Thanks, Mr. Gildons. The earliest mountain banjo (the type having a wooden body with smaller skin head mounted in the middle which originated in southern Appalachia) cannot be positively dated to before circa 1900--although myself and others suspect that they were in use much earlier. The tackheads on the other hand (having either a bent wood or cabinetry hoop with the head stretched over it) can be dated to the 1830s with certainty. It does seem that prior to about 1830 most or all banjos were fashioned from gourds.
See Gibson's 2001 article "Gourd Banjos: From Africa to the Appalachians" for more details: banjohistory.com/index.cfm/article/detail/1_gourd_banjos_from_africa_to_the_appalachians
The early banjos I used to see at Ohio country farm auctions (before you all were born lol), were often made from round plug tobacco wood containers. Farmers chewed a lot of cut plug in the early days and these wooden containers were plentiful and just the right shape. Your home made banjo reminded me of those.
Talk to Ryan Navy at Carolina Banjo Company to get your wood working skills up. He worked on preserving antique furniture for 20+ years prior to building banjos...
What good sounding instruments, it's so incredibly interesting to see what minute details catches your eye and what you take from it. Thank you for the playing, thank you for the show and tell! Have a great week Mr. Hicks!
Clifton I wanted to share that the peghead is not typical for factory standards but I have seen homemade instruments like that one and folks make alot of real cool aspects like that one. And I know you got certain tastes for banjos and so forth. But to me I ain't so concerned with all details as long as they play and sound well. Of course I am a blind man so the sound and playabilty is all I care about really as a player myself. Thanks for the show and tell.
Certainly, Jeremy. I would expect you to be more concerned with how the thing sounds--visual aesthetic be damned. Surprisingly I do think that my own homemade banjo sounds better than the antique. However! I have since lowered the action at the nut and thinned down the bridge considerably (which was still a bit chunky when I filmed this) and now the antique sounds a lot better. Stand by for at least one more video featuring the improved antique banjo.
I sure will Clifton you are so kind hearted with your time and expertise. I believe to me anyways instruments are like people sometimes we alter them and they sound or work better other times they turn out worse for reasons that may not be known even for builders. I got an interesting text on the mathematics behind how the banjo functions as an instruemnt it seems simple as an instrument goes. But for scientists of sound it is a mystery somewhat how and why it works as it does. Yes proper set up I do believe is important also for the ancient banjos you work with. That is why I consider you very lucky to have worked with older builders who had seen and built in the older ways to show what worked and what did not in terms building and playing. As I wrote earlier I had an old short neck banjo from 1890 made in New York and and a fiddle from the same period and when I had to sale them it was a hard thing for me cause I knew I would never get ones that old again. They sounded really wonderful as I recall though my fiddle playing at first was cats dying. I got somewhat good enough to sing and play at the same time. I hope someday to get a student fiddle again. Anyways keep in touch man. Oh and yes I personally think your homemade banjos sound the best out of all the instruments you play or show us. That is why I am going to build a very simple tackhead for myself. I am not able to build it as high quality as you can but we all got to staet somewhere so I will walk down that road with my blind cane and let you know where I end up. :)
Could it have been a “standard” peg head template that could also have been for a six string instrument? How about a series of videos talking about how one goes about playing different banjo types? Like gut strung, tack head, gourd, etc. based on how they respond.
Hey, Clifton -- maybe I missed it, but have you ever done a video where you show how you do that strumming rhythm thing up the neck that you mix in with your overhand playing? If not, I'd like to see you take it apart and guide us through it. It can't be that hard, but I'm having some trouble figuring it out right, and I think it's pretty neat.
Obviously I did miss it! Thanks so much, Clifton -- I just watched and I'll be working on it. I sure appreciate everything you share, and I really like your whole way of thinking about how you approach the banjo.
Did you ever find anything else on waxing hide heads? I just built my first banjo and did a tack head and the humidity has been all over the place here. Thank you
Never did. It was something they used to do for infantry drums in the 1800s and earlier but I don't know the details. Look my other video on how to mount a tack head, it's on youtube somewhere.
Two nice banjo sounding great and a very interesting video! Mr Hicks I've a question: are the tackhead banjos more ancient than the mountain ones?
Thanks, Mr. Gildons. The earliest mountain banjo (the type having a wooden body with smaller skin head mounted in the middle which originated in southern Appalachia) cannot be positively dated to before circa 1900--although myself and others suspect that they were in use much earlier. The tackheads on the other hand (having either a bent wood or cabinetry hoop with the head stretched over it) can be dated to the 1830s with certainty. It does seem that prior to about 1830 most or all banjos were fashioned from gourds.
