March 2012 Blog Posts (11)

Hey Al Smitley....you going up to the Cromaine this weekend?

I thought I'd share the results of my experiments with bridges of different heights, thicknesses and woods on my tack head minstrel.  I made two from aspen and two from cedar. All are horizontal grain.

The original is pine. 2 7/8 L x 9/16 H x 1/4 W x 1/16  - right in picture

The aspen bridges are: 

(1) 2 7/8 L x 5/8 H x 1/8 W x 1/16 -  left in picture

(2) 2 15/16 L x 9/16 H x 3/16 W x 1/16

cedar:  (1) 2 7/8 L x 9/16 H x 5/32 W x…

 Does anyone have Union Jig in tab preferably,, or dots?? that they could share ?

 I took fri off, intending to put the Bell kit together. but decided  to  work on my banjo Im building already from scratch..  My pot is basically done. Made a 12" to get some tum tum hopefully.  I  got the neck down to size using hand tools,  I like them and truthfully I dont have any "big " power tools. I am using ,my elec drill, and cut some w/ my bandsaw.   But realized you can move a good bit of wood w/ a rasp,,, once i got the hang of it.   Did some reading up and found you are…

 Just got my wonderful Tery Bell neck kit, cant wait to work on it, I think Ill take tomorrow off.

 I then realized the neck blank I have been making was overkill, I have 2   1x4 X26  poplar boards glued together,,, I thought you needed a lot of peghead angle, evidently not.  Glad I have a band saw.

 Thanks Terry , it looks perfect

Hey Al...(and anybody nearby in lower Michigan)...I'm playing at the Celtic Kettle tonight in Hartland, with my friend Marianne Murphy. Sneaking in a few banjo tunes along with lots of guitar, a little bones, and my Spike Jones Jaw Bone solo.

Come on out if you are able. Showtime is 7:30

tt

Does anybody hear a connection between these two songs?

 Pardon the klinkers

Anybody do this one? Very popular in it's day.

I found this in Dobson's Book, and realized it is also in Buckley 1868....and I passed it by somehow. Anyway, I'm going to go record it this morning....it is as cool as "Les Sylphides" which many of us have grown to appreciate. I love this style on the banjo. I play it hybrid, but was meant for fingerstyle.