DIY Network

Old-Time Banjo, Part 12: French Polish & Finis From "Handmade Music" episode DHMM-209

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This third episode of DIY's three-part Handmade Music series focusing on the old-time banjo explores the final steps in building this traditional instrument. In this final segment, a French polish is applied to the instrument. Finally, the newly born banjo is strung and played for the first time.

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David and Matthew Ball play in traditional old-time style.

By now Dave Ball has an intimate understanding of this custom banjo he's made, and that familiarity is not unusual. Because he hand-makes each of his banjos, and does this as a hobby and not a profession, he has the luxury of "getting to know" each instrument that he makes, pondering the nuances of its form and its sound.

Many modern banjo-makers spray nitrous-cellulose lacquer on their banjos. It's quicker and easier, but doesn't deliver the results Dave gets from French polish. Using a pad, Dave applies shellac and olive oil to the neck (figures A and B). As he repeats the process again and again, each new coat of shellac sort of "melts" into the previous coat. The oil serves to provide lubrication as the shellac is applied. "It's an old method of finishing that's been around for years," Dave says, "It's very laborious. Not difficult particularly, it just takes a lot of elbow grease."

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

How much elbow grease is required? The final finish (figure C) is the result of about 30 rounds of French polish. Also, it's important to note that each coat must dry before a new one is applied. All of the alcohol in the shellac mixture must fully evaporate before adding a new coat. Rushing the process could result in a "sticky" finish.

Once the final coat is applied, Dave is ready to permanently assemble the parts. The dowel-stick and neck were straightened on a previous test-fit, so there is now little to do other than tighten the hardware that connects the neck, dowel stick and rim (figure D). This step is done carefully, taking care not to over-tighten or torque. The end of the dowel stick is secured at the bottom of the banjo with a screw (figure E). That joint and all the others will be adjusted for days-to-come as the banjo "settles in."

Figure D

Figure E

Finally Dave can think about stringing up the instrument. He has to first use a peg-hole reamer (figure F) to get ready for adding tuning pegs. He adds the fifth-string tuning peg first and continues on the peg-head with the remaining four (figure G). He gets his tuning pegs from online luthier suppliers.

Figure F

Figure G

When the pegs are in place he has to prepare a nut to guide the strings. This one is made from synthetic material -- not ivory -- and Dave adds string-grooves as well as decorative detail. This scalloped design (figure H) is a tip-of-the-hat to banjos from the nineteenth century.

Now the banjo is ready for strings, but even that requires a choice. Dave prefers light-gauge strings (figure I). With the instrument strung, Dave spends at least a couple of weeks playing the instrument and "getting to know it" before it leaves his shop. He may try a variety of different bridges an string set-ups to find what works best with this unique handmade instrument.

In the case of this instrument, Dave's son Matthew gets the honor of playing this newly minted banjo in its first real performance -- with the authentic old-time string band, the Mumbillies, in performance at the historic Laurel Theater in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Figure H

Figure I

	Dave applies a French polish to finish off the look of the handmade banjo.
	Banjo maker and musician Dave Ball.
	Matthew Ball, son of Dave Ball, breaks in the newly made old-time banjo with some traditional style playing.
	The Mumbillies, a traditional old-time band, in performance at Knoxville's Laurel Theater.

Dave Ball's advice for novice luthiers who would like to try their hand at building a banjo like this one: "Buy a kit. There are kits available that still leave most of the fun parts of banjo-making up to the builder, and still g

RESOURCES :
The Museum of Appalachia
The Museum of Appalachia
Website: www.museumofappalachia.com

African Banjo Echoes in Appalachia: A Study of Folk Traditions
(Publications of the American Folklore Society New Series)
Author: Cecelia Conway
ISBN: 0870498932
Publisher: University of Tennessee Press (1995)
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

That Half-Barbaric Twang: The Banjo in American Popular Culture
(Music in American Life)
Author: Karen Linn
Publisher: University of Illinois Press; Illini Books ed edition (August 1994)
ISBN: 025206433X
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

America's Instrument: The Banjo in the Ninteenth Century
Authors: Philip F. Gura, James F. Bollman
Publisher: University of North Carolina Press (September, 1999)
ISBN: 0807824844
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

Ring the Banjar
Authors: Robert L. Webb, Margaret Hutchinson
Publisher: Centerstream Publications (2nd edition, 1996)
ISBN: 1574240161
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

The How and the Tao of Old Time Banjo
Author: Patrick Costello
Publisher: Pik-Ware Publishing (September, 2003)
ISBN: 0974419001
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

Jubilee Community Arts is a regional, community cultural center dedicated to preserving and presenting the traditional arts of the Southern Appalachians. The organization's stated mission is "to promote, preserve and present the performing arts of the Southern region and to nurture the cultural milieu responsible for the birth and evolution of these and related art forms." The organization owns and operates the Laurel Theater, a 19th century converted church located in the Fort Sanders community of Knoxville. The building now houses an acoustically and visually excellent concert hall and archives of concert and field recordings.
Web site: www.jubileearts.org

Clawhammer Style Banjo
Author: Ken Perlman
Publisher: Centerstream Publications (1989)
ISBN: 0931759331
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

How to Play the 5-String Banjo
Author: Pete Seeger
Publisher: Music Sales Corporation (3rd edition, June, 1969)
ISBN: 0825600243
To order this book from Amazon.com, click here.

GUESTS :

Dave Ball
Luthier
Knoxville, TN