Sound Searcher 2: The Tin Can Banjo

[@lorenzogiani7190]

That 6-string banjo hack is brilliant! It's a super elegant solution to that common issue found with the instrument.

[@ErickvdK]

What issue is that, genuinely interested. 😊

[@DeAthWaGer]

My parlor in Nashville tuning is gonna have a new best friend.

[@klbrackin]

Great episode Shane. You know, some of the coolest stuff has been made by people who didn't know what they were doing.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thanks Kurt! Keep on scrubbin'!

[@paulpeter5688]

What a great build, I love cigar box guitars, have made a couple during covid, one from a cigar box and one from a vw hubcap. Love your show. Paul

[@RegularBiscuit]

Recently have been obsessed with all things instrument and this is such a metal instrument. literally and metaphorically made of metal and a coffin. amazing build!

[@tedsdogwalking]

Great stuff. I have a pan I acquired from a local thrift shop. So it's on my list to build. My last was an oil can banjo. Currently I'm working on a cigar box mountain banjo. So I really appreciate seeing how you tackled the task and how the instrument sounds. It sounds and looks great. Definitely a banjo. I love being able to build homemade instruments and playing them. It doesn't get any better and each one always teaches me something new about instruments and music.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Can't wait to see what you build!!!

[@steveh2o]

There are never enough banjos. Great video and build!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Agreed! But they sound better when you play 'em, Steve!

[@stephenthomasma7524]

The giggling after the headstock decoration has got to be my favorite. I really enjoyed the whole thing. Well done, Shane.

[@ShaneSpeal]

That headstock is just so wrong...

[@DeAthWaGer]

That jawbone fiddle is nightmare inducing. I love it. Excellent vid, couldn't subscribe fast enough.

[@ShaneSpeal]

@@DeAthWaGer we may need to make a jawbone fiddle someday on this channel

[@AidenRansom]

i really really love this series!!! remaking the old instruments in your unique way just scratches an itch in my vintage old guitar loving brain. looking forward to episode 3!!

[@bobbrown1519]

What a fantastic video! It really made my day! "Sound Searcher" is really cool! Thanks Shane. God bless!

[@bryansmith2649]

If you visit an auto parts store when it rains, you can get old wiper blades from the trash can out front. They usually have two metal ribs along the blade that some people get to use as free fret wire.

[@birdwoodcbgs71]

Thank you for another wonderful episode.

[@DAmburgey-v1m]

That gourd dulcimer shown at 31:32 is so cool! I have to make that happen. My project list gets longer thanks to you. Outstanding video!

[@FantaconeBoxWorksCBG]

Great content. A band saw was a big helper for me. Got a nice one from an estate sale. Your Improvised spur of the moment changes are more real world vintageness that make these builds. Think of the limited resources the original builders dealt with. Also, i Iove your limited tools, more realistic of a hobby builder.. Keeping it real!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Powerful words from a fantastic builder. Thank you so much!!!

[@LanceHolt-Actor]

This was brilliant! The mistakes you called out on yourself eases my self-consciousness a bit too... And, I really liked the sound.

[@ShaneSpeal]

There were even more mistakes I wanted to show, but ran out of time. The neck you see on the banjo was the THIRD neck I made for this! I kept messing up.

[@mtgrizzly52]

Fantastic video Shane! I must go to the Appalachian Museum now. What inspiration those classic homegrown instruments bring. Thanks!

[@rrrosecarbinela]

Sweet sounding little pie-tin banjo!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you!!!

[@-jank-willson]

I saw an interesting instrument at a museum similar to this one. It was called a ladle mandolin. It was made out of a ladle, the handle of the ladle was the neck (it had tied-around rope frets), and the bowl of the ladle was the sound chamber. It had a single (twine?) string, however it came down from the top, looped around the bottom, and came back up. So even though it was one string, it acted like two strings because it folded back upon itself to create 2 different vibrating sections that looked like two separate strings at first glance (like it was a two-stringed instrument at first glance). But because it was actually just one string, there was only one tuning peg, so adjusting the tuning peg would tighten or loosen both vibrating sections of the string in unison (so it would be like having a two-stringed instrument that could only ever be tuned 'EE', 'GG', 'AA', 'DD', etc.). The two sections of string were spaced very close to each other, so at a distance at first glance it looks like a two-stringed one-course instrument. Which is why I'm guessing it was called a 'mandolin'...

