Another crazy idea

[Eric Banjitar]

Well, I have been playin my 6-string banjo for almost a year now and I LOVE it but....I have the itch to build another.  For a while I thought that I would try to see if I could make a low-budget model with similar sound, but less fancy. It would've be based on a tele body.

After a conversation with a 5 string banjo buddy of mine, I think I may try a radically diferent idea.

One of the key sonic details of a banjo, other than the lack of sustain, is the use of a drone string.  The drone string is usually tuned to the key of the song with the help of a capo on the 5th (shorter string) of the banjo. The drone string is a thinner gauge (lighter) string.

My thought is this... What about building a 7 string electric banjo?  This unique instrument would feature a six -string standard tuned guitar with 7th drone string of a lighter gauge tuned to the key of the song.

Years ago (turn of the 20th century) there were a few companies making a 7 string banjos in England.  They were tuned like a 5 string banjo (usually in open G) they just had two aditional strings. I have found one modern custom example.

I have never heard of adding a drone string to a guitar.

Whatcha think? Should I build a seven string electric banjo?

 

[Cagey]

You're clearly very good at that sort of thing, so if you think you'd have a use for it and would play it, you should go for it. It's a pretty safe bet you won't get one any other way.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

It sounds like a very fun experiment.  I will say that if it does not perform like you hope, it would be unfortunate.  However, I do have entertaining thoughts of overly self important black metal guitarists with a seven string banjos, and that has made my night. 

Is there any way of testing things to check if the overall function will work?  I know that Ibanez 7321 seven strings generally show on Craigslist every week or two.  Can you get a seven string bridge for a banjo?  I must admit I am intrigued.
Patrick

 

[Eric Banjitar]

The first one of these that I build I will TRY to do on the cheap.  Much of the hardware will be standard banjo parts.  I will need to fabricate the tailpiece and make the bridge by hand. The neck will need to be thinned from the 5th fret to the nut. I will make the body from basswood I have laying around and paint it. If I like it and am able to play it, I will build a fancy body for the warmoth neck.

Does anybody know if Warmoth will build a seven-string angled paddle neck without any tuner holes?

 

[Eric Banjitar]

called Warmoth, they will delete the tuner holes on a super 7 but cannot delete the headstock shape.

 

[bagman67]

Can they give you a paddle headstock on the 7?

 

[Eric Banjitar]

Can they give you a paddle headstock on the 7?

apparently not, They will however delete the tuner holes so that I can make my own.

 

[Jusatele]

Eric, I love your ideas
I say go for it
also, does that Banjitar really sound like a banjo?  If so I need to get one.

 

[Eric Banjitar]

Ya, it sounds like banjo, especially ifins ya think banjo when you play it. It can also sound like a guitar.  In most uses of a banjo, the timing and attack are a bit diferent than that of a guitar.  I just got a new recorder and am working on mixing some stuff down.  I will post em. The biggest diference is I dont have a drone string...yet!