my man is using a skill saw barefoot and getting his fingers an inch from the band saw. You know that banjo is gonna rip bc that's some hillbilly shit right there
@HistoryBoy9 ай бұрын
This video should be viral. You nailed the thumbnail, and your camera quality is absolutely incredible. But I’d also settle for a Clifton Hicks comment. 😁
@bengreco9 ай бұрын
yeah haha was really cool to see his comment, would've never made any of these if it wasn't for him
@BanjoBasement6 ай бұрын
Much harder making 2 at the same time - well done! I wish I had discovered the wonder of banjos when I was younger, but better late than never eh? Cheers Ben!
@bengreco6 ай бұрын
same! took me till after college to discover them, but I''m glad I did
@powerbr29299 ай бұрын
You are no Joke my friend ! The finishing looks stunning, then you`re done talking and back it up amazingly, with a high sound quality and a clear show how skillful you are.
@AFMR04203 ай бұрын
I was gonna say a few things, but at some point it just became, oh, WOW!
@mikegiammarise78615 ай бұрын
You should try cobblers pliers when stretching your hides
@RifleRick6 ай бұрын
I swear you used 3 power tools. Best how to I've seen in years. Sounds great too.
@jfhorselenberg77783 ай бұрын
Absolutely 💯 delightful ❤ to see u? Reshaping in u tube,! A art, which ,otherwise, would be lost!? Continue , my friend 🧡 😊
@NoahsBike6 ай бұрын
Wow!! Thank you for showing us your Skills🙏 This was a very enjoyable experience! I hope you have great success!!
@Gunnyman9 ай бұрын
Both banjos look like pieces of art ! You’re a true craftsman..
@RoflMcCoptrson2 ай бұрын
My partner bought that first banjo that he showed a glimpse of in this video. Beautiful instrument, beautiful sound.
@seahorsemafia4 ай бұрын
They look as beautiful as they sound. How long have you been making them at this point? It’s something I’d love to do one day. I got a long way to go but only way to start is to start, right?
@mikegiammarise78615 ай бұрын
This is such beautiful art keep going
@gtrboy77 Жыл бұрын
That’s friggin brilliant to sand it on the asphalt!
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
I wish I could remember where I learned that tip from, it was definitely another builder on youtube. It's super helpful, especially when you butcher the cut like I usually do
@jfhorselenberg77783 ай бұрын
Ur 1😂 of the Mohicans left, ? With, Witt & tenacity of banjo making,? (Like the glogg makers in the, Netherlands ❤ thank u for sharing ,ur original ality😊
@mettsmusic34606 ай бұрын
Impressive work. Especially considering the tools that you work with. Nice sound. I hope that you get more commissions.
@rodrigocozta3 ай бұрын
very good, try use carnauba wax or beer wax after oil absorved on wood.
@whatsbehindthesky Жыл бұрын
I love seeing the process! It would be interesting to hear the story of how you started making banjos
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
Thanks! The story is basically just that I wanted a gourd banjo but didn't have any money so I made some crappy ones, then by the time I made a decent one, it had become hobby
@whatsbehindthesky Жыл бұрын
@@bengreco Cool! I play violin/fiddle and ukulele, but banjo is next on my list of string instruments to learn
@sc1915Ай бұрын
Fantastic!!!
@rebeckacanton24033 ай 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!
@bengreco2 ай 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
@MustDote6 ай бұрын
Wow that was impressive hand made skill and such a great finish. Sounded great!
@dobrodoc11 күн бұрын
Great work! What brand and type of strings do you use? Ty!
@jameslovelace88286 ай бұрын
Beautiful outcome from a simple skillful process.
@SirJulianRaya8 ай бұрын
Where'd you get that big piece of flames maple for 20 bucks?
