Deep Creek Strings - Hand Crafted Folk Instruments

Welcome to Deep Creek Strings

2011-05-15T23:50:00.001-04:00

Finely Handcrafted Folk Instruments - Custom Built to Your Specifications.

Salad Bowl Banjo #5

2011-05-15T13:58:00.003-04:00

Another Salad Bowl "Gourdless Gourd" Banjo. This one, like all the others, uses a turned walnut bowl from Ron Thompson of Bryson City. The tiger maple neck on this banjo was particularly stunning.

Below is a video demonstration/explanation, followed by some photos.

Banjo #20

2011-05-15T13:32:00.005-04:00

This is my second "Patchwork Quilt" tackhead banjo and it turned out beautifully. I really love the figured piece of American Rosewood used on the peghead overlay. The wormy maple neck is particularly beautiful on this banjo, as well. This banjo also includes a star inlay at the 5th fret.

Unfortunately, I did not get a good video of this banjo before it was shipped. However, its owner, Cathie, created a great one! Check it out below, followed by a few photos of the this banjo.

Banjo #19

2011-05-15T11:50:00.005-04:00

This banjo was commissioned by Asthmatic Kitty recording artist, Shannon Stephens. I was initially contacted by Shannon's husband Seth to build her a tackhead banjo with internal tensioning system. The woods were all chosen by Shannon, and I think this a gorgeous banjo. And with the Aquila Nylgut Minstrel strings, this thing has a monster growl.

This banjo has a walnut neck, purpleheart fretboard, birdseye maple peghead and backstrap, and a rim of purpleheart and birdseye maple.

Here is a video demonstration of the banjo, followed by a few more photos.

'

Bloodwood Dobson

2011-05-01T22:10:00.006-04:00

Here's another Dobson Banjo with integral wood flange. This one is distinguished with it's Bloodwood theme (fretboard, peghead, rim flange and rim cap). The other thing I love about this banjo is the thick "baseball bat" neck of walnut.

Here is a video demonstration (unfortunately the audio did not turn out the great in this video), followed by a few more photos.

Salad Bowl Banjo #6

2011-05-01T21:08:00.007-04:00

Another "Gourdless Gourd" banjo, this time fretless. This banjo, like most of my other Salad Bowl Banjos, features a beautiful walnut bowl hand turned by Ron Thompson of Bryson City.

This is my frist Salad Bowl with two new features (for me): a sound port on the side of the bowl and an integral tone ring - a 1/4 inch ring on the inner lip of the bowl, which you can see in the photo below.

Here is a video explanation and demonstration with some photos, as well:

Fretless Bacon-style Banjo #2

2011-03-08T06:22:00.005-05:00

This banjo was commissioned to be similar to my first Fretless Bacon-style banjo. Other than ornamentation, it is almost exactly the same. The only real difference is that my first fretless was an A Scale banjo of 24" and this banjo has a 25.5" scale.

The uniqueness of the Bacon-style I create is that the internal resonator can be removed with six brass screws, allowing for two distinct tones.

Materials for this banjo are:

Hard maple neck
Ebony fingerboard
Ebony with wormy maple peghead
Walnut rim
Wormy maple internal resonator
Hardwood tone ring (bubinga)
Raw brass hardware (Bill Rickard)
Brass tailpiece (Brooks Maston)

Here is a video explanation/demonstration of the banjo, followed by a photo gallery

Fretless with Internal Resonator

2010-06-16T07:54:00.005-04:00

This is another banjo that I built specifically for myself. I actually put myself in the queue in order to complete it! I'd been wanting an "upgraded" fretless banjo - basically ever since I became addicted to playing this banjo.

So, here are a few of the details of the banjo. Other then being fretless, another interesting aspect of this banjo is that it has an old Bacon-style Internal Resonator. Not only that, but the internal resonator is removable allowing access to the inside of the rim for any adjustments. This, of course, also allows the banjo to have two distinct tones.

