New to this & excited about it! (Intro)

[Randy Tipton]

Howdy all, I stumbled across CBGs after watching Juzzie Smith videos and am very excited to get started.

I am a retired soldier and now live in the Texas hill country. I learned to play guitar about 30 years ago (never did much more than plink and learn a couple songs), but I have a renewed interest now and stronger desire to learn to play now that I am semi-retired and have more time.

I picked up a nice wooden humidor at a local flea market and ordered a bunch of parts from CB Gitty. I couldn't wait to get started, so I dug around in my barn and found a cookie tin and a mattox handle and went to work on a banjo while waiting for my guitar parts to come in. I have always loved bluegrass, especially slide guitar, banjo, and harmonica and really want to learn banjo more than anything.

I have been reading and watching videos nonstop for a couple of weeks and came across a link to this page on instructables.com.

I built surfboards in the 80s, have built a few rifle stocks, hunting bows, and kayaks, and have built several hundred prosthetic limbs - I am (was) a Prosthetist. I am excited about trying my hand at musical instruments and looking forward to getting to know y'all!

Here is a photo of my humidor and my banjo project. The neck is a hickory mattox handle, and I made the bridge from a piece of red elm and the nut from a piece of deer antler. I am hitting another flea market this weekend to scavenge some more parts!

[Tom Temple]

Welcome aboard!

Be forewarned, this is a very addictive endeavor. As soon as you finish one, you'll have a new "better" idea. It's a bit like raising rabbits. You start with two and before long you are surrounded.

You have a nice looking banjo there. Have to get us a sound clip when you get it strung up.

There are plenty of experience folk around here to answer questions, so don't be shy.

Good to have ya..........

[Randy Tipton]

HAHA! I am already an addict. I stayed up late last night working on the banjo. I just need the strings and tuners now and it will be ready to play. My guitar parts from CB Gitty arrived this morning and I spent most of the day working on the cigar box guitar. I finished the neck and it is currently glued and clamped into the box. (Glue dries too slow!) I have an old metal washtub that I am eyeballing for a future stand-up bass project. Yep, already hooked! Nice to meet ya, Tom! Be safe.

[Mike S]

I made my first one not knowing if it would work and no idea how to play it anyhow except that seasick Steve had a sound I just had to have! Day before yesterday number 100 came off my bench and yesterday I sold it at my weekly stall....addictive doesn't even start to descibe it...welcome aboard!

[Randy Tipton]

That's awesome, Mike S!


Mike S said:

I made my first one not knowing if it would work and no idea how to play it anyhow except that seasick Steve had a sound I just had to have! Day before yesterday number 100 came off my bench and yesterday I sold it at my weekly stall....addictive doesn't even start to descibe it...welcome aboard!

[Gustavo Casado]

Hi, Randy.

Yes, is addictive!. But enjoy it!. When you finish this you will be thinking about how the next one will be. I´m sure that in a couple of years you´ll be the ownners of anothers banjos and GCB.

Regards from Argentina.

Gustavo.