mikeygtv - Posted - 11/09/2011:  12:29:54

by any chance would anyone here know of any merlin banjo for sale pref in the uk?  i missed one last week that sold for 310 pounds.  it wasnt the exact model i would like but sorry none the less.  the model i would like is the same as the one luke kelly played.  even if anyone has some pics of them that would be great. thanks

pastorharry - Posted - 11/09/2011:  14:14:12

longneckbanjoland.com/merlin.htm    here's some pics.

thefolkshop - Posted - 11/10/2011:  06:52:46

Here is a shot of the 'beautiful' peghead on a longneck that we have.

spoonfed - Posted - 11/10/2011:  12:35:46

google Anatomy of a merlin banjo, there are lots of pics of the beast in various states of undress. Hey thefolkshop, thanks for that picture, is that thing detachable ? in early pictures Luke Kellys banjo had a headstock just like that and somewhere around the late sixties it went missing and assumed the normal merlin headstock. dont wish to boast or make you jealous mike but, I played Lukes banjo one evening whilst helping the great man despatch a bottle of whiskey, (not that he needed much help !)

BrittDLD1 - Posted - 11/10/2011:  14:00:58

quote:

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Originally posted by thefolkshop

Here is a shot of the 'beautiful' peghead on a longneck that we have.

           

Edited by - BrittDLD1 on 11/10/2011 14:03:45

mikeygtv - Posted - 11/10/2011:  14:55:06

thanks guys ill get my mitts on one sometime hopefully. @ spoonfed ya that must have been nice.  he is my favourite singer of all.  i got interested in the banjo cos i bought his dvd the performer and i noticed a peg up along the neck.  looked into it then and ended up getting a banjo myself and goin for lessons but i had to stop goin cos of the lack of work.  i only know of a couple of lads teachin it in ireland. i have a richwood that i got first with a resonator and after a while i bought a goldtone longneck.  livin in greenford now and i might pick up somethin cheap to mess about on.   cant really find anyone locally sellin banjos though.  anyway thanks for all the comments lads.  meant to say on that dvd  i thought i could hear the banjo best on the night visiting song,  so it ended up being the first luke kelly song i learned and turns out to be my favourite of all his songs.  if any of ye watch that clip could ye let me know what he is doing with his index of the left hand?  every now and again he frets a string between chords. i could never figure it out!!!  youtube.com/watch?v=WMGvQ2v-ZRM   he does it a few times between 29 and 40 seconds

Edited by - mikeygtv on 11/10/2011 15:06:45

spoonfed - Posted - 11/11/2011:  10:07:34

Yeah man, he is one of my heroes too, on the night visiting song Luke is playing his Vega pete seeger banjo if memory serves, cos his Merlin fell apart ! Luke very often used double C tuning so, best advice; get in double C, capo where Luke does (make sure you are in concert pitch though !) and play along and copy, I think they do that song in G , all this is from memory so I hope I dont mislead you. thats pretty much how I learned all Lukes stuff and I can, and do play it all . Ed Britt, check out the early Dubliners on youtube and you will see that headstock on Lukes Merlin.

thefolkshop - Posted - 11/12/2011:  07:00:22

Here are a couple more shots of the Merlin 'Enforcer' for those interested.  The last pic shows the strap hook that can be threaded into the different balance points.  We have lots of long necks and the Merlin sounds much better than some of the others.

Jim Yates - Posted - 11/12/2011:  11:07:42

 Merlins were certainly unique.

Edited by - Jim Yates on 11/12/2011 11:09:16

Merlin from 1964 Sing Out!

BrittDLD1 - Posted - 11/12/2011:  14:37:55

quote:

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Originally posted by thefolkshop

Here are a couple more shots of the Merlin 'Enforcer' for those interested.  The last pic shows the strap hook that can be threaded into the different balance points.  We have lots of long necks and the Merlin sounds much better than some of the others.

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Edited by - BrittDLD1 on 11/12/2011 14:40:25

spoonfed - Posted - 11/14/2011:  07:43:33

All good info, thanks for that. I played Lukes merlin when I knew nothing of banjos and just assumed that all "banjers" were made that way ! I would however be curious to know just what that thing is on the headstock/peghead and how is it removed to reveal the more conventional head seen later, if you look up the earlier Dubliners on youtube ie, the Ed sullivan show, Luke has that large thingy on his  and later ie, Raglan Road, it has assumed nicer proportions, whats the deal ? 

pgroff - Posted - 11/18/2011:  08:23:08

Hi all,

Apologies that this is off-topic, but I was just sent this link to a great interview with Luke Kelly.  If his fans in this thread happen not to have heard it, they might like to:

soundcloud.com/paddyper/paddyp...file-no-6

Includes the story of Luke being given "Raglan Road" to sing, etc.