Materials include:

Ebony fretboard and peghead
Curly Maple neck
Walnut rim
Wormy Maple internal resonator
Raw Brass hardware from Bill Rickard
Brooks Masten tailpiece
Pegheds mechanical tuners

Here is a video demonstration, followed by a few photos.

Dobson Banjo - 11" with fiberskyn head

2010-03-31T23:31:00.008-04:00

This is my second Dobson Banjo - this one with an 11 inch Dobson tone ring, walnut and purpleheart rim and neck, set up with Chris Sands strings and an Elite fiberskyn head.

This banjo will be shipped to Australia soon and I hope Alan enjoys his banjo.

Here are a couple videos, followed by some photos of the banjo.

"Patchwork Quilt" Tackhead Banjo

2010-02-18T05:48:00.003-05:00

The person who ordered this banjo requested a "patchwork quilt" effect for the rim. There are 8 different woods used: maple, mahogany, walnut, cherry, bloodwood, purpleheart, bubinga and good ol' oak. With a dyed calfskin tacked on, it turned out beautifully.

The neck is a distinctive piece of walnut, with a bloodwood fretboard.

The banjo is explained and demonstrated in the video below, followed by more photos of the banjo.

Tackhead Dulcimer

2010-02-17T06:40:00.006-05:00

The client who ordered this instrument wanted to have something that was small and easy to play. He really liked the aesthetics of the tackhead banjos I was making, but he didn't play banjo. He did, however, have experience with the mountain dulcimer, so this is what we came up with: Tackhead Dulcimer #1.

It has an 8" rim with calf skin tacked on top and a 18" scale. The neck is a gorgeous piece of tiger striped maple and the diatonic scale fretboard is bloodwood.

Here's a video clip explanation and demonstration (provided by Larry Barnett of Grandpa's Music in Bryson City), followed by more photos of the instrument and some of the building process.

Daddy Mojo Trade

2009-11-09T09:04:00.008-05:00

Lenny Robert of Daddy Mojo Cigar Box Guitars contacted me about the possibility of a trade at a time when I was swamped with commissions. After things settled down a few months later I contacted him and asked if he was ready (and still willing) for the trade. He said yes and these are the results.

Lenny received fully fretted tackhead banjo with internal tensioning system. A beautiful piece of maple was used for the neck and the rim is maple and mahogany.

I received a beautifully constructed six string cigar box guitar with a humbucker pickup. This thing sounds absolutely incredible when plugged into a tube amp.

Here are videos of the two builders showing off their creations:

Here are some more photos of the banjo:

Tackhead no. 13

2009-11-08T21:49:00.015-05:00

Here's lucky number thirteen.

It's a tackhead banjo with internal tensioning system. The neck is wormy maple. The rim is wormy maple with bloodwood. Fretboard is ebony, peghead overlay is figured walnut, ebony tailpiece and ebony nut.

This one sounds wonderful.

Here's a short clip of Frank Lee playing it...

He really loved the sound of it. After he played it for this video he wanted me to play it while he played fiddle and we ended up jamming for an hour or two.

And here's a clip of Dan Levenson playing "Sandy River Belle" on it. The woman who ordered this banjo ened up taking lessons from Dan. She took this footage and sent it to me (thanks, Christine!).

Here's my demonstration/explanation video. More photos follow.

Backpacking Cigar Box Banjo

2009-09-13T09:53:00.005-04:00

This instrument was commissioned by Joshua "Shua" Grant, who needed a light (under 1.5 lb), durable and playable banjo to take along with him on his 3 month trip on the Appalachian Trail.

Here are the results. It's a Cigar Box Banjo with an 18 inch scale, 1 lb, under 2 feet long, very durable and very playable banjo.

The neck is mahogany and purple heart. The fingerboard, tailpiece and bridge are rosewood. Ane the peghead overlay is walnut.

