Boucher Style Banjo Plan and templates available

[Randy Cordle]

Hi,

Just a quick note to say I have a complete drawing of a Boucher style Minstrel banjo as well as full size downloadable templates for the scroll peg head, beehive finial, tailpiece, and bridge at my website here:

 http://www.bluestemstrings.com/pageBoucher1.html

 

This information will be available and freely downloadable for the forseeable future.

 

[Nicholas A Bechtel]

Very Cool! Thanks for sharing.

[Randy Cordle]

"Americans, particularly banjo players, had no patience for continental elitism."

I think you answered your own question, even if there doesn't seem to be any proof that "Americans had no patience for continental elitism".  All of those mid-1800 paintings of that period in time showing their state of dress must have been conjecture, also.

I personally know someone with the same spelling that pronounces it as "Boo-shay".  I can't argue with a person's own pronunciation of their name, and I doubt that very many during the cited time frame really had the time to do so either.  Folks that lived in the 1850's were not necessary any less learned than people are today, so I suppose if people living today could accept "Boo-shay" it wouldn't have been unreasonable to believe that people living during that time period would have been any less likely to accept someone's pronunciation of their given family name.

Obviously there is no proof here, but I'm willing to go along with the story of Boucher's direct descendants stating that their family name has always been pronounced in that way.  I can't believe that anyone would concoct the referanced story, as any hidden motive just doesn't seem to ring true IMHO.

Anyone is certainly welcome to pronounce the name any way that they choose, and I have a hard time with the pronunciation myself.  I do have to go along with the story however, if only to have some sort of point of referance if for no other reason.

Anyone else have views on this?  I'm certainly open to suggestions, but I'm not going to go back and re-do any of the audio or linked information.

[Bart McNeil]

I know of at least five different spellings of my own name (McNeil) and have heard perhaps as many different pronunciations. Which one is "correct"? Who knows? It is spelled and pronounced several different ways in its country of origin, Scotland.