ISO banjeurine info

Subject: ISO banjeurine info
From: Chet W.
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 11:12 AM

I'm looking for information about banjeurines (the tiny 5-string) and also about the "A-scale", a 5-string banjo about the length of a tenor. I'd be interested in building plans, scale drawings or measurements, history, and if one, or parts of one, could be bought for a decent price. I'd sure appreciate any help. The only thing I've been able to find is one for sale, on the high side, at Maple leaf Music in Vermont.

Chet

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: bill\sables
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 02:47 PM

Hi Chet is this the instrument we in the UK call a piccolo banjo, about the length of a uke banjo but with 5 strings. If it is I know a man who plays one and I should be able to get the dimensions for you. Cheers Bill

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Chet W.
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 02:55 PM

Bill, I have only seen one picture of a piccolo banjo, and in the picture, which also had a banjeurine, the banjeurine pot was bigger but I could not tell if there was a difference in the necks, as the players had their hands around them. I'd sure be interested in hearing about your friend's piccolo.

Thanks, Chet

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 03:27 PM

Hi Chet...or is it Myrtle..or Strom....or Boom Shooty Bang??

Here's a few options and I think Seed has one or something akin to one and I'm sure he'll see this thread.

A Bit Strange, but an Option

Pricey, but the Right Idea?

Weird, but Cheap and a Worker

I'll keep lookin'......Good Luck!!! (and do you remember the song "Tangerine?"....You sorry SOB!!! Now I'm going around singing "Banjeurine".....I hate you..............)

Spaw

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 03:30 PM

The first one is goofed up....Sorry. Try "Lark in the Morning" and go to their Banjo section.

Spaw

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Mudjack
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 04:57 PM

Hi Chet,
A friend of mine who is not internet active, I see him 2 or 3 times a year but he does interesting things to convert tenor banjos to 5 strings. The tunings take on a whole new variation but they sound great.
To play these little guys, you can't tell any differenc other than every thing is scaled down in size. He has glued a narrow strip of wood and finger board to widen the finger board to accomadate the fifth string and adds a 5th stg tuner. He might even refret. They are beautifully done and there seems to be a good number of used tenors still available. I know he sells some of these banjos and can only provide you with a phone/address on the private side of this forum.If you are interested, let me know.
Mudjack

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Chet W.
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 05:39 PM

Thanks Spaw. The expensive one is sure attractive but more than I'd spend right now. I like to find things like this that need a lot of work, buy cheap and restore. Or else I'll make one; At least now I know the scale length.

MJ, Thanks but I don't think I'd be buying. The one you describe sounds like approximately the A-scale model. Again I'm looking to build or restore. Interesting to hear how he does it, and I do have a tenor neck or two in my shop.

Thanks, Boom Shooty Bang

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 05:47 PM

I do the pawn shop tour every now and then so I'll keep an eye out. There's one in downtown Columbus that gets some REALLY weird stuff. I love going in there just to see what they have. And then I wonder, "Who the hell bought this thing NEW? And WHY?" Anyway, if I run across something, I'll let you know.

Spaw

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 06:04 PM

I'm currently on cloud nine due to the totally unexpected largesse of one of my dear music students. This person gave me a card with lovely words AND a gift of the monetary kind. I must spend this quickly on MYSELF and no one BUT myself. No VISA, No Car payment, No food for the wife and cats......just on ME, Me, me!

While showing Jeri, Richmond's Trading Post (a music store cum pawn shop) I saw a perfect little 1880s "Lady Stewart" that can probably be had for 500 Canadian. Maybe I will.....

Rick

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 07:46 PM

Chet, my practice banjo (formerly Michael Holmes's practice banjo) is a tenor conversion. Mike found a tenor Slingerland, vintage 1920's, and sent it to Wyatt Fawley to have a 17 fret five string net made for it. I don't know how much Mike had paid for the tenor, but Fawley built the neck for about $370, including planetary tuners. I paid Mike $450 for it when he wanted a fancier one. Mike (www.Mugwumps.com) has a link to Fawley's neck shop. Wyatt's website gives a fascinating illustrated narrative of the construction of a banjo neck. As I recall, a standard (21 fret) five string neck costs the same. I got a Gold Tone travel banjo gig bag for it from Janet Davis Music for--as I recall--$35. Fits it perfectly. Catspaw's friends conversion of the instrument is certainly another way to go, but if you want to keep the tenor neck as well...anyway, check Fawley out before you commit.