[@ShaneSpeal]

Which museum was this???

[@-jank-willson]

@@ShaneSpeal Dang it I can't remember... This was like 20 years ago, I had forgotten about it until now... I think it was in either New York or Pennsylvania and was showcasing Northern Appalachain culture, because apparently a lot of German and Dutch settled in the northern Apps. and Catskills. The museum if I remember correctly also showcased a lot of scheiholts and langelikes, because those were the original instruments that the dutch and Germans brought over. And then when those instruments moved further south, they evolved into the mountain dulcimer of the SOUTHERN apps.

[@timgratsinger]

Another good episode.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Tim!

[@aaronlarsen7447]

You did fantastic! It sounds happy.

[@ShaneSpeal]

It would be even better if they had a curator work with musicians to pull them off the walls and perform with them from time to time!

[@noahbodie3075]

I can't help but laugh as you nerd out on some of your creative details.

[@ShaneSpeal]

"mad scientist laugh"

[@1961levans]

Another cool successful episode, Shane-great job! Very fun to watch you make your recreation of the banjo. Also fun to watch you meet and climb over hurdles as you go-highly authentic to the homemade instrument making process :) The banjo turned out sweet! I also loved the footage of the instrument museum- I need to get to that place! Looking forward to episode 3-keep up the great work searching!

[@jeffburn5789]

That thing is beautiful brother. I love the odd and small instruments. Bought a banjolele a while back, but the prize is my 1973 aria mandolin. I had borrowed it years ago and the owner sold it to me years later. Case still had some of the song lyrics papers I had put in it. Priceless.

[@philedgerton7892]

Sounds very sweet. I love it.

[@terranceschuster5529]

Shane: thank you for all your sharing. I was particularly interested in the pie tin banjo vid and then saw the cookie(?) tin banjo. It reminded me of a smaller one played in the movie " Songcatcher" and appears to be and sounds like a cookie tin banjo. Also an appearance by Taj Mahal playing clawhammer banjo. Highly recommended movie. THANKS AGAIN

[@LockStoppageSandwich]

Nice one Shane 👍 Greetings from Manchester GB

[@bryansmith2649]

I made a fretless cake box banjo inspired from one I saw in the Foxfire book #3. I made the neck from oak and is 3/4” thick. It has a very bright tone considering that the strings cost more than the materials to build it. After 20 years, it hasn’t warped so I guess it’s a keeper.

[@peterjohnson4932]

What a beautiful sweet tone from that pie tin banjo. I really wasn't expecting that. I have to make one! Nice work Shane.

[@RevvyTone]

Another amazing and inspiring episode. When you mentioned this was the theme of the next episode I started working on a cookie tin one. Should be finished this week too.

[@AntonyMoggridgeshonkyguitars]

That sounds proper old time. Love it.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Shonky!

[@paulkelm6550]

Very cool! I enjoyed this very much. I hope to see more.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you! My goal is to release one a month. Make sure you subscribe!

[@biodieselish]

Thanks for the end ;piece music credits...; shows serious detailing, wunnerful.

[@fields_of_regret]

quickly becoming my favorite channel great work man

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you! I'm having a blast with this show

[@OffCenterWoodworks]

Absolutely love it Shane! Oh how the wheels are turning in my head! 🤘🏻 Thanks for always being an inspiration!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thanks, Casey!!!

[@tracymcdougal4729]

I’m just drooling to build this guitar. I love this video series and I can’t wait for more of these videos. Thank you Shane Speal.💀🪕

[@ShaneSpeal]

More to come!

[@bridges5659]

Great video !

[@medschoolvisual6954]

When the neighbor sees you playing on the porch with an SS stamped guitar that will really freak them out!

[@ShaneSpeal]

They all know I'm Shane Speal. Besides, I didn't use lightning bolts. :P

[@mikeoitzman8275]

Wow. love that museum, its now on my destinations list. thanks for sharing

[@ShaneSpeal]

@@mikeoitzman8275 bucket list destination. Plan at least a whole day

[@tankermanjake]

Sounds really good

[@roymartin3433]

Another great video very informative. Thanks once again. Keep up with this format.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you Roy!

[@paulschmidtmodels]

Best video I've seen in a long time!!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Paul! More to come

[@GerardFiara]

Excellent as always!!! Great series, loving it!!!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Gerard

[@vza423]

Inspirational! Thank you.

