Post by davewhite on Sept 29, 2016 13:27:54 GMT
I brought this latest creation along to HB7 to much puzzlement an amusement and was asked “what is it?”. Well I call it a five string fretless banjzouki – a banjo neck on a bouzouki body. I was also asked why I made it. Its genesis was at the July Guitar Weekend at Halsway Manor hosted by gavdav when one of the tutors – Tristan Seume – brought along a “banjola” that Roger Bucknall at Fylde had made for him – see more about it here. Keith said that I should make one but I replied that didn’t want to be always following in the genius Roger’s shadow. When I got back home I did some research. The instrument goes back to the 1890’s when it was called a “mandoline-banjo” or “banjo-lute”. In 1996 the American builder Edward Dick started making his own version that he called a “banjola” – a banjo/mandola hybrid – using a larger body and scale length than the originals and a pinned bridge rather than floating bridge with tailpiece. Goldtone followed his lead and also call their instruments “banjolas”.
Having made a 5 string open back banjo for Martin and then one for myself, I didn’t really see the need to make a fretted version like a “banjola”. However, having made a fretless banjo – Llinos” - for the talented young player Matt Rowland I was intrigued by the fretless sound and although I’m sure there is one out there somewhere couldn’t find any reference to a fretless “banjola” having been made. My plan to beat dementia is to keep making new instruments that I want to learn to play so I decided to make a fretless one.
For the body I planned to use a narrower version of my octave mandolin “Ceol Binn Mór” both in width and depth, combined with a 630mm scale length neck as per my “VictorM” banjo - the body depth is 70mm to match that of the banjo. I always have to have a name before I build and this was to be the Gaelic for “Sweet Old Timey Music” and became “Ceol Binn Sean-Aimsire” (pronounced “Kayol bin shan am-shy-ear”). Gaelic is a very descriptive language and properly this is “Ceol aoibhinn de chuid na sean-aimsire” – “Sweet music from out of the old time” – but this wouldn’t fit on the label so it was “adapted”.
“Ceol Binn Sean-Aimsire” is a 630mm scale length five string fretless “banjzouki” with a Western Red Cedar top; American Black Walnut back, sides, neck and linings; East Indian Rosewood bindings; Macassar Ebony fingerboard with frailing scoop, bridge, nut, saddle and armrest; Anjan end graft, heelcap, headplates, porthole and black/ white/ black purflings. Tuners are Gotoh banjo tuners with Ebony buttons and it has a brass mandolin tailpiece. The fifth string nut is a short piece of EVO fretwire with a banjo spike as string guide and there is also a capo spike and fret for the 5th string at the 7th fret:
As the first step of my learning curve on this instrument I’ve posted something here at the Plucky Duck.
Having made a 5 string open back banjo for Martin and then one for myself, I didn’t really see the need to make a fretted version like a “banjola”. However, having made a fretless banjo – Llinos” - for the talented young player Matt Rowland I was intrigued by the fretless sound and although I’m sure there is one out there somewhere couldn’t find any reference to a fretless “banjola” having been made. My plan to beat dementia is to keep making new instruments that I want to learn to play so I decided to make a fretless one.
For the body I planned to use a narrower version of my octave mandolin “Ceol Binn Mór” both in width and depth, combined with a 630mm scale length neck as per my “VictorM” banjo - the body depth is 70mm to match that of the banjo. I always have to have a name before I build and this was to be the Gaelic for “Sweet Old Timey Music” and became “Ceol Binn Sean-Aimsire” (pronounced “Kayol bin shan am-shy-ear”). Gaelic is a very descriptive language and properly this is “Ceol aoibhinn de chuid na sean-aimsire” – “Sweet music from out of the old time” – but this wouldn’t fit on the label so it was “adapted”.
“Ceol Binn Sean-Aimsire” is a 630mm scale length five string fretless “banjzouki” with a Western Red Cedar top; American Black Walnut back, sides, neck and linings; East Indian Rosewood bindings; Macassar Ebony fingerboard with frailing scoop, bridge, nut, saddle and armrest; Anjan end graft, heelcap, headplates, porthole and black/ white/ black purflings. Tuners are Gotoh banjo tuners with Ebony buttons and it has a brass mandolin tailpiece. The fifth string nut is a short piece of EVO fretwire with a banjo spike as string guide and there is also a capo spike and fret for the 5th string at the 7th fret:
As the first step of my learning curve on this instrument I’ve posted something here at the Plucky Duck.
I was quite surprised (and secretly chuffed) that I managed to get a choon out of it. The name describes the sound perfectly 
Jo whoever he is.
