Basic Banjo Kit from Backyard Music

maki66

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I finally completed my kit build from Backyard Music.
Here is their description from the Etsy Page;

• The Basic banjo is 32" long, has 18 frets and vibrating string length of 23.5". The 9.25" diameter painted hoop is made from 1/4" thick industrial mailing tube. Tunes to G or A major in standard G tuning. Designed for casual travel, school use, teens and adults with relatively short arms.
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/1406985454

The build took me 5-6 hours spread out over the course of 4 days.
Sand, paint, stain, set aside.
Sand, paint, stain, set aside.
Sand, paint, stain, set aside.
Assemble, final gluing.
I put some effort into getting a very good finish on the neck by using very fine steel wool between staining.
All the work was done in the backyard, I don't have a shop.
I did the work in the morning and put the parts away in a shed to dry at sunset.

The result is a very good sounding instrument that is easy to play. I had been worried about high tension and steel strings, but that fear was for nothing. The sound is warm and not too loud, if you have been around a Bluegrass Banjo- those things are sonic weapons.

The neck and tail piece are one and the same and the resulting set up is bullet proof, you just need to set the bridge up in the right place.

One of the reasons I chose this kit was all of the many great reviews on the Banjo Hangout Forum.

My kit was $100 plus shipping. Mapes brand strings were included in the kit.
I really love my new banjo and its a pleasure to do clawhammer on.
The only downside is that my wife wants my creation for herself.
I may have to build a second kit.
They also sell ready made banjos if you don't want to bother building yourself.

I'll see if I can get some photos up soon.
 
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PLEASE!!!

Tell us MOAR!!!

Photos and video are humbly requested...

I am excited to see and hear the result of your project. :)
 
Thanks for your interest Booli.
I can't seem to manage to post photos from my phone, even after several tries.
I'll try to take some photos with the camera and upload them to the computer an then post them.
Sorry for the slow reply, I'm working a long stretch of graveyard shifts, again.
Speaking of which, I brought it in to show my coworker and ukulele buddy. He got to mess with it and now he wants one too.

I did make some mistakes on the build an they show, but mostly I'm very happy.
The head stock got a little contour that came out ok.

As for video, I'm a long way from being able to play a decent tune, six months or a year at least.
You tube does have multiple videos of others, who are competent, playing theirs;
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=backyard+banjo
 
Congrats on your new instrument. I still love mine...
 
IMG_1139.jpg
Size comparison with my Kala Baritone.
This is the short scale, 23" Basic Banjo Kit.
Currently tuned to standard banjo G tuning.
IMG_1141.jpg

IMG_1144.jpg
 
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IMG_1140.jpg
This is a detail of the head stock and also the eye bolt screw which serves at the attachment
point of the strap. The same eye bolt is on the tail piece.
IMG_1142.jpg

IMG_1145.jpg

IMG_1143.jpg
 
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Hello everyone.
Some details of the build;

I put a little design in the top of the head stock, not perfect but pretty good.
I used a rasp and sandpaper.

The hoop has 3 coats of water based latex, Olympic exterior, and the color was "Sarsaparilla".
Which is basically a dark, flat brown.
The neck got a lot of sanding and steel wool, I wanted this part to be super smooth.
The stain was Watco Satin Wax dark. I forget whether it was 3 or 4 coats, and super fine steel wool between coatings.
This was the best part of the build for me, I like Watco products and always love the way oiled wood comes out.
The plywood top of the drum recieved Minwax Polyurethane with Pecan color. 3 coats with light sanding between.
The glue was Elmer's Wood Glue. I have Titebond wood glue on hand, but this is product Backyard Music recommends.

I messed up putting the nail on the wrong side of the tail piece.
Which was kinda stupid as the nail holes were predrilled on the back side.
I pulled them out easily enough but holes are visible flaws in my craftsmanship.

The top/side of the neck has brass nails that were factory predrilled for fret markers, a very nice touch, IMO.
There are no fret marker on the fret board itself. Though you could put some in and I may do so yet.