[@ShaneSpeal]

You are so welcome!

[@shamusstudio]

Even after making a number box guitars. I have learned new ideas watching this. Thanks again Shane.😅😊

[@ShaneSpeal]

So glad you liked it!

[@bramklinkhamer8732]

A biscuit tin banjo is going to be a succes! I made mine a few years ago. When using a small banjo bridge the tin turned out to deform significantly tho. It might differ a lot between tins, but I recommend making the bridge elongated and narrow, and tapered towards the ends. Basically the shape of a brace inside an acoustic guitar. Very fun video, I subscribed!

[@ShaneSpeal]

I haven't had any problems...yet

[@justinstanchfield7279]

Fun! That actually has a nice sound.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Justin! I'm really falling in love with it

[@MrPhildorado]

You're an inspiration.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Awe shucks! Thank you... and thanks for watching!

[@oddshot60]

Doin' what you can with what little ya got. It's a way of life in the hills.

[@susanmorrison8270]

Great job on the banjo, loved the story about the mahogany coffin recovery process and reusing it for the banjo neck. Hopefully at Halloween the former coffin resident isn't coming back to repossess her final resting place! Keep up the good work, Shane!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Oh my! There never was a resident in this coffin!!! LOL

[@delorissamuelson6988]

I'm glad for this video! I have an antique pie pan and wondered about what type of sound it would make if made into a three string guitar. I don't play banjo but this video makes me wish I did. Anyway, hearing how sweet sounding this instrument turned out makes me eager to get started on mine. It won't be beautiful like yours but hopefully playable. I appreciate your videos. Thank You!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Take your time with it and it'll be even more beautiful than mine!

[@HonorioBenitez]

Hunted banjo, baptized. Halloween!❤. You have a good microphone for banjo 😮 sounds the right way over here. 🎉

[@kevincupy]

It does has resemblance of mountain dulcimer and mandolin sound! How lovely.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Yeah, it's in that high register. I'm starting to fall in love with it. I keep messing with the string gauges to find the right ones.

[@matthewrinehart2367]

It would be interesting if they had an interactive funtion where you could press a button and hear the instrument playing. All in all a wonderful exhibit of ingenuity. Thanks for the tour!

[@ShaneSpeal]

It would be fun to actually pull a couple of 'em off the walls and do performances at the museum! (very carefully, of course!)

[@alext8828]

Amazing job on the F-holes. Wonderful.

[@ShaneSpeal]

I love those F-Holes so much. I just wish people could see 'em when I play!

[@tednjessdamman7089]

Shane: white pine in the 20s probably meant something other than the white hemlock that is ubiquitous lately. I made a "banjo" once with a neck made from southern yellow pine that i had removed while remodeling our house. The neck was about 3/4" thick for most of its length and didn't warp for the couple years i had it. The old growth pine with the tight grain was alot Stronger.

[@PLINKER]

Very Cool

[@NaTaS-]

I can smell that museum through the screen :D

[@BlkHunterGatherer]

Gotta love Randolph County. They are country crafty racecar loving fun people. Several years back, I was at a flea market there in a little town called Sophia chatting it up at my favorite sellers booth. A fella showed me some pictures and videos of a fully functional field cannon he made by sawing the last 4 or 5 feet off of his buddy’s competitive long range artillery gun. He had wooden wheels and everything on it. You can call BS on me if you want. I called BS on this guy and he showed me videos of them firing them. As crazy as that is, this guy was actually the 2nd person I met from Randolph County with a fully functional field cannon. I have a good friend from Level Cross who inherited a field cannon from his uncle and offered to fire it at my wedding. Covid happened and the wedding worked out but the guest list didn’t.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Now I wanna make a Randolph County cannon! Wow

[@mikebarrett9987]

When is the next episode of sound searcher coming out I'm ready for it been coming back every so often looking for it

[@stevesstrings5243]

Cool little banjo!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you!

[@carminetocco9334]

Very Kool I'm subscribing !