Here's a video of Shua playing his new instrument. He came over and within minutes he was playing it and I took this video:

Here are a few more pictures of the instrument:

Banjo #11 - Tackhead

2009-07-05T08:59:00.008-04:00

This banjo was commissioned by someone who really loved different aspects of several previous builds. He wanted the mahogany and bloodwood rim from this banjo, the wormy maple neck from this banjo, the inlay that I did on this banjo and he wanted a stripe down the peghead as I'd done on another banjo.

This is the first banjo that I've made that includes Pegheds mechanical fiddle pegs. They were more difficult to install than I thought they'd be, but they really are awesome. They keep the aesthetic of an old-time banjo, but can be fine-tuned easily.

Here's a video demonstration and explanation, followed by some photos of the banjo:

Here are a few photos of the building process:

Dobson Style Banjo

2009-04-19T19:07:00.010-04:00

This is my first "modern" banjo - that is, my first build that uses hardware on the outside of the banjo rim, rather than tacks. I used all raw brass hardware (tension hoop, tailpiece, hooks and bolts from Melrose Music; dobson tone ring from Wayne Sagmoen; other odds and ends from Ace Hardware). What I really like about this banjo is that it is mine (I hadn't built a banjo for me in over a year).

Here's a video demonstration and explanation of the banjo followed by photos (including some from the building process).

Rim is all wood with an integrated flange. The dobson tone ring is on the rim in this photo.

Here's the bottom of the rim. You can see I'm using walnut and purple heart. It was so fun shaping this rim on the lathe.

And here's the rim without the tone ring but with a little of raw brass hardware that will be used.

This is the first time I've tried my hand at backstrapping a neck. I find this to be a bit "busy" but I wanted to experiment a little. The neck is walnut and purple heart. The different veneers to create the backstrap are maple, purple heart and finally lace wood.

Here's another angle of the neck and back strap.

I'm using lace wood on the peghead, as well.

Salad Bowl Banjo #4

2009-04-19T17:35:00.004-04:00

This Salad Bowl Banjo was commissioned as a trade with luthier, Bob Gernandt. Bob had helped me so many times to solve problems with my instrument builds (some small, a couple were major). Once I asked if there was anything I could do for him. I thought I he'd want help with his web page, or some other computer thing, but he shocked me by asking me to make him a banjo. His wife, Allyson, plays clawhammer style banjo so I was absolutely honored to do this.

Here's a video demonstration and explanation, followed by some photos:

Purple heart and Walnut Rim Tackhead with Internal Tensioning

2009-03-24T20:17:00.010-04:00

The person who commissioned this banjo wanted a few things from me that I'd, frankly, never done before. Firstly, he wanted a crescent moon inlay at the fifth fret. I had been wanting to try my hand at inlay, so I said yes. He also wanted steel strings put on this banjo, which I would never have done because it is a tackhead banjo. However, it turned out sounding very nice. I had to route a slot down the center of the neck and include a steel rod, because of the steel strings. This is actually a heavy banjo, considering that there is no hardware on the outside of the rim.

To add to the "firsts," this banjo includes the first rim that I created with a lathe, as well. It was quite an experience and I can't wait to make my next rim with the lathe.

Anyway, here's a video of the banjo explained and demonstrated followed by more photos of the banjo and some photos of the creating process.

Walnut peghead, ebony nut and bloodwood fretboard.

Walnut neck.

Calf skin head tacked on.

Rim before it hit the lathe.

And after...

Getting ready for my first inlay

Scary...

Glue and bloodwood dust mixed should help hide any slight imperfections.

Clamped overnight.

Steel rod installed because owner wanted steel strings on this banjo.

How I build a block rim

2009-02-21T17:40:00.012-05:00

I was recently asked how I put together my block rims. As I was writing the email to explain my process, I decided instead to post it to my web page. So here goes.