@bengreco8 ай бұрын
I got really lucky with that, I found it at a Ganahl Lumber in Pasadena, CA. It was just being sold as regular maple for like $5 bf or something
@vrai307822 күн бұрын
what kind of fiberglass do you use?, is it easily available in hardware stores because I have a gourd project of my own but it's incredibly thin and I am totally going to have to use fiberglass, however I've never used it before on a gourd...
@bengreco10 күн бұрын
I just use bondo epoxy and fiberglass cloth which is available in pretty much any hardware store, usually in the automotive section. It's a little tricky to do but if you take your time and have a few pairs of gloves to switch out when they get too sticky, it's pretty straightforward and even if you mess up you can just wait for it to cure and come back to add more layers
@vrai307810 күн бұрын
@@bengreco thanks man
@KM-om1dy4 ай бұрын
So beautiful! A true master craftsman.
@ericdoolin3703Ай бұрын
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.
@ErickvdK Жыл бұрын
Love your work. Fellow builder here, share most of your choices!😊 edit; all choices!
@lorenzomutal7258 ай бұрын
how much do you spend on materials for a banjo like this?
@bengreco8 ай бұрын
it varies and depends on how good of a deal I can get for the wood, but it usually falls somewhere around $125-175ish
@zinnz77502 ай 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.
@YaSalaamYaSalaam Жыл бұрын
Nice work. Making do without all the fancy tools and still turning out a nice product is a feat. 💯
@yellowcat131011 ай бұрын
there's a farm near here that sells allkinds of gourds. never been just drove by it a lot. i'm going to go gourd shopping the winter. maybe now.
@soulance83428 ай бұрын
Did you pick one up? The cure process takes a while.
@Sor007 ай бұрын
Скпер! SUPER! SONG.Звук.
@jfhorselenberg77783 ай бұрын
Ur amazing ,what, made u? 💖 into, wanting? Too, make, Banjo's pls? Thx😊😂
@AuroCords Жыл бұрын
Those are gourdgeous! Congrats :) Very interesting to watch you build them as well. What kind of music do you listen to while building? If you don't mind me asking.
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
Thanks! I most listen to audiobooks and podcast while building, but I'll listen to a lot of old blues stuff sometimes to get in the zone
@AuroCords Жыл бұрын
@@bengreco awesome
@anthilly2585Ай бұрын
You sir are an artist of the finest kind, amazing, chapeau! All the best from Mick in france.
@CliftonHicksbanjo Жыл бұрын
Great work. They both look great. And good picking, too.
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
thanks!! I'm sure you can tell where I learned the picking lol, means a lot!
@モフモフ-z7d10 ай бұрын
Wao! waooo〜n! 🐺🌕 Oh… oh my god …😱 It's the skin of the moon!! 🌕 Very beautiful😳wao〜😮 Great work!👏
@johnbowden-f4i10 ай бұрын
Thanks heaps, inspirational. Enjoyed the tunes too. I've made a few gourd banjos and learnt some things here. Never thought about oiling the skin tho. What oil do you use? John Bramfield South Australia
@bengreco10 ай бұрын
I learned about oiling the skin from Jason Romero, who's pretty much the master. I'm not sure what he does exactly, but I just put a very thin layer of Danish oil over it, not sure how much it helps but doesn't seem to hurt.
@muttandjeff5213 Жыл бұрын
Ben! Brilliant stuff! Both banjo builds are beautiful. Well done brother! Someone snap up that build #15!
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
Thanks!! Hope you're enjoying #14!!
@MEHpewpewMEH3 ай бұрын
all the people complaining about proper tool use are scared
@benearte6 ай бұрын
🤩
@jfhorselenberg77783 ай бұрын
Ben ur a legend😂❤ thx for sharing
@pedrosalguero5664 Жыл бұрын
nice banjo sorry to keep asking questions, but do you think cochineal dye could work to stain a skin?
