Parts for Banjo Uke

Jerryc41

Jerryc41

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 4, 2015
Messages
10,278
Reaction score
3,208
Location
Catskill Mountains, NY
I'm wondering how well a hand drum will work. If I was attempting your process I would install a thick brace inside the drum frame, not touching the drum skin, from the neck to the heal where you will anchor your strings. Getting and keeping the drum skin tight will present a problem. I recall heating my bongo drums with an incandescent light bulb to make it tighter. I don't know if this works with the new materials or if it would be enough.
Have fun with this project, some times art is more of a process than product.
 
A few years back,I came across a Guy ay a ukulele club meeting in Newcastle on Tyne, and he showed me a nice banjo uke that he had made using a slice from a plastic sewer pipe for the rim, it was one of the best uke's that I remember playing.
 
spongeuke said:
I'm wondering how well a hand drum will work. If I was attempting your process I would install a thick brace inside the drum frame, not touching the drum skin, from the neck to the heal where you will anchor your strings. Getting and keeping the drum skin tight will present a problem. I recall heating my bongo drums with an incandescent light bulb to make it tighter. I don't know if this works with the new materials or if it would be enough.
Click to expand...

I made four using tunable hand drums a few years back, and they're all holding up fine so far as I know. I glued a threaded rod into the end of the neck (nut inside the drum to hold it tight) and ran that through the tail of the shell, another nut that end to hold the tailpiece. The neck has a second short piece of threaded rod into the drum with a nut on the inside, to make sure it stays in position.

A non-tunable hand drum risks that the head isn't tight enough, but the Firefly uses what is effectively a fixed Remo hand drum and they seem to work OK.

Hand drums are lightly built compared to a full-on banjo uke, so you won't get that ear-splitting volume, but a hand drum BU is still loud enough the be really annoying!
 
Hello
I have made a number of banjo ukes from hand drums (Tambour?), but always the ones that have a skin that can be tightened. Hobgoblin used to sell an 8" one, but they stopped stocking it.
The tension changes with temperature, which means the action also changes and can make the thing unplayable if tension is not adjustable.
Max
 
orangeena said:
Hello
I have made a number of banjo ukes from hand drums (Tambour?), but always the ones that have a skin that can be tightened. Hobgoblin used to sell an 8" one, but they stopped stocking it.
The tension changes with temperature, which means the action also changes and can make the thing unplayable if tension is not adjustable.
Max
Click to expand...

I won't be recording or going on stage with this, so perfection isn't necessary. I wonder how the Magic Fluke Firefly deals with this.
 
Believe me with my skills, perfection isn't an option ;-), but i think you are going to want to tension that drum at some point in the future.

<edit>
Just remembered I made a video of how I made my first one for a work "show and tell" thing and stuck it on youtube if you are interested

 
Last edited:
Timbuck said:
A few years back,I came across a Guy ay a ukulele club meeting in Newcastle on Tyne, and he showed me a nice banjo uke that he had made using a slice from a plastic sewer pipe for the rim, it was one of the best uke's that I remember playing.
Click to expand...

I imagine the local people and Dept of Public Works weren't too happy about that. :D
 
orangeena said:
Believe me with my skills, perfection isn't an option ;-), but i think you are going to want to tension that drum at some point in the future.

<edit>
Just remembered I made a video of how I made my first one for a work "show and tell" thing and stuck it on youtube if you are interested

Click to expand...


Nice, quick video, but I had some kind of awful noise in the background. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
needing parts for Stella banjo uke
Replies
6
Views
590
fungusgeek
F
T
  • Locked
Vintage Banjo Uke for Parts or Repair
Replies
4
Views
688
Tommy B
T
J
banjo uke parts needed
Replies
3
Views
354
Jimh!
J
UKEonomics
old banjo uke parts on ebay
Replies
0
Views
355
UKEonomics
UKEonomics
Liam Ryan
banjo uke parts
Replies
1
Views
868
fromthee2me
F
Top Bottom