Otherwise I'm pretty happy with my work.
I'm extremely happy with the quality of the kit and the sound of the finished instrument.
It is a super light instrument and loud enough for around the house/porch/fire side.
My buddy really like it too, and I'm going to build him one for his birthday.

I ordered a custom bridge with a 46mm spacing for more room between strings to help clawhammer.
https://www.banjohangout.org/classified/26894
The original bridge is 42mm string to string and just fine, but hey, a new custom bridge is cheap and may help.
I'm going to try the Spillway Dam design in maple with rosewood cap, same height as the original bridge.
 
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Thanks for the pics and info. maki. Looks great. I have mine tuned to double C (gCGCD), a good tuning for a lot of old time clawhammer stuff. One reason I kept acquiring banjos (other than liking the way they look and sound) was so I could keep different tunings on them, Standard G, double C or D and sawmill (https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/229218) tuning. Also, my banjo fits nicely with a little extra space in the Superior Open Back banjo gig bag. I don't quite remember where I bought it online but Elderly Music sells them for a little over $30. :cool:
 
One my other favorite banjos is my Prust minstrel style fretless. Beautiful basic handmade instruments at a (little higher) reasonable cost. Made by Eric Prust in Washington State. http://www.chloesgarden.com/Banjos on Web/Banjos.htm. He lets you preview the banjo before accepting payment and is an all around good guy...love this banjo...
Prust-Tackhead-Banjo.jpg
Check out the various models and the sound clips to see what I mean...Oh, sorry about encouraging $$ to leave your wallet but this music/instrument stuff can be addictive...
 
I've looked a Prust Banjos. They seem great.
Probly be a year or two before I get another for myself.
I expect they are a joy to play?
 
I've looked a Prust Banjos. They seem great.
Probly be a year or two before I get another for myself.
I expect they are a joy to play?

I do enjoy this banjo, although fretless, I don't find it hard to play (just that I could play better). The sort of haunting sounds you can get on slides with the combination of the 13" skin head and nylgut strings are really fun. I don't have any recordings of myself playing but there are some great youtubes of folks
playing their Prust Banjos. Hard to decide which I like better, the Backyard or Prust...
 
Just finished Banjo #2, This one is the same Backyard Music Basic Banjo, but the 'No Mess" kit which is about $20 more.
Built for my buddy/coworker as a gift. I would have got the regular kit as I have a little time at the moment and plenty of
paint, stain, and polyurethane. But BYM was out of stock so I just got what they had on hand.
It assembled in about 45 mins, it was nicely finished and all the screw holes were pre-drilled.

Banjo #2.jpg

Banjo #2.3.jpg

Banjo #2.2.jpg

Banjo #2.1.jpg

Yep, I still have to string it and place the bridge.
 
One my other favorite banjos is my Prust minstrel style fretless. Beautiful basic handmade instruments at a (little higher) reasonable cost. Made by Eric Prust in Washington State. http://www.chloesgarden.com/Banjos on Web/Banjos.htm. He lets you preview the banjo before accepting payment and is an all around good guy...love this banjo...
View attachment 107969
Check out the various models and the sound clips to see what I mean...Oh, sorry about encouraging $$ to leave your wallet but this music/instrument stuff can be addictive...

Thats a flush fret model?
 
Looks good. You are a good friend. You are all set for the BYB string band.
 
Thats a flush fret model?

It is the flush fret with stars (a little extra decoration). I also had him put some optional mechanical friction tuners on, although I think
his standard friction tuners would have been fine.
 
On my way home from the garden store I found this for cheap at at a yard sale.

20180414_110922.jpg

Needs a new bridge and probably strings.
My wife says I have a problem. ....
 
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On my way home from the garden store I found this for cheap at at a yard sale.
...
Needs a new bridge and probably strings.
My wife says I have a problem. ....

Congrats!

That headstock logo kind of looks like the one for Epiphone.
big_epiphone.jpeg
 
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