I first cut 8 blocks per layer (sometimes 3, sometimes 4 layers) at 22 1/2 degree angle cuts. For a 12" rim each block should be 5 1/4 inches long and 1 11/16 inches wide. It's very important that each block is exactly the same size and that all the angles are exactly 22 1/2 degrees.

With all that said, it is almost impossible (for me at least) to get each block exactly the same size and exactly 22 1/2 degrees. So, this is my process:

I make half layers (four block) at a time - below you see four half layers.
I first lay out my blocks on a flat surface and prepare them for gluing.
One block per half is clamped down for stability

I then cut up 24 short peices of electrical tape in preparation for the gluing.

With one block clamped down, I begin gluing each piece together.
I then use the electrical tape (any stretchy tape will do) to keep the block tight.
(You do not need 200 lbs of clamping pressure to get a good solid joint.
This stretchy tape works just fine.)

Here are two layerers glued up (4 halves).

Now that the layers are done drying, you can see that
the edges don't meet perfectly to make a perfect joint
(it's only about 1/32 in off, but that's way too much)

This is where the edge sander comes in. This machine allows me to put a
perfectly flat edge on the end of each half.Another view of the edge sander.
Now I have four new flat edges and two perfect joints.
Another advantage of building in half layers, is that I
can get the interior to the band saw before each layer is glued together.
Here, I first draw the interior curve on the layer.

After I've completed to halves you can see the interior is a pretty decent circle.

Now its time to draw a curve on the exterior of each half.

Now its really starting to look like the layer of a banjo rim.
These two halves are ready t o be glued together
using the stretchy tape method.

After quite a bit of surface sanding and flattening (again on the edge sander),
I stack each layer and glue them together.

Another view.

In another day, or two, this rim will be ready for the lathe.

Tackhead Banjo - Mahogany and Bloodwood

2008-12-10T20:42:00.009-05:00

This is another commission. Many months ago I contacted Mike Quinlan, who makes beautiful handcrafted bodhrans, about the internal tuners in his drums. He kindly responded with more information than I could have ever expected about how he creates his drums and tuners. The information he passed along helped me with my "Internal Tensioning System" - a term I use because the word "tuners" has, of course, already been taken on the banjo.

Anyway, as it turns out, Mike enjoyed my instruments and the videos I've been uploading to youtube and asked me to make him a banjo.

It's another tackhead with internal tensioning. The 12 inch rim is made of mahagony and bloodwood. The neck is mahogany and the fretboard is bloodwood. Mike posted a review of this banjo at Banjo Hangout here.

Here's a video of me explaining and demonstrating the banjo followed by a few photographs.

Tackhead with internal tension #2

2008-11-06T21:10:00.011-05:00

Here's my latest banjo. It's a commission. The owner wanted a banjo similar to the first

Tackhead with internal tensioning system I put together a few months ago.

This banjo has a block rim with two layers of zebra wood. The tailpiece and bridge are also zebra wood. The neck in a very nicely figured cherry and the fretboard is rosewood - so is the peghead.

Here's a little video explanation and demonstration (on a beautiful November day in my back yard):

Here's a demo by Frank Lee, of the Freighthoppers:

And here's a proud new owner.

Here are some more pictures of the banjo:

Here are a few photos I took as I was making banjo:

Making Salad Bowl Banjo #3

2008-07-29T10:12:00.029-04:00

These photos and videos were done for the person who commissioned this banjo. I documented many aspects of the process of my making this banjo for him, but made it public for all to see here.

What follows is in opposite chronological order (in other words, if this is your first time viewing this page, scroll to the bottom first).

=======

Here it is completed and demonstated on youtube:

======

Test, one-two, test. Check. Check. Is this thing working?

Strung up, tuned up...how does it sound? Take one.

=======

New bowl - new skin - Perfect!

While the new bowl is not as "beautiful" as the first bowl, it actually is better suited to being a banjo. The skin is super tight (and it was humid in my basement when these were taken - 2 inches of rain that day). Here are a few pics and a video.

