7 String comet banjo

[jerry mc hugh]

Just got the banjo and was wondering any ideas for a tail piece?  Looking for a template or pictures of a 7 string banjo.

[Robbie Collins]

Cool inlay!

[RETROROD]

Cool indeed!....One of a kind??? I wish that I had one!

[jerry mc hugh]

there is one here http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/Banjo/Antique/OldComet/oldco... but it is a 5 string.  I would like to know more about it. I got a set of string coming and I have to make a bridge. Still wondering about a tail piece

[Donald A. Fortune]

Hey Jerry- cant say for sure but I think you can double up on the strings on a standard 5 string tail piece and then make a bridge to play this nice looking banjo-- just an idea and my two cents on the subject -- Peace, Donald

[jerry mc hugh]

thanks for the thought

[Ned Knepp]

I've seen this a couple of times and it seems to work just fine. 

[jerry mc hugh]

I have one like this but not what I was thinking. The copper one is on a 7 string with only 6 string on it. the wood one is nice and I have both copper and cherry and walnut here.

[Robbie Collins]

It's very easy to make a 1:1 precision drawing, cut it out, place it on an 1/8" (or 3/32") thick aluminum plate, cut around the pattern on a bandsaw, heat and bend the aluminum cutout in a vise (if you want it to fold around the bottom edge to the strap button), hammer the surfaces flat against plywood, smooth the sides files or a fingerboard leveler, then finesse the holes with jewelers files.

After that you could use a punch kit to do some decorating and micro-mesh pads to treat the surface.

Make sure the paper pattern lines up and also use it to calculate the size plate you need.

Here are some links to some pieces of aluminum, copper, and brass plate. You'd need to polish or patina the copper and brass, clean with naptha and/or denatured alcohol before spraying with lacquer to maintain the finish. Several manufacturers make a spray on lacquer specifically for this purpose. I've used both and the purpose made stuff laid down better and didn't need polishing.

Aluminum:  http://tinyurl.com/p77doyd

Copper:  http://tinyurl.com/nrsyg8j

Brass:  http://tinyurl.com/p3qxknp

You could also check the big box stores for door kick plates.

Here's a photo of a output plate I made to cover a large hole in an Yamaha archtop (owner's preference). It was meant to look rustic and the owner was over the moon.

[RETROROD]

Nice-looking repair! Good work....I would be happy with it also.

Rod

[jerry mc hugh]

That look great and thanks for the information.

[jerry mc hugh]

I think this will work in copper

[jerry mc hugh]

I need some metal cutting blades