[@1-eye-willy]

that scarf joint is fine, i got some Japanese martin clones from the 60's and 70's that have the scarf jointed in the middle of the headstock,

[@ShaneSpeal]

I just realized my Alvarez baritone acoustic has the same scarf. So maybe I ain't that bad... :)

[@alanhodge984]

cool i made several out of wooden ceegar boxes and one from a large metal cookie can

[@kiddFilby]

Ok Shane... Awesome build, as usual. I especially like the bloopers and honesty. We all make little educational improvements while building our cool toys. I'm gathering the parts now to build one. I have a couple questions though. 1- Where did you get the 5-string tailpiece... CB Giddy doesn't have them. I emailed Nick to make sure. 2- Who has the hard fret scale for the standard 36" banjo you were referring to using in you next build? Thank you for your time and training. Kidd

[@chrislewis4830]

ive built quite a few top end banjos in my kitchen and yeah a band saw is king. if you enjoy makeing musical instruments then a band saw it worth its weight in gold ant there cheap. i got the cheapest one i could afford and 10yrs later still going strong but make sure the blade has good bushings.

[@ShaneSpeal]

I've been going through Facebook Marketplace this week looking for a good used bandsaw.

[@Karlfalcon]

I've got a stack of pans like that... time to build!

[@ShaneSpeal]

I can't wait to see what you make!

[@Ratimus_]

Get a bandsaw! But don't get one of those tiny ones, even if you don't think you need the larger size. The smaller ones just aren't rigid enough to hold the tension they need to make accurate cuts. Get a decent one, set it up somewhere that makes it convenient to use, and you'll be amazed at how many uses you find for it. Eventually, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

[@-jank-willson]

I already sent this comment but looks like youtube deleted it: Have you ever seen a historical example of a walking dulcimer? I'm not talking about the modern strumsticks or seagull merlins, I'm talking about old historic museum pieces. Some people have told me that the whole concept of walking dulcimers is a modern instrument, and can be dated back to the original dulcimer-fretted one-string "pickin' stick" that somebody invented in the 50's for the folk revival craze. But I have also seen report about upright-held walking dulcimers being indeed a historic variation of the lap dulcimer dating back over 100 years. So which is it?! EDIT: at 30:25 that looks like one, but I don't know if that's a true historic instrument or if it is a modern instrument.

[@ronswihart176]

Still not much of a player but enjoy your passion. You are doing what your meant to!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thank you, Ron!

[@SouthernFireGuitars]

Nice build, Shane. I thought it sounded great, for a little thing.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Certainly is a little bugger. Gotta make a bigger one. First, I'll be getting my antique one playing again...

[@AlbieCigarBoxGuitar]

On the match, stick guitar try using a slide😎

[@jasonsummit1885]

So it's a soprano banjo, I like the sound of it and might try remaking one that I messed up on years ago from a neck that my grandpa hand carved out of beech.

[@ShaneSpeal]

A friend of mine converted a banjo ukulele into a 5-string. He called it a piccolo banjo

[@Mr.Monster1313]

I always thought about making one with just 2 pie tins joined together for the body 😊

[@ShaneSpeal]

@@Mr.Monster1313 I considered that as I was building this. However, I had the idea for the Stradivarius holes in the back, so I opted for wood.

[@biodieselish]

and thanks for the into to Zachariah Hickman, seriously funny good music

[@bearshield7138]

This was even better than the first one. It sent my mind exploding with thoughts, ideas and questions. Do you have any more information on Raymond Fairchild’s jawbone fiddle? Have you ever tried horsehair strings on a banjo? I have read about them but cannot find enough information to try to make my own. While I love the cigar box guitars my interest has been more in the historic instruments like the traditional African instruments, traditional Appalachian Mountain instruments and early medieval instruments. I have found where I can get: Musical Instruments of the Southern Appalachian Mountains by John Rice Irwin Pickin' Stick: Building a Stringed Instrument Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History SINFUL TUNES AND SPIRITUALS (Epstein 1977) BANJO ROOTS AND BRANCHES (ed. Winans 2018) The Physics of the Violin by Lothar Cremer, John S. Allen (Translator) Do you have any other papers or books you would recommend getting? Have you ever tried to build a bowl lyre? Please do many more of these videos. I need to get my life straight so I can start building the instruments I have in my minds eye. Be well and keep on keeping on

[@ShaneSpeal]

Raymond Fairchild's jawbone fiddle: I'll have to work with the Museum of Appalachia to do something special about this instrument. As far as books, my "Making Poor Man's Guitars" has a TON of history in there (along with step-by-step plan). Also look for Foxfire 3 edited by Eliot Wigginton. I have many more. Look for book recommendations in each episode of Sound Searcher.

