Sustain of the Firefly uke?
- Thread starter Henning
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Timbuck
Well-known member
That title should be changed to "Banjo uke" See here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVoDeK8eZHs
and here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2RZ8AYFy2U
and here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2RZ8AYFy2U
fynger
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Titchtheclown
Well-known member
Knocked up something similar recently
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?78020-What-s-happening-in-your-shed/page65
Someone else suggested using a hand drum as a base if using old soda bottles offends your sensibilities and making a pot looks like too much hard work. There are a lot of banjo based sites around that can give you ideas. A guy on the cigar box nation suggested starting out by making a rectangle box one to start with, made to fit the size of the plastic from the bottle.
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?78020-What-s-happening-in-your-shed/page65
Someone else suggested using a hand drum as a base if using old soda bottles offends your sensibilities and making a pot looks like too much hard work. There are a lot of banjo based sites around that can give you ideas. A guy on the cigar box nation suggested starting out by making a rectangle box one to start with, made to fit the size of the plastic from the bottle.
OP
OP
Henning
Well-known member
Thanks Rob, that seems marvellous!
Did you use a tunable or fabricque pre-tuned (simpler or maybe both?) drum?
Have you fretted yourself or bought a ready neck or how have you solved the matter with the fret board?
I find this childrens drum and wonder if it is a suitable choice.
I thought the rim around the drum-head would be of importance to create a longer sustain and a softer tone too. At least that's what I've learned by reading around the web last days.
I used the same Remo hand drum as the firefly. (Non tuneable).
I build ukes for a living, so fabricating a suitable neck was not a problem for me, but the fibreboard shell was a nasty material to cut through - it rapidly dulled my router bit. I've seen several banjos made with different types of drum and they all work and they all sounded pretty similar.
Cutting a rebate in the neck heel to fit around the rim of a tuneable drum might be tricky if you only have basic tools to work with.
I build ukes for a living, so fabricating a suitable neck was not a problem for me, but the fibreboard shell was a nasty material to cut through - it rapidly dulled my router bit. I've seen several banjos made with different types of drum and they all work and they all sounded pretty similar.
Cutting a rebate in the neck heel to fit around the rim of a tuneable drum might be tricky if you only have basic tools to work with.
Sven
Well-known member
Man, what a sales pitch! It's all you need and want innit.
OP
OP
Henning
Well-known member
And still it is a good idea to have the neck adjustable as the Firefly has.
But I can´t really get the picture about the sustain with a non tunable drum.
The soprano banjo uke I have is 6,5" and it´s got a ~4 mm chromed metal rim on a plastic base with aluminum sides. At the 12th band it´s got a very short sustain indeed.
Regards
Last edited:
Timbuck
Well-known member
Standard remo heads don't work..You need the 8" Remo PTS (Pre Tensioned Head) as fitted to the "Remo Hand drum"
OP
OP
Henning
Well-known member
Here is a nice example of a French guy building a banjo uke out of an ukulele kit and a tambourine. He even plays a little at the end.
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