My Minstrel Banjo

Comment by Strumelia on February 8, 2013 at 5:41pm

A beauty!   Love the star on the peghead, and the wood color.

Comment by Dave Vinci on February 9, 2013 at 9:58am

Thank-you.  I built this banjo from a Bob Flesher kit some 10 years ago at least.  The star is made of Ivory that came from old piano keys.  The banjo has a rubbed linseed oil finish.

Comment by Strumelia on February 9, 2013 at 12:27pm

That looks like a very thin skinhead- is it what they call 'slunk', or unborn calf?  I had a couple banjos with those, and the humidity problems were significant while camping out, them being so very thin.  They were mostly transparent, and had an iridescent sheen.

Comment by Dave Vinci on February 10, 2013 at 11:43pm

Yes. it is a thin head.  It's calfskin and high humidity will yield some big problems, but the strings are gut and they are affected by the humidity also.  I have been playing as darkness fell and you could hear it go flat duing one song!  Amazing.  Just have to tighten up the head and re-tune.  Then remember to loosen the head up again when you put it away.  That is really only a problem when the humidity and the temperature are really high.  It's hopeless on one of those 95° 95% humidity days... but then, I'm not much good then either!  :-)

Comment by Steve Jeter on February 15, 2013 at 4:13pm

di you by chance build that camp chair? If so , is it your design,, its really nice , Id like to build one, maybe see another pic

Steve

Comment by Dave Vinci on February 16, 2013 at 9:28am

Glad you like it Steve, but that is one of the few articles of camp gear that I didn't make.  It's an all oak chair I bought from a fellow who usually shows up at the Antique Arms Show every March in Kalamazoo, Mi.  That's where I got mine.

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