[@bearshield7138]

@@ShaneSpeal I own your "Making Poor Man's Guitars" and use it often. thank you

[@terryleebo]

The neck size makes this a good size for a travel tenor banjo.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Yeah, this sucker would fit in a backpack with just a little of the neck sticking out

[@Lucius1958]

I wonder how _tied_ frets would work on a banjo. They were used on lutes & viols centuries ago, and were capable of being adjusted to suit different temperaments.

[@ShaneSpeal]

They'd probably work fantastic, actually

[@jamesanthony8438]

"Because... why not?" The 'why nots' are the best parts of the crappy CBGs that I throw together. =)

[@ShaneSpeal]

Amen.

[@chrislewis4830]

you can do a neck scarf before the neck shoulders or after it dosent make much off a diffrence really depending on the lengh of wood you have. many Chinese instruments have the scarf after the shoulders on the head and there strong enough to hold tension so no worrys my mate.

[@ShaneSpeal]

I just realized my Alvarez baritone acoustic has the same scarf. So maybe I ain't that bad... :)

[@chrislewis4830]

​@@ShaneSpeal its alright its strong enough to do the job so result achived

[@erniemiller1953]

After i built my cookie tin guitar, I KNEW I could build a cake tin banjo, but never got around to it,

[@barryashton1404]

Sweet 🫡

[@ShaneSpeal]

Thanks, Barry!

[@TorsSongs]

With the casket material, wood - lace etc, you should probably call this a Crypt Kicker Banjo!

[@praveenb9048]

I expect this project is going to be pretty *poplar* with your fans.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Dad joke!

[@MarkCox-vo2qu]

To cool

[@tracymcdougal4729]

I got the same pan

[@ShaneSpeal]

Print the plans and make your own!

[@tomsawyer247]

Cool

[@AlbieCigarBoxGuitar]

Make sound searches 3 About the diddly bow

[@praveenb9048]

Wonder if you could share sample files of all the notes in its range.

[@Couchflyer-NY]

Excellent subject. Believe it or not, there was a time when people were forced to create their own entertainment.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Hard times make great music!

[@jasonsummit1885]

I play accordion at my church, but it's a midi instrument so I can have the sound of bass guitar on one side and whatever I want on the other.

[@ShaneSpeal]

Wow... what style of music does your church play? My father plays accordion and does a lot of polkas. I also just bought an accordion for my nephew.

[@1-eye-willy]

i just pulled a bunch of laminated bamboo planks and a mahogany chest out of the trash im glad im not the only one hoarding repurposed wood for luthiery 😂

[@ShaneSpeal]

Oh wow... I can't wait to see what you make!

[@PLINKER]

Shane, another improvement would be to set the fifth string tuner at the fifth fret as most RB Regular Banjos are set! and at lest 25" scale or longer 26 1/4" then you will be cool!

[@ShaneSpeal]

Yep. Next one will be correct. I wanted to see what would happen if I followed the 1923 plans.

[@thepagan5432]

I made my son a chocolate tin guitar/banjo using some old viola strings. Played ok by hand or viola bow.

[@ShaneSpeal]

These instruments can definitely be fickle!

[@llucmumu3085]

❤❤❤

[@ricky_x76]

Did you know that the banjo original from the Caribbean as a Bahamian that cool to know 😅

[@ShaneSpeal]

We'll be searching for more banjo stuff in upcoming episodes, including some African instruments that could be the grandfathers of banjo.

[@paullord196]

Does a steel bedpan banjo sound crappy? I saw one on the wall in the video😂

[@ShaneSpeal]

Some people call 'em "Shitars!"

[@rawmaterials3909]

So you can play the banjo at the town ball, and you can throw the pan like a frisbee in case Tannen and his guys show up and start causing an havoc.

[@ShaneSpeal]

I totally don't get the reference. (I'm old.)

[@rawmaterials3909]

@@ShaneSpeal back to the future part 3

[@ShaneSpeal]

@@rawmaterials3909 duh. I totally missed that. I’ll make like a tree and get outta here!

[@rawmaterials3909]

@@ShaneSpeal 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍

[@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar]

17 inch scale..? i understand that the 17th letter in the alphabet is Q

[@ShaneSpeal]

@@PuckettCigarBoxGuitar yes. It’s still the same. Hasn’t changed.

[@ferrifet7267]

Those darn titles 😂

[@deezynar]

You didn't show the neck being attached.

[@jamesjustice9455]

Awlsome cool