--seed

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 29 Dec 99 - 10:19 PM

The Terry Meade of Catspaw's second link is a right pretty instrument, what with its curly maple peghead--and it has a coordinator rod rather than a dowel stick which mine has: the coordinator rod makes adjustment of the head easier. The banjovie, in my opinion, is overpriced. Nechville makes some good banjos, but the banjovie ain't one of them: unless it can be set up MUCH better than the one set up by a guy I took some clawhammer lessons from.

Gold Tone makes one they sell for about $300: not bad, but not great, either: too much compromise for the sake of saving weight (only 10 or 12 brackets compared to 20 on my Slingerland/Fawley banjerine and 24 on my Wildwood).

--seed

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Jon W.
Date: 30 Dec 99 - 06:56 PM

Chet, I've recently finished a tenor-to-5-string conversion by building a neck, including slotting and fretting a fretboard from scratch. If that's the part that has you worried, I can assure you that if I can do it, you probably can too. If you're worried more about the pot (like where to get a 9 inch one), check out "Making Musical Instruments" by Irving Sloane, "Earl Scruggs and the 5-string Banjo", and "Foxfire 3" for some ideas of how to go about building one.

Jon W.

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Chet W.
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:56 AM

Thanks, Jon, you know what I really want to do is to make banjos with very small pots, maybe like 6 inches if I can get the heads that size. I learned to make pots from an old friend who used the "make 10 or 12 sided polygons from approx. 3/4 by 1 inch maple, stack them up, then turn on lathe" method. It's not supposed to be as good as the formed multi-ply maple rims, but it works pretty good and is a whole lot easier. I'm now studying Bart Hopkin's book about musical instrument design. It's the best book on the subject I've ever seen. I have no problem building necks, but I'd just as soon buy them if I can get a good deal. I can't see spending 40-50 hours on something I could buy for 40-50 dollars, usually.

Chet

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: catspaw49
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 02:01 AM

Nothing at all wrong with that method Chet. And that IS a good book. I just went looking for my catalogue with small heads and shin sheets and its lost somewhere in the clutter of this room. When I locate it I'll pass the stuff on. Also, Stewart-MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply (about 40 miles from me) used to stock a lot of banjo parts at pretty reasonable prices. You can get their catalog...fun reading too. Their web is at www.stewmac.com

Spaw

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: bseed(charleskratz)
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 03:19 AM

Chet, Allison Brown designed an electric banjo for Nechville that uses a small head, eight or nine inches--and a small head means a small tension ring is also available. It also means your hat slips down over your eyes, but that's another matter altogehter. Not that it matters: I close my eyes when I play the banjo--or is it the harmonica?

Have you ever seen the book Great Folk Instrumentsto Make and Play, published by Sterling Publishing Company, N.Y.? If you're really thinking cheap, how's a bleach bottle banjo sound to you? The book has everthing from tin can drums to a Celtic harp, including a design for a banjo with an octagonal head with a wooden face. There's also one with a head seemingly made of a cookie can--I'm going to try making a cookie can fretless banjo. I'm also going to use this book with my music appreciation students: many of the instruments are easy to make, from a one-string tabletop "diddly bow" to a full-sized hammered dulcimer and a teardrop violin. It's fun just to read the book and imagine all the things you could make--and to imagine a group of students playing a recital on home-made instruments.

--seed

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Chet W.
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 08:57 AM

Thanks, Spaw. Seed, I have read that book but it's not quite what I'm up to now. Sure would be a great project for students or just to show to them. So you teach music? I'm in the midst of a major decision about my career. I think I will always be frustrated to the max teaching high school, so I think I'll switch to elementary. I found that I only have to take two or maybe three courses to be certified in elementary. Maybe I can do more good if I get to them younger. Thanks for your info and thoughts.

Chet

Subject: RE: ISO banjeurine info
From: Jon W.
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:42 PM

Sloane's book describes how to make laminated pots. I used his method to build a pot for my resonator mandolin (see photo on BBC's page) adapted for a smaller size - in fact I think it was about nine inches. He also discusses mounting skins for heads. If you use real skins, you can make them any size you need. I think it's possible to "mount" plastic or Fyberskin heads too but you would need to use some epoxy or something to secure it to the hoop as well as sewing it on. Dennis Havalena describes this in his web page somewhere.