PG

Edited by - pgroff on 11/18/2011 08:24:26

Mickmac1914 - Posted - 12/07/2011:  13:01:22

Just want to comment on Luke Kellys Merlins, he had two / Vega banjos. There are with his brothers, so will they be ever played again?  Who knows.

The tuning that Luke used was, C tuning, which is, from the bottom up: D B G C G,  'that is on the third fret'. In this tuning the chord of G (a one finger chord) is made with the index finger on the fourth string.

The C chord is formed with two fingers on the first and second strings.

I will gladly email the C tuning chords to anyone that wants them.

It's the tuning that was and is still used by folk singers, Tommy Makem, Pete Seeger etc, because the chords were easy to make.

I hope this is of some help to some people.

By the way, Luke was a very quite person off stage, a lot of the stories going around about him, maybe sounded good to some people, but, were not true.

Mikeygtv I know you, how are things? happy plucking.

mikeygtv - Posted - 02/24/2012:  17:40:52

quote:

---

Originally posted by thefolkshop

Here is a shot of the 'beautiful' peghead on a longneck that we have.

---

have you still got the merlin?  if so would it be for sale?

mainejohn - Posted - 02/25/2012:  04:52:49

mickmac1914  said: "

The tuning that Luke used was, C tuning, which is, from the bottom up: D B G C G,  'that is on the third fret'. In this tuning the chord of G (a one finger chord) is made with the index finger on the fourth string.

The C chord is formed with two fingers on the first and second strings."

...ya lost me...the C tuning I've used for 51 years is gCGBD, going from the 5th string to the 1st.

...and does a Merlin longneck have any redeeming qualities other than its relatively low price, and the fact that Luke Kelly played one?

Edited by - mainejohn on 02/25/2012 04:54:14

SWCooper - Posted - 02/25/2012:  05:52:15

Well, it's rare. And cool, if you like eccentric banjos.

spoonfed - Posted - 02/25/2012:  08:03:39

Yeah man, its unique, cool and sounds good too !

Emiel - Posted - 02/25/2012:  14:24:33

quote:

---

Originally posted by mainejohn

mickmac1914  said: "

The tuning that Luke used was, C tuning, which is, from the bottom up: D B G C G,  'that is on the third fret'. In this tuning the chord of G (a one finger chord) is made with the index finger on the fourth string.

The C chord is formed with two fingers on the first and second strings."

 

...ya lost me...the C tuning I've used for 51 years is gCGBD, going from the 5th string to the 1st.

 

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Same tuning, mick just quotes the strings from 1st to 5th...

mainejohn - Posted - 02/25/2012:  15:30:50

quote:

---

Originally posted by Emiel

quote:

---

Originally posted by mainejohn

mickmac1914  said: "

The tuning that Luke used was, C tuning, which is, from the bottom up: D B G C G,  'that is on the third fret'. In this tuning the chord of G (a one finger chord) is made with the index finger on the fourth string.

The C chord is formed with two fingers on the first and second strings."

 

...ya lost me...the C tuning I've used for 51 years is gCGBD, going from the 5th string to the 1st.

 

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Same tuning, mick just quotes the strings from 1st to 5th...

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For some reason, his system just didn't register with me. At my age, I'm easily confused.

Robxx - Posted - 02/26/2012:  03:46:22

quote:

---

Originally posted by pgroff

Hi all,

Apologies that this is off-topic, but I was just sent this link to a great interview with Luke Kelly.  If his fans in this thread happen not to have heard it, they might like to:

 

soundcloud.com/paddyper/paddyp...file-no-6

Just listened to this, absolutely wonderful stuff.  The Dubliners have always been my heroes since first time I them  on the TV in the sixties.  Great to hear Luke Kelly,  Raglan Road is a favourite of mine , and I love to sing it.

Thank you,

Rob

Includes the story of Luke being given "Raglan Road" to sing, etc.

 

PG

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