All strung up!

[Anthony G Spangler]

And it sounds awful!  Heheh, not really.  As promised, the Nylgut strings are still stretching, so it doesn't just go out of tune, it goes out of tune while I am tuning it!  It actually has quite a loud clear sound, I think, but I'll let others be the judge of that when it settles in.

 "Character", I believe, is the word the Victorians used for "screw ups", and this has character in spades, things I measured twice, cut once, and then hid, and things I just didn't understand until the thing started going together, but all of those things will be instructive going forward.  I look forward to suggestions and critique from anyone who can point me forward, as I'm sure there are still things I don't see.

Thanks to everyone here who answered my many newbie questions along the way!

I still have five skins left, what to do, what to do...

Tony

[Strumelia]

It looks beautiful and perfect  to me.   :)

Is that a walnut neck?

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thank you for the kind words, Strumelia!  The neck is actually poplar with an East Indian Rosewood fingerboard, and it is stained with a mixed jell oil stain, 50/50 black and the brown used on the ash rim.  I do have a walnut log about long enough cooling its heels in my garage shop, hmmm...   :)

Tony

Strumelia said:

It looks beautiful and perfect  to me.   :)

Is that a walnut neck?

[Valerie Diaz Leroy]

Wow. She's lovely. I can't wait to see the walnut one... :)

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thank you, Valerie!

Valerie Díaz Leroy said:

Wow. She's lovely. I can't wait to see the walnut one... :)

[Bell Banjos]

Nice banjer, Anthony. Your strings line up nicely, the tailpiece is secure, the bridge is pine, and it doesn't look new. It'll sound great.

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thanks, Terry, and thanks again for all your help!  I'm hopeful it will be stable enough to do a little sound check tomorrow!

Tony

Bell Banjos said:

Nice banjer, Anthony. Your strings line up nicely, the tailpiece is secure, the bridge is pine, and it doesn't look new. It'll sound great.

[Roberta Perkins]

Anthony:  That is a fine looking banjo! I love the matt finish...

[Steve Jeter]

looks great!   I bet you put those other skins to use soon, its addicting,,, very nice build

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thank you, Roberta!

Roberta Perkins said:

Anthony:  That is a fine looking banjo! I love the matt finish...

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thanks, Steve!  Yep, addicting sounds about right.  I have a couple of gourds just about dried and looking for something to be, heheh.

Tony

Steve Jeter said:

looks great!   I bet you put those other skins to use soon, its addicting,,, very nice build

[Scott Johnson]

Great looking banjo

All instruments need some "character". Give your banjo to a 5 year old and let them drag it around for a while. You'll have "character" like you wouldn't believe real fast.  :-)

Also give it some time.  New instruments need time to settle in and for everything to come together and start acting like a single unit, instead of just a bunch of parts.

Good job and I'm sure it will start sounding great real fast.

[Anthony G Spangler]

Thank you, Steve!

I've got a nine month old grandson in the house who shows some promise in that area, heheh.

Tony

Scott Johnson said:

Great looking banjo

All instruments need some "character". Give your banjo to a 5 year old and let them drag it around for a while. You'll have "character" like you wouldn't believe real fast.  :-)

Also give it some time.  New instruments need time to settle in and for everything to come together and start acting like a single unit, instead of just a bunch of parts.

Good job and I'm sure it will start sounding great real fast.