Ben Greco, how bout woodburning in the name Greco on that head there........just a thought. i would. be proud and slap it on there. Im fully impressed. Case usually is somebody can build but can't play, or play but can't cut a straight line if it killed them. Let alone be allowed even next to a band saw. You do both. Subscribed and will be sharing your work to others. Good job. Wish you lived down the road or something like that, lol, need more interesting creative people in my life. Especially if they play banjo! Hell, the whole world does. If u keep at it, i see you totally hitting triple digits one day. Ive made and sold a few instruments in my time, but nothing that special. .........Greco........even looks like a Gibson, or a Fender or Ibanez kinda name, you know?? lol. Fuck yea! Neat. Fucking super neat bro. ....dope. yes, totally dope!! love it live well, and rest easy my friend.
@parmezan10605 күн бұрын
Hell yea brother
@SlieBear8 күн бұрын
Such a beautiful sound.
@tristankuhn254412 күн бұрын
Very cool build! Live the wooden Tuners and the handpinned hide!
@troccolo120914 күн бұрын
Hi Ben, I really love your videos and your content really inspired me to build my own banjo. I've already commented on another one of your videos to ask about the size for the neck. Now im shellacking the gourd and i cant seem to get a really clean and smoth finish. It is shiny but ita not really super smooth and flat, it has all these tiny tiny "scratches" that dont go away. How do you do your shellack finish to get it like its really smooth and basically polished? Thank you so mich for your cool videos and awesome, inspiring content ☺️☀️
@zinnz775023 күн бұрын
beut sound and the location looks the one , thanks for posting this .
@zinnz775023 күн бұрын
im building my first Gourd banjo in New Zealamnd and your knowledge is a big help, first thing i notice is how thin skinned new zealand gourds are compared to yours , yours look 3 times thicker, so i guess im going to have to find some way of reinforcing mine, maybe make a internal rim or something. keep up the good work bro its inspiring , subbed.
@bleachfarms24 күн бұрын
What are you using for the interior epoxying? I love to watch a video on you doing this step.
@sjbennett8825 күн бұрын
Where'd you get a gourd that big? Awesome build
@bengreco24 күн бұрын
thanks! Got it at Wellburn Gourd Farm near Fallbrook, CA. They usually don't have gourds that big but I got there right after they put up the new harvest and basically had first pick. It's easier to find really big gourds in the eastern US, but out here there aren't too many growers
@soranuttwilawan66025 күн бұрын
Algorithm works in a wonderous way sometimes...
@joshblain747625 күн бұрын
What an interesting timbre. I've never described the sound of a banjo using words like "soft" or "warm" before. Very cool. Did you build it? If so, please put up a build video!
@bengreco24 күн бұрын
Thanks! I did build it and will have a build video coming out within the next week or two!
@jesseheadluthierie23 күн бұрын
@joshblain7476 checkout His channel! He's got lots of build videos!
@christophertenke-beckham1426 күн бұрын
Wow that tone is surprisingly nice
@jonmeredith116426 күн бұрын
Faith Hill's Mississippi Girl Video was also filmed here( I was rep for the company that owns the bridge she used)
@jonmeredith116426 күн бұрын
MCSP is a beautiful place, used to work next door :) a fiiting place for the video :)
@bengreco24 күн бұрын
I agree, it's an amazing spot. Where did you work? I'm working for NPS out of Diamond X Ranch right now, right next door to KGR
@jonmeredith116423 күн бұрын
@@bengreco Used to inspect the sewer lines for Las Virgenes Water in the park once a month
@StanleyWaltsBanjo26 күн бұрын
That looks and sounds awesome! Can't wait to see the build video!
@cragslist898727 күн бұрын
god damn that's a beautiful instrument
@rasmusn.e.m106427 күн бұрын
I love how the notes sound like pebbles hitting the water at the bottom of a well. *bloop* *bloop* *bloop*
@bengreco24 күн бұрын
yeah! I was thinking the same thing I love how the slides sound on this
@jesseheadluthierie27 күн бұрын
Dang, did you get that gourd at welburn?
@bengreco24 күн бұрын
yep! got it at wellburn just at the right time when they had the newer harvest on the racks
@jesseheadluthierie27 күн бұрын
It's always fun hanging out with you Ben. I really like the way a native drum sounds with an old time banjo. We should experiment with that more👍
@AuroCords27 күн бұрын
that last note error + purple short made me fear you would turn into the Hulk, glad you didnt! :)
@AuroCords27 күн бұрын
Beautiful!!
@Sol-Amar27 күн бұрын
Love the deep resonance of this banjo.
@adamsteinken118527 күн бұрын
The algorithm has done me well yet again. You guys are awesome!
@robsonez28 күн бұрын
Hey man, sent an email re commission if you get time 👍
Heeey, there's my banjo again! And electrified at the end there!
@bengreco27 күн бұрын
yeah haha I was mad that I messed up the mic levels at first, but it sounds pretty cool!
@AFMR042029 күн бұрын
Very Nice! I see Phoebe’s videos. For Jesse, it would be cool if you learned to tie an Ulzii at the back of your drum.
