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#1
04-21-2013, 03:43 PM
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Gold Tone Banjo Rebuild
I don't want to Hijack BoneDigger's thread, so I'll start this one.
I bought a Gold Tone banjo on CraigsList a few weeks back. It was basically brand new but seriously neglected. Everything was loose, some of the hardware was tarnished, the head was limp & dirty. It suffered the fate of many banjos...owner has no time to learn so it gets relegated to the closet. The following pics are a mish-mash history of the cleanup & re-build process. It was completely disassembled, cleaned, and all Asian hardware was replaced with Made in USA hardware from Stewart MacDonald's. The whole process was a great learning experience. Now that the majority of the work is complete, the action is a bit high and the plastic nut is showing serious signs of deterioration...the new strings acted like saws and cut the slots too low! The next (and final) step will be to replace the plastic nut with one of mother-of-pearl, lowering of the bridge, and the replacement of the 5th string tuner. http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/story/5843
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Dan Carey (not Crary) A couple of guitars A Merida DG16 Classical Guitar A couple of banjos A Yueqin A Mountain Dulcimer that I built A Hammered Dulcimer that I'm currently building And a fiddle that I built! Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. Last edited by Dan Carey; 04-22-2013 at 07:46 AM. 
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#2
04-22-2013, 09:52 AM
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Very nice! Keep us posted as you put on the finishing touches. How does that banjo sound?
I am seriously considering buying a tenor banjo for Celtic or perhaps a Plectrum banjo. I am seriously considering buying a neglected one and upgrading the parts as needed. Or, I might just buy a newer one from the start and be done with it... Gold Tone is one that I have considered. Todd
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https://www.mcmakinmusic.com
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#3
04-22-2013, 10:37 AM
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When I first got it, it sounded horrible. Everything was loose. Just for grins, I tightened and straightened everything and only changed the strings.
The action was high but playable but I noticed that the fret board was actually touching the tension hoop. It was LOUD. The tuners, especially the 5th string tuner, leave a lot to be desired. I have a set of Gold Star tuners that I removed from a harp guitar a year ago so I've bought a new 5th string tuner and will replace the others with the Gold stars. I still have some shaping to do on the mother of pearl nut and need to cut the nut slots. Might be ready in another week!
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Dan Carey (not Crary) A couple of guitars A Merida DG16 Classical Guitar A couple of banjos A Yueqin A Mountain Dulcimer that I built A Hammered Dulcimer that I'm currently building And a fiddle that I built! Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
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#4
04-22-2013, 10:44 AM
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Found this on the Bluegrass Nation website:
The Difference between Bluegrass, Old Time and Celtic bands, now finally explained! Old Time and Celtic songs are about whiskey, food and struggle. Bluegrass songs are about God, mother and the girl who did me wrong. If the girl isn’t dead by the third verse, it ain’t Bluegrass. If everyone dies, it’s Celtic. The Bluegrass fiddler paid $10,000 for his fiddle at the Violin Shop in Nashville. The Celtic fiddler inherited his from his mothers 2nd cousin in County Clare. The Old Time fiddler got theirs for $15 at a yard sale.” ~ The National Folk Festival of Australia ~
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Dan Carey (not Crary) A couple of guitars A Merida DG16 Classical Guitar A couple of banjos A Yueqin A Mountain Dulcimer that I built A Hammered Dulcimer that I'm currently building And a fiddle that I built! Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
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