======

Setback has gone from minor to major. The reason for the loose skin has been diagnosed: a skin cannot tighten on a cracked bowl. I'm devastated by this turn of events. This was (is) such a beautiful bowl. I'm heart broken that I can't use it for this project. The wood turner has been called and a new is being produced.

======

Well, this is the first setback of the whole project (everything went so smoothly until now). The skin did not dry tight. I can think of two possible causes: 1) I did not apply enough glue and 2) the top of the bowl is beveled forcing the skin to come off the top of the bowl as it dries and tightens. Anyway, see the video below, which was taken 24 hours after the skin was tacked on, to see the sad state of this banjo head.

Anyway, this will not cost anything to the owner, except time. I have plenty of spare skins. This skin will come off, the top of the bowl will be de-beveled and a new skin will be tacked on.

===========

Calfskin tacked on Still needs to be trimmed (masking tape protects the side of the bowl)

=========
Fretboard glued on and neck is fitted to the bowl. Neck is sanded and the first two coats of finish have been applied.

========
Neck squeezing in. It has to be a tight squeeze so the resonance from the neck can help resonate the bowl.

Two holes that start the process of fitting the neck to the bowl

========
Frets installed

========
"This is where I'm at" video for the future owner

========
Bloodwood fretboard slotted

========
Still rough, but coming along. Also have a 5th peg carving started.

Shaping started

Center line and lines in 1/8 inch increments - getting ready to shape

Gluing the heel/dowl

Rough neck with bowl

Cherry neck - rough shape, just off the bandsaw

Walnut bowl turned by Ron Thompson

Tackhead with Internal Tension

2008-07-22T17:34:00.006-04:00

Here's another banjo with an internal tensioning system. The tackhead travel banjo was so successful, I decided to try the concept on a full sized banjo.

Here is a video demonstration and explanantion and another video demonstration done months after the banjo was built. More photos of the banjo are below.

It has a block rim with purple heart, mahogany and maple

The peghead and fretboard are rosewood

The neck is wormy maple (ambrosia)

a calfskin head

I used standard bodhran head tuners for this instrument, but I think I like my homemade ones better

Links

2008-06-19T11:15:00.013-04:00

Builders

Bob Gernand t - Bob is a true artist and I'm so fortunate to have such a fine luthier living here in Bryson City. His guitars, mandolins, mountain dulcimers, Irish bouzoukis and citterns, are outshined in their aesthetic beauty only by their tone. His advice has been invaluable.
Old Fiddle Road - Noel Booth is another local luthier living only a half hour away in Balsam, NC. He creates boutique openback, tackhead and gourd banjos (honestly, the nicest banjos I've ever played). Noel has also been very giving of his wisdom and time.
Mike Quinlan - beautiful handcrafted Bodhrans. Mike is a great guy and he helped me with the internal tensioning system I put into a tackhead banjo.
Jay Moschella - custom ordered gourd and tackhead banjos. He really makes beautiful instruments.
David Hyatt - gourd banjo builder, instructor and historian. His site also includes a list of the best gourd banjo builders around, a pdf file on how to build a gourd banjo and downloadable mp3s. All free.
Daddy Mojo: Finely Crafted Cigar Box Guitars - Lenny P. Robert makes some of the best CBGs out there (next best thing to making your own). Not only does he make a living building CBGs, he has an actual staff. Three cheers for Lenny - my hero!
Brooks Banjos - Brooks Masten has been making some of the nicest, best sounding, openback banjos. He's also a genuinely nice person, who showed me his shop and answered so many questions. He is also one of the few banjo makers who makes his own hardware - and it's stunning!
Vance Banjos - Colin Vance worked for Wildwood for about a decade before going out on his own. His banjo are works of art! Check out his inlay work. Also his pegheads and heals are beyond unique. Plus, Colin was a super nice guy when I visited his shop in Arcata, CA. Every question I had, he didn't just answer, he showed me how he did it.