@williamhopper310Ай бұрын
They look great! What scale length do you use? Nylon or steel strings? Thanks William
@bengrecoАй бұрын
thanks! I used only nylon strings on these (aquila nylgut). These types of banjos can only be strung with nylon, steel would put too much stress on the neck and would cause damage to the nut and fingerboard. I think scale length for both of these was a standard 26.25"
@gabrielsturdevant9700Ай бұрын
your flat surface can be a piece of plate glass
@byebye-w9oАй бұрын
This instrument is great. Will you make more?
@bengreco27 күн бұрын
thanks! yeah I really wanna make more of these little ones, and really wanna do some fretless versions
@user-me9vr4ed5xАй бұрын
Sing along, don't be shy
@robsonezАй бұрын
Why dont you make the pegs as 2 piece? It would be so much easier
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
I want.
@phoebesanders2487Ай бұрын
No way, that's the banjo I played! It sounds so good!! It's really cool to watch the build process like this.
@bengrecoАй бұрын
thanks! it was so cool to see you play it, especially with that fiddle accompaniment!
@RoflMcCoptrsonАй бұрын
My partner bought that first banjo that he showed a glimpse of in this video. Beautiful instrument, beautiful sound.
@jeetray11Ай бұрын
Very beautiful banjo. Your fingerboard wood looks like Wenge. And the bottom white wood cedar or pine? Will you let me know. I built a gourd dotara with American Cedar and it sound plenty good.
@jerrymosley4362Ай бұрын
Unique sound. WOW!
@phillipbingham487Ай бұрын
excellent
@zachpacer3295Ай бұрын
Wish he would do it with his shirt off
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
Excellent video style!
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
Gonna try to binge all your videos today. Got some gardening to do. I was watching Margo MacSweeney play banjo when I found your video on making banjos. I don’t play but I got it in my blood, maybe with your videos I’ll get inspired and make my own and learn.
@bengrecoАй бұрын
hell yeah, thanks! you should definitely try making one!
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
A cherry burl wood burned neck might be super sick though. If you’re not allergic to gourds, then it sounds like spider mites. How and where they are dried or how clean they are might be important for reducing irritation to your skin and lungs. You saying that you used to dip them in water to get a water line, and that you used to have less irritation makes me think you should at least wash the gourds before you work with them. I like your plants. Using the moisture meter as a make shift slide made me laugh. If you’re watering enough then try some microbes like yogurt or keifer and kombucha to improve microbiome in the soil. Cover crop and keep the soil cool if you’re in so cal, black pots heat up a lot in the sun.
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
You look very much like one of my old friends I lost contact with, even sound like him. This is my second of your videos I’m watching, I really enjoy the work you do, your quality and pace, and the videos are great. Gonna sub now so when you blow up, I’ve Ben here for a while. Do you only make banjos and does that make you a banjier?
@bengrecoАй бұрын
thanks appreciate it! I only make banjos for now but I wanna make a gourd bass pretty badly, and I have plans to attempt a tagelharpa build
@spudpud-T67Ай бұрын
I like the sound of the beech one best.
@rebeckacanton2403Ай бұрын
Ur just such a vibe. Also! Looking forward to watching the in depth tuning peg video!
@rebeckacanton2403Ай бұрын
Absolutely incredible and entirely inspiring! Where do you learn to even do this !?! I will now be studying this video like a mad woman and attempting to make my own!
@bengrecoАй бұрын
thanks! mostly learned from the internet and trial and error. best of luck on making your own! I wanna get some more in depth tutorial videos made when I have the time
@micah_noelАй бұрын
Hey, curious if I could get your opinion on something… Do you suppose there’s any value in a 3-stringed banjo? I typically make instruments that are inspired by morin khuur, erhu, rebab and lyras. Sometimes I only use two strings, which can be very cool for playing with a bow. But often I’ll use 3 and might look into doing some with 4. But 5 is a stretch for me. Some of my instruments already have a banjo-esque tone when plucked and I want to lean into that a bit. Anyway, the point of this was just to ask if you thought any banjo players would be happy with 3 strings. Thanks and keep up the awesome work!
@bengrecoАй бұрын
hey, yeah actually early banjos and akontings would only have 3 or 4 strings, the low 4th string didn't come around until later, so I've seen a lot of gourd banjos with only 3 strings, plus the 4th drone string. The drone string would probably get in the way playing with a bow, but I haven't tried so I'm not sure. I checked out your videos, really cool instruments with a great sound. It reminds me of a scandanavian tagelharpa, which I really want to build and learn to play. Also, a Japanese shamisen has an animal hide head and 3 strings, but it's played with a pick. I'd say go for it, it would probably sound amazing
@AFMR0420Ай бұрын
I was gonna say a few things, but at some point it just became, oh, WOW!
@rodrigocoztaАй бұрын
very good, try use carnauba wax or beer wax after oil absorved on wood.
@Mr.whatwillidotodayАй бұрын
Tell me something. if I was to make my own custom banjo, are the frets on the finger board necessary?
@bengrecoАй бұрын
not necessary at all, but the side dots on the neck make it way easier to play fretless. I like to do dots at the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th, and 12th
@kianwerner7487Ай бұрын
its so chiill to listen, and watch you working. + super interesting to hear about a topic i dont know shit about