1960s/2016 Harmony/Wildwood Electric 5-String Banjo
Update 2019: This has become an "extra" for my friend, so he brought it back to sell as I'd made him a second electric 5-string that suits his needs more. I've updated this post with new photos and an updated description here and there. Back to the post...
A friend and bandmate of mine is an old-time banjo player but also a fellow into "weird stuff." I told him that someday I'd make him an electric banjo and -- whammy, just like that! -- a week or two later I was traded a 60s Harmony-made, Regal-branded plastic-rim 5-string banjo with a neck that had a crack right at the dowel joint of the heel.
A friend and bandmate of mine is an old-time banjo player but also a fellow into "weird stuff." I told him that someday I'd make him an electric banjo and -- whammy, just like that! -- a week or two later I was traded a 60s Harmony-made, Regal-branded plastic-rim 5-string banjo with a neck that had a crack right at the dowel joint of the heel.
So, being the wacko I am, I yanked the neck apart and trimmed the heel for bolting onto a Douglas fir body that I cut in the outline of an A-style mandolin. I then found an appropriate tin lid to be my "banjo head" and scrounged an Alnico-magnet, lipstick-style pickup on eBay to be its engine. It turned out way cooler than I thought it would be and the lipstick pickup has just the kind of sound that will suit a clawhammer player's fingers as it's clear, sweet, warm, and articulate.
At some point in 2017, this became my buddy's primary gigging instrument and he had me refret the neck with medium-stock wire. Those new frets are in good order and have only the tiniest bit of wear to them. He then played this straight for a year or so as his go-to gigging instrument with me.
When this came back just-now in October 2019, I opened-up its "lid head" and installed some wood blocks under the bridge and near the center of the "lid head." The tin had warped over time and while this means that the instrument no longer has as much acoustic "practice volume," it means that sustain is boosted, the overall tone is maintained, and the bridge is now 100% stable. I also added some thicker/wider washers to help keep the jack from caving-in the tin around it with lots of use.
Repairs included: modifications/kitbashing noted above, plus a refret, new geared 5th peg, wiring, etc.
Setup notes: action is bang-on at 1/16" at the 12th fret and it's strung with what feel like nickel-wound 10s. The neck is straight.
Condition notes: it's a Frankenstein weirdo! There's old wear and tear to the neck's finish, of course. The body was cut quickly and it looks it -- I was doing this fast when I made it up. There are some saw marks still on the edges of the body and there's now plenty of small nicks and dings from its getting used regularly. The "finish" is just a few coats of sealer over gel stain.
At some point in 2017, this became my buddy's primary gigging instrument and he had me refret the neck with medium-stock wire. Those new frets are in good order and have only the tiniest bit of wear to them. He then played this straight for a year or so as his go-to gigging instrument with me.
When this came back just-now in October 2019, I opened-up its "lid head" and installed some wood blocks under the bridge and near the center of the "lid head." The tin had warped over time and while this means that the instrument no longer has as much acoustic "practice volume," it means that sustain is boosted, the overall tone is maintained, and the bridge is now 100% stable. I also added some thicker/wider washers to help keep the jack from caving-in the tin around it with lots of use.
Repairs included: modifications/kitbashing noted above, plus a refret, new geared 5th peg, wiring, etc.
Setup notes: action is bang-on at 1/16" at the 12th fret and it's strung with what feel like nickel-wound 10s. The neck is straight.
Scale length: 26 3/4"
Nut width: 1 1/8"
String spacing at nut: 15/16"
String spacing at bridge: 1 11/16"
Lower bout width: 10"
Body depth: 1 1/2"
Neck wood: poplar
Fretboard: ebonized maple
Bridge: compensated ebony/maple
Neck feel: slim C, flat board, refretted
Condition notes: it's a Frankenstein weirdo! There's old wear and tear to the neck's finish, of course. The body was cut quickly and it looks it -- I was doing this fast when I made it up. There are some saw marks still on the edges of the body and there's now plenty of small nicks and dings from its getting used regularly. The "finish" is just a few coats of sealer over gel stain.
Don't mind the over-the-top image of the cookie tin lid! It's kitsch enough to match the kistchy Harmony-made neck. The star's point serves as a "position indicator" for the volume knob, though.
After a lube I was able to re-use the original Harmony geared tuners at the headstock, though the original plastic nut was junk so I swapped-in bone.
I had a cheap import geared 5th peg in my parts-bins and it even had the same cheesy "faux-pearl" grey-swirl button to match the headstock tuners. This neck has a "bluegrassy" cut (narrow nut) and has a long 26 3/4" scale length. These things tend to stay straight, however, due to a healthy steel rod that Harmony installed under the board. This is strung up with 10s.
The neck itself is poplar with a stained-maple board. I added some 5th string "railroad spike" capos, too, at the 7th and 9th frets.
There are three screws to mount the neck behind the little tortoise cover. The funky black strap buttons are parts-bin finds off of old Harmony electric guitars.
I used the original tailpiece but strung the strings over the cover instead of under it. The red bit peeking out is the ground wire that's contacting the tail.
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