See Gibson's 2001 article "Gourd Banjos: From Africa to the Appalachians" for more details: banjohistory.com/index.cfm/article/detail/1_gourd_banjos_from_africa_to_the_appalachians
Thank you Mr Hicks
The early banjos I used to see at Ohio country farm auctions (before you all were born lol), were often made from round plug tobacco wood containers. Farmers chewed a lot of cut plug in the early days and these wooden containers were plentiful and just the right shape. Your home made banjo reminded me of those.
Talk to Ryan Navy at Carolina Banjo Company to get your wood working skills up.
He worked on preserving antique furniture for 20+ years prior to building banjos...
What good sounding instruments, it's so incredibly interesting to see what minute details catches your eye and what you take from it. Thank you for the playing, thank you for the show and tell!
Have a great week Mr. Hicks!
Thanks, Luka. I'm glad somebody out there is as interested as I am in this old art form. Keep pickin, boss!
Interesting BANJOS thanks for sharing
Damn wow dude!
Very nice and good sounding Banjos. Good Job !I really enjoy your Channel. Greet's from Germany.
Oh damn! I live that hickory binding. Also, howdy Pippy$
Well you mentioned Clifftop, so ain't no mystery there. Mystery solved.
Clifton I wanted to share that the peghead is not typical for factory standards but I have seen homemade instruments like that one and folks make alot of real cool aspects like that one. And I know you got certain tastes for banjos and so forth. But to me I ain't so concerned with all details as long as they play and sound well. Of course I am a blind man so the sound and playabilty is all I care about really as a player myself. Thanks for the show and tell.
Certainly, Jeremy. I would expect you to be more concerned with how the thing sounds--visual aesthetic be damned. Surprisingly I do think that my own homemade banjo sounds better than the antique. However! I have since lowered the action at the nut and thinned down the bridge considerably (which was still a bit chunky when I filmed this) and now the antique sounds a lot better. Stand by for at least one more video featuring the improved antique banjo.
I sure will Clifton you are so kind hearted with your time and expertise. I believe to me anyways instruments are like people sometimes we alter them and they sound or work better other times they turn out worse for reasons that may not be known even for builders. I got an interesting text on the mathematics behind how the banjo functions as an instruemnt it seems simple as an instrument goes. But for scientists of sound it is a mystery somewhat how and why it works as it does.
Yes proper set up I do believe is important also for the ancient banjos you work with. That is why I consider you very lucky to have worked with older builders who had seen and built in the older ways to show what worked and what did not in terms building and playing.
As I wrote earlier I had an old short neck banjo from 1890 made in New York and and a fiddle from the same period and when I had to sale them it was a hard thing for me cause I knew I would never get ones that old again. They sounded really wonderful as I recall though my fiddle playing at first was cats dying. I got somewhat good enough to sing and play at the same time. I hope someday to get a student fiddle again. Anyways keep in touch man.
Oh and yes I personally think your homemade banjos sound the best out of all the instruments you play or show us. That is why I am going to build a very simple tackhead for myself. I am not able to build it as high quality as you can but we all got to staet somewhere so I will walk down that road with my blind cane and let you know where I end up. :)
Tailpiece DAMN!
Steampunk tailpiece
ok great
Big scoop to frail with.
Could it have been a “standard” peg head template that could also have been for a six string instrument?
How about a series of videos talking about how one goes about playing different banjo types? Like gut strung, tack head, gourd, etc. based on how they respond.
Mayhaps! It would work great for a 7-string banjo--which _might_ make this an English neck!
Hey, Clifton -- maybe I missed it, but have you ever done a video where you show how you do that strumming rhythm thing up the neck that you mix in with your overhand playing? If not, I'd like to see you take it apart and guide us through it. It can't be that hard, but I'm having some trouble figuring it out right, and I think it's pretty neat.
Here you go, Spyder: ruclips.net/video/yucIqWJ0WVU/видео.html
Obviously I did miss it! Thanks so much, Clifton -- I just watched and I'll be working on it. I sure appreciate everything you share, and I really like your whole way of thinking about how you approach the banjo.
Awesome Dude, maybe that is the kind of sound I am looking for in a new ? But are you using any special strings?
I use only the cheapest nylon strings available. These are "La Bella No. 17" nylon strings that run < $5 when purchased in bulk.
Thanks. I just put some nylon strings on a "student" banjo and I am slowly coming around to that sound.
Did you ever find anything else on waxing hide heads? I just built my first banjo and did a tack head and the humidity has been all over the place here. Thank you
Never did. It was something they used to do for infantry drums in the 1800s and earlier but I don't know the details. Look my other video on how to mount a tack head, it's on youtube somewhere.
@@CliftonHicksbanjo I have, I've watched quite a few of your videos and have found them very informative. Thank you.
Do you treat your heads with anything?
I do not.
You do Facebook Bub’s?
If your buddy wants to part with it I have wanted it since day one
I'll pass the message along; he is considering selling it.
If you'll email me: clifhicks(at)gmail(dot)com I'll put you two in contact.
Peg head looks like a balding man. Kinda like bart simpsons head.