale]

What a hoot! 

 

I posted a banjo thimble I've been using in photographs:

http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/photo/masciale-finger-thimble?context...

You might want to give that a thought.  It stays on really securely.  I'd try playing with different gages of brass to get the right sound.  I'd also bend the metal at the tip - i.e. curl it under a bit.

[Bell Banjos]

That's neat. I've got a bunch of brass. Thanks.