steveh_2o - Posted - 12/25/2015:  17:29:06

I had a few days off over Christmas and spent some time out in the shop on this thing.

I had a  little 2 sided wooden drum I picked up at Goodwill.  It had a coin slot in the top, said "Korea" on the head.  I sliced one side off and scraped the paint off the head with a razor blade. 

I needed a gift for a dirty santa at a work party.   I had a few sticks leaning in the corner of the shop drying out for walking canes so I thought I would build a little one string walking stick thing with the drum...something I could throw together in an hour or so.   

I had about a 12 inch neck with the diatonic scale fretted and it was about ready to string.   That was when I decided to go in another direction.  I leaned it in the corner and came up with something else for the party gift.

A couple of days later I took a chisel and knocked the one string fretboard off my stick.   

It is an "18.25 scale.  I have it tuned to a open C.   It has a tunneled 5th.   As it turns out, the bent sick bows about an 8th away from the fretboard near the end, but it works ok.  It's mostly a conversation piece I guess...but it will play.

Finished it yesterday afternoon.   The kids were playing board games with their cousins and I was sitting at the end of the table fileing a nut from a piece of deer antler.

My Christmas gift to myself.

Thanks for looking!

-Steve

I hope everyone here on The Hangout had a great Christmas.

BrentSims - Posted - 12/25/2015:  17:55:09

That is the coolest thing I've seen in some time. Being that I need a cane to walk I've been kicking around making something like this myself. Nice work!

Brent

roydsjr - Posted - 12/25/2015:  18:20:13

That's alright! Neat! You might start a trend!

mike gregory - Posted - 12/25/2015:  18:31:38

Very nice.
The ONLY disappoinment is that the song on the video was not
"HAND ME DOWN MY WALKING CANE"

pzguitar - Posted - 12/25/2015:  20:19:36

Very cool! Definitely convenient easy transport.

steveh_2o - Posted - 12/25/2015:  20:40:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike gregory

 

Very nice.

The ONLY disappoinment is that the song on the video was not

"HAND ME DOWN MY WALKING CANE"

---

Mike,

No one should be disappointed on Christmas.  If it was capable of correcting it I would.  The tune isn't in my short playlist, but here is an attempt.  Be it what it is.  

mike gregory - Posted - 12/26/2015:  05:30:53

Thank you.
Didn't know I was that effective as a complainer!


Wonder if I should whine to Mary Z. Cox about wanting to hear her do a clawhammer cello banjo rendition of my original "Run,Mary, Run!"

Dan Knowles - Posted - 12/26/2015:  21:10:57

THUMBS UP STEVE!