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
thanks! no problem I'm happy to answer questions. I'm not familiar with that dye, but after looking it up I don't see why not. I'd maybe test it out first with a small scrap of skin and see what happens before dying the whole head
@pedrosalguero5664 Жыл бұрын
ok thanks@@bengreco
@hh482610 ай бұрын
Whats the song you're playing around 16:30? Sounds wonderful
@bengreco10 ай бұрын
thanks! It's Wise County Jail by Dock Boggs. Clifton Hicks has a great tutorial of it, and I think what I'm playing is his arrangement.
@hh482610 ай бұрын
Awesome thank you. Your rendition is magical on the fretless banjo
@greglessard116910 ай бұрын
Good work. Hey, what's that very last tune you started playing right at the end? I heard it played by a local player in my town but never sourced it.
@bengreco10 ай бұрын
that's Walkin' Boss, I learned it from a video of Mike Seeger
@greglessard116910 ай бұрын
@@bengreco haha, I was thinking they said, "walkin dogs". No wonder I couldn't find it, ha.
@rabetalouca83906 ай бұрын
Ficou top tabem fis uma viola louca tanque de motor estacionário kkk
@td4dotnet Жыл бұрын
Beautiful craftsmanship Ben you make it look too easy! Very nice!
@S1P1G3 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing the building process. I’m looking forward to my first build. These videos are so helpful. Thanks again
@jamesrmorris19526 ай бұрын
Banjars great
@davidjones9518Ай бұрын
How mush I’d like to get one
@PermacultureAppalachia Жыл бұрын
Subscribed. 👍🏿👍🏿
@dostigresbar8 ай бұрын
Good job, dude. Congrats. They look and sound awesome.
@jedfra91726 ай бұрын
Kind of a tongue in cheek comment but only kind of and I mean no disrespect but, Ben cheer up fella. You have some mad skills that so many folk would love to be able to possess. I get you would like better tools etc but I assure you that you are already "killing it" with your craft. It is a genuine thing of beauty how you can turn these raw materials into such wonderful instruments that will create joy for those playing and all who will listen to them in future. Incredible work that you should be immensely proud of.
@bengreco5 ай бұрын
hahaha thanks appreciate it! Yeah I try to show my mistakes in the videos, but I can definitely be too hard on myself.
@seemsfamiliar4 ай бұрын
what strings are you using?
@spudpud-T673 ай бұрын
I like the sound of the beech one best.
@williamhopper3102 ай бұрын
They look great! What scale length do you use? Nylon or steel strings? Thanks William
@bengreco2 ай 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"
@bxnnyblues60339 ай бұрын
I am impressed.
@swedishcrowbar42117 ай бұрын
What is the gourd you used called?
@bengreco6 ай бұрын
these were both made from kettle gourds
@swedishcrowbar42116 ай бұрын
@@bengreco Thank’s
@rachellibman44936 ай бұрын
Amazing to watch. What kind of gourds are those? Can I grow them? lol
@bengreco5 ай бұрын
Yeah! Any hard shell gourds can be grown in most parts of the country. These are kettle gourds, but canteen gourds are also great for banjos
@terryfinley7760 Жыл бұрын
Nice work Ben! What is the diameter of your heads?
@terryfinley776023 күн бұрын
Yes, what is the diameter of the heads used here?
@Datanditto7 күн бұрын
Greatness.
@phillipbingham4873 ай бұрын
excellent
@JacobvsRex7 ай бұрын
NICE!
@grey3p Жыл бұрын
Awesome Work! I’m just getting into gourd banjos and I really want to make one. My biggest problem is getting the neck, I don’t have any woodworking tools so my best bet is to just buy a pre-shaped neck? Also if you have any sources on how to learn to make one of these I’d love to know, Thanks!
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
thanks! you can shape neck with even fewer tools than I have! All you need is a saw and a chisel, and I've even heard of people shaping necks with just a knife. Check out Clifton Hicks' banjo building playlist, he shapes his necks with hand tools and shows the method
@grey3p Жыл бұрын
@@bengrecowill do! Thanks for the feedback, can’t wait to start!!