Supplies

Stewart-MacDonald - if you're building a stringed instrument, you won't get far without a few tools from stew-mac. Beware, it's easy to drop alot of $$ very quickly (but always high quality).
Eldery Music - parts and accessories for stringed instruments. Also vintage and new instruments (easy to get lost looking at old Gibson, Martins and Nationals).
Banjo Seen - mounted and unmounted calf and goat skins.

Of Interest

Pincu Pottery - This is my wife's webpage - handmade, functional terracotta pottery for the artful table.
Old Groove - celebrates old-time southern music, tradition and culture through the people who create it, those who carry it on, and those who aren't afraid to add their two cents along the way.
Sugar in the Gourd - streamed old-time music around the clock.
Banjo Hangout - All things banjo including advice for and from builders.
Cigar Box Guitar Forum - if it weren't for this forum I don't think I would have ever gotten started as a builder. Great place to learn alot.
Postcards from the Smokies - a local webpage that highlights area attractions and events. They "take a more casual look at the small, hidden treasures that make the Smokies special."

Tackhead Travel Banjo with Internal Tension System

2008-05-31T12:51:00.009-04:00

This little guy was designed to be a travel banjo. It has a 10" pot and 21" scale. For this banjo I wanted to be able put tension on the head during the humid months, but without adding hardware to the outside of the banjo (I wanted to preserve a tackhead look). So I decided to use the design that Irish Bodhran makers have been using - internal tensioning similar to this drum by Mike Quinlan.

I started by emailing Mike and he offered me lots of advice on these internal tuners (as drum makers call them). Please see all of Mike's beautiful drums here.

I'm posting two videos. One of Frank Lee, of the Freighthoppes, playing it and another of me explaining it a little bit, including the tensioning system.

Back of the banjo including the internal tensioning system

Upward tension on the head

The neck

Bloodwood fretboard, tailpiece and bridge

Fretting for cheapskates

2008-05-16T09:40:00.019-04:00

This is how I go about fretting my instruments without buying any specialty tools. First of all, sorry, I'm doing this on a fingerboard that has already been fretted. I think, though, that you'll get the gist of the process.

This is the saw I created for cutting my fret slots. The blade came off this saw, which I bought at my local Ace Hardware. I attached the blade to a length of 1/4 inch oak and shaped a handle. I also attached it so the oak is a stop - which you can see more clearly in the second picture.

I then determine the angle with a sliding bevel and use the edge as my cutting guide for the fret slots.

Next I cut the fret wire to the length of the slot. Notice in the first picture that I use my vise as a "third hand" - very helpful when using the snippers in the second photo.

Next I install the fret with a regular quik-grip clamp (I tried a hammer once and I didn't get the hang of that - this clamp does exactly what I need it to do).

After all the fret wire is installed I put a file in vise length-wise and file down the wire flush to the wood.

I then angle the fretboard to angle the fret ends.

I then fine tune each fret end with smaller files.

Hope this helps.

Fretted Hand Drum Banjo

2008-05-10T14:45:00.002-04:00

Though I created this banjo as a commission, I'm glad to still own it. The gentleman who asked me to make it really liked my hand drum fretless banjo but he wanted it fretted. He also didn't want fiddle pegs, but geared tuners. So I went about to make this banjo. It had a mahagony neck, poplar fretboard, walnut bridge and maple nut. Below is a video explanation and poor demonstration. There are also a few photos below the video

Resonator Cigar Box Guitar #2

2008-05-10T10:56:00.003-04:00

Unlike my first resonator cigar box guitar, which was constructed completely of found parts, this rezo cbg uses an actual ukulele sized resonator cone, coverplate and biscuit bridge (all purchased from Republic Guitars) and a solid wood, hinged cigar box, this tuned outto be one of my nicest looking cigar box guitars. The maple headstock, with scarf joint lamination, ended up looking very pretty. An added bonus is that this cbg sounds great! Below is a video explanation followed by a few close-up photos.

