Quick look: Appalachian Mountain Banjo

[@KM-om1dy]

Such a beautiful banjo! You're an amazing craftsman ✨ Thank you

[@Hannah.bellydance]

Awesome banjo! I like the idea of go at your own pace lessons! Genius idea especially during this pandemic. Music starts at 4:11 :)

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks! I thought about doing a crash course clawhammer banjo lesson series with tab and all in the spring. Dont know who might be interested but I think it would be fun.

[@muttandjeff5213]

Great Banjo build Daniel!

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks a lot! I have enjoyed looking back on all of these. They have all been fun to make, each in their own way.

[@luthiercaruci2173]

Greetings, such a beautiful banjo and its sound is very beautiful. I would like to make one of those!

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks! I'll tell you banjos are so fun to make! I have an on demand video class on how to make this banjo if you are ever interested. I also have other courses you can see them all here. jdgraham.net/video-courses/ I think so far my favorite to play though is the deep sounding gourd banjo.

[@drewby613]

Dude!! Wow, this was an eye-opening video. Thank you so much for this. Getting inspired to play me some mountain music again. Started out years and years ago on a Stew-Mac I built, then got attracted to the eternally shinier object bluegrass and Stelling banjos. After sort of burning out on that as I got frustrated with how astral the playing of the exemplars of that world were getting (Scott Vestal, et al.), I feel an increasing pull to get back to my banjo roots and rekindle my first love of clawhammer. Living in Virginia a little more than an hour from the Blue Ridge (although many hours from Galax), I feel it might be time. Thank you for giving me possibly the decisive nudge that might get me over the divide. Your workmanship on those instruments is beautiful--really stunning. Keep up the great work!!!

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks so much! I have lived in Virginia a number of times (growing up in a military family) and my parents and in-laws are still in the northern Virginia area. There is a good amount of old time music around here in Kentucky and it is all so fun to play. Well I hope you enjoy getting back into it!

[@drewby613]

@@JDanielGraham Thank you. Taking a hard look at your hex banjo build course. Quite compelling In it’s simplicity.😉

[@JDanielGraham]

@@drewby613 its a fun one to make and one of my favorites to play!

[@drewby613]

@@JDanielGraham Oops! Not a hexagon.😄

[@fiddleexpress-beckfamilyband]

What a cool instrument you are awesome

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks so much. For some reason I am just seeing your comment. I just wrapped up one of my favorite instrument builds. A intensely inlayed fiddle. jdgraham.net/luthiery/?portfolio=mocking-bird-violin-for-holly

[@paullivingstone640]

amazing an beauitiful design brother!

[@JDanielGraham]

Thanks so much! I appreciate it.

[@cthulhu9136]

I love the sound of these compared to normal five strings. I really wanna make one

[@JDanielGraham]

Do it!! they are super fun. I teach a online go at your own pace video course on how to make them as well if you are interested.

[@clawhammer704]

I kept the inside diameter eight inches but did the out diameter of the 14 inches so that it would not be so small in my lap.

[@JDanielGraham]

That sounds great!

[@banjohawk3167]

Great video, Daniel! I purchased the online video course. I am excited to start my build. Question: if I wanted to practice building/shaping a neck, before I used walnut, etc, what wood would you recommend? Something that I could buy at like Lowes/Home Depot, etc. That way if I make a mistake, its not the expensive walnut etc wood. Thanks!

[@JDanielGraham]

You can do a test neck if you want. For that I would just use a pine two by four. But take a section without knots and such. You could glue up a few board to get the thickness you need out of anything thiner at lowes as well. But I think a maple board at lowes is the same as a walnut one else where haha! You can really make the neck out of anything you like. I have made them out of walnut, cherry, maple, hickory and a some others. Just remember it is easier to take away wood than to add wood...So take your time and work slowly to the line. Let me know how it goes!

[@douglasbradley2463]

Hello, Do you have a plan for your banjo? If so please reach out to me. I work at a college and I would like to make some with my class.

[@JDanielGraham]

Yeah let's chat! Which college do you work at? I teach at a small college in Kentucky.

[@banjoboy01]

why doesn't the tin tone ring bend from the skin pressure, don't you need steel?

[@JDanielGraham]

It is a cylinder of tin with the lip folded over so it doesn't cut the skin. The pressure on the skin cannot compress the cylinder down because it is held in by the board on the back and it has no room to fold in without folding out which is prevented by the even pressure and the ring on top.

[@banjoboy01]

@@JDanielGraham thank you JD I have to think about that sentence, guess I saw where the skin was held (circular) with steel, like a tone ring made from pipe perhaps, if you are glued and pinned to the top then how do you control tension or change skins?

[@JDanielGraham]

@@banjoboy01 its such a small distance across the skin it really doesn't change unless you have it outside when it is raining or super humid. In that case I put on a taller bridge. As for changing the skin if you ever needed to, you unscrew the back and cut the skin out and put a new one in. If you shoot me your email Ill send you an excerpt from the video class where I show how I install the skin. That will show the guts of it.