@Knutorama Жыл бұрын
Excellent video! Well done.
@musiquefantastique71277 ай бұрын
this is amazing.
@phillipbingham4878 ай бұрын
wow !
@Darkstar001 Жыл бұрын
Super cool
@michaelpthompson Жыл бұрын
Inspiring!
@clawhammer70411 ай бұрын
Tru Oil that used on gun stocks is what I use.
@PaulTheSkeptic8 ай бұрын
Ha ha. Yeah it sucks when you gotta deal whatever tools you have. I'll see people on KZbin who'll make these kinds of things and they'll have table saws and lathes and all this expensive stuff and it's like, well you can afford a banjo. I know that it's not the same but still, the whole idea is this is kind of a poor man's banjo. But I wouldn't want to begrudge anyone for doing what they want. They're welcome to make what they want. It just seems weird that they'd be into this. Or like those cigar box guitars. You know. Not just banjos.
@bengreco8 ай бұрын
haha yeah I started making gourd banjos because I couldn't afford to buy one. Now I finally got a little jobsite table saw and I feel like a king
@andronikostheophilos Жыл бұрын
Fascinating stuff to watch!!! However, you need to take a course of the safe use of bladed tools. I kept thinking you were going to lose a finger or worse. Be safe!!!!! Nice work.!!!
@musiquefantastique71277 ай бұрын
*Safety Boy has entered the chat*
@pedrosalguero5664 Жыл бұрын
What kind of gourd are you using?
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
I think these were both canteen gourds that I got from wellburn gourd farm in southern CA
@pedrosalguero5664 Жыл бұрын
thanks, I'll probably ask alot more questions over the coming weeks@@bengreco
@ともゆき池田8 ай бұрын
I am watching your show in Japan. Your technique is great, can you make a 45 mm or 50 mm thick neck Gourd banjo?
@bengreco8 ай бұрын
thanks! yeah I could make pretty much any dimension
@sublimexs11 ай бұрын
great craftsmanship
@yellowcat131011 ай бұрын
i want one
@Frownlander Жыл бұрын
Could you make a banjo out of a pumpkin?
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
for halloween?
@Frownlander Жыл бұрын
@@bengreco YESSSSSS 🎃
@bengreco Жыл бұрын
impossible@@Frownlander
@Frownlander Жыл бұрын
@@bengreco unsubscribing
@fuujinmugen11 ай бұрын
Make ‘em when you wanna! In your own time! New Sub! Thank you for sharing. Very nice work and playing! Definitely do make some from different Pumpkins! Each would have a unique Sound from the various Bowl shapes. Banjo Regards from South Africa!
@jamesault78327 ай бұрын
Shalom Ben! Todah Rabah for showing us your craft in making these wonderful banjos. Baruch HaShem.
@pamlico537 ай бұрын
Making do with what you have. Very admirable. However the safety issues others have pointed out are real issues. Not understanding machinery safety Will result in you becoming a statistic. Stop and get some training. It will cost you only afew hours of time. It’s not a matter of if but when. Losing a fingertip, or worse, is no badge of honor for a woodworker.
@MakerBoyOldBoy6 ай бұрын
An excellent video on how to lose body parts through ignorance and being too lazy to learn basic tool use. There us an enormous probability that he will never play a musical instrument due to missing body parts.
@guitfidle10 ай бұрын
Nicely done! I found a thick glass shelf from a display cabinet at a garage sale for next to nothing. I glue sandpaper to it for levelling bodies, neck faces, etc. Works like a champ (plus, I don't think any part of my driveway is flat enough to do that on 😁)
@bengreco10 ай бұрын
damn yeah that's a good find, my driveway is definitely not flat. It works for the gourd, but now I'm gonna be looking for glass to level my neck faces. Probably a lot cheaper than a granite slab
@herdfan6972787 ай бұрын
What a disgusting picture! No way I will watch nor share!