Head stock front and back

Its innards

Contact Information

2008-05-09T20:06:00.006-04:00

Jeff Delfield

675 Robinson Gap Rd.
Bryson City, NC 28713

jeffdelfield(at)hotmail(dot)com

828-736-4310

Salad Bowl "gourdless" Gourd Banjo #2

2008-05-09T10:52:00.008-04:00

After completing Salad Bowl Banjo #1 I almost immediately started in on Salad Bowl Banjo #2. This time I got a hand-turned walnut bowl from local caftsman, Ron Thompson. This bowl was one of his "seconds." That is, one of his bowls not perfect enough for him to sell at full price. Wormy maple was used for the neck and blood wood for the fingerboard and peghead overlay. The bridge is walnut capped with blood wood and the nut is also blood wood. I tacked on a goat skin and it sounds great. I love the way the banjo turned out, both aesthetically and its tone. A full video explanation and demonstration is below. There are also some close-up photos below the video.

Salad Bowl "gourdless" Gourd Banjo

2008-05-09T10:34:00.007-04:00

So I wanted to make a Gourd Banjo but didn't have the patience to grow my own gourds. I spotted a wooden salad bowl in an antique shop here in Western North Carolina and came up with this. I recently sold this banjo on Ebay to a collector of antique banjos and "inventive" designs in England. After receiveing the banjo he let me know via email that it is a "stunning banjo - obviously very well made!"

Below is a video explanation and a video of Isaac Deal playing the instrument. There are also a few close-up photos below the video.

Cigar Box Guitar #12

2008-05-08T05:51:00.000-04:00

Below is a video of David Eno playing one of my CBGs. Dave is from upstate New York and bought this Dulcimer style CBG while he was vacationing here in Bryson City. My friend Push (actually his wife, Dell) found this video on youtube. He called me up to tell me about it and I was stunned. Dave is a great player and he makes my instrument sound so good.

First Banjo

2008-05-07T18:12:00.005-04:00

This was my first attempt at banjo making (other than with cookie tins). A friend was after an old-timey banjo, so I thought that I'd make one for him. I thought that if I bought a hand drum from a music store, I wouldn't have to create a rim myself. I used a rather figured piece of poplar for the neck, didn't add a fingerboard and bought fiddle pegs for tuners. At the time I made this instrument I hadn't made a banjo bridge before (now I make bidges for my banjos).

The "Roaster Rezo"

2008-05-05T18:10:00.002-04:00

I was obsessed - let me rephrase that, I was OBSESSED - with resonator guitars. I'd already made a resonator cbg, but I wondered how I could create a home made resonator instrument with a metal body. This is what I came up with.

Thats' a 6" cake pan as the resonator

I used a fork as a tail piece

This instrument sold to friends Suzy and Drew (another birthday gift - hope you like it Drew!)

The Axe - Handle (CBG)

2008-05-05T18:01:00.004-04:00

This was a bit of an experiment. Instead of creating a neck I bought an axe handle at the local hardware store. I then used my most narrow cigar box to create an axe or sledge hammer effect. Here are the results. Honestly, I didn't think this one would sell, but it did right away.

I actually drew the DCS logo on the headstock of this instrument.

Because this sold so quickly, I ended up making another and it sold quickly too. I haven't made one in almost a year - now that's great business sense!

Cigar Box Guitar #7

2008-05-05T17:39:00.004-04:00

This was my first commission. My in-laws through a party and someone saw CBG #5 hanging on their wall. She asked about it and said that her son played guitar and would love to have one and that his birthday was coming soon. I built it for her and created this video to send along with the instrument (that's why I'm addressing him personally in the video). I was rather nervous about the whole thing. I'd only given away instruments to friends and family at that point. This time someone was paying and I feared that someone (the giver or recipient) might be disappointed. It turns out the recipient of the gift was very happy with it and started playing it right away.

Here are a couple more close-up photos:

Cigar Box Guitar #5

2008-05-03T10:34:00.005-04:00

Another gift build. This was given to my in-laws, Dan and Gloria, as a Chanakah gift. They loved it and this build led to my first commission (CBG #7 - coming soon to this page).

The Tailpiece & Bridge

The Headstock

The back of the headstock

The Box

Cigar Box Guitar #3

2008-05-03T08:50:00.004-04:00

This CBG I created as a gift for my friend Tim. He and I became fast friends while working together at the Broward County Library System. He's a great guitarist who has been playing guitar of years and years and he started the Acoustic Guitar Club for BCL. The quality of this CBG was definitely higher than my first two builds.

The Headstock

The Box

Signed

The AlvaRezo (September 2006) - Converting a flat top guitar into a resonator

2008-04-30T18:32:00.000-04:00

I'd always wanted a resonator guitar to play slide on, but couldn't afford one. So a couple years ago I bought an old Alvarez classical guitar with a broken top and cracked headstock to convert into a resonator. The guitar cost me $20. I took lots of pictures thinking I might create a web page of the process, or something, but I never did. So, here's a slide show with narration. A video of me playing the guitar is tacked on at the end. The total cost of the end project was less than $100.

Ingredients:
One old busted-up Alvarez guitar
One 9 inch resonator cone
One biscuit bridge
One tail piece
One indoor grilling pan (cover plate)
One cabinet handle
Some plywood
Lotsa' glue
Unrealistic sense of what you can accomplish with your own two hands.

Please let me know if you have any questions. I'd be glad to go into more details on certain aspects of the project.

CGB #2 - My first resonator

2008-04-30T17:56:00.003-04:00

After I finished making my first Cigar Box Guitar (which was my first build), I immediately started in on this one. I'd found a few things at the thrift stores to create a resonator cbg and this is what I came up with.

Those are finishing nails for frets - not for the squeemish.

I used an upside-down pot lid and some sort of fancy candy dish together to create the metal resonator. Together they sound great!

I still own this baby. I doubt that I'll ever part with her. This might be one of the best sounding CBGs I've made. I think it's because of the two metal objects on top of each other. Anyway, here's a clip I recorded right after I completed this instrument. Judge for yourself by playing the soundclick file below.

Now playing: Deep Creek Stings

Another Cookie Tin Banjo

2008-04-30T17:44:00.000-04:00

Here's another Cookie Tin Banjo I created quite some time ago. It's a full scale, fretless intsrument. The neck is made of oak and the fingerboard is poplar. I found the tin in (you guessed it) an antique shop. I beleive this tin actually is antique. This intrument sounded pretty, but I never recorded it or got a chance to video someone playing it. So here are a few pictures.

Cookie Tin Banjo - my most viewed video

2008-04-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

So this is the first video I posted on youtube and it remains, by far, the most popular of all my videos. It's a cookie tin tenor banjo or baritone uke, I'm not sure which. It has a poplar neck and a wonderful cookie tin found at an antique shop (though I don't think it is antique). This instrument ended up in the home of Grampas Music sales associate extraordinare, Push.

Click here for more Deep Creek Strings videos

Here are a few pictures of this instrument

Deep Creek Strings - An Introduction

2008-04-01T21:06:00.000-04:00

Since '06 I've been building folk instruments using materials not normally associated with "fine" instrument making (cigar boxes, cookie tins, wooden bowls, flea market finds and antique shop discoveries, hardware from my local hardware store, etc) .

For the past two years I have been steadily honing my luthier skills and refining the looks and sounds of my instruments. Please look around. Links to many of the instruments I've created can be found to the left. I've also posted plenty of photos and videos. If you see something you'd like to know more about, please shoot me an email. Each instrument is genuinely one of a kind and I can attempt to customize anything you see here to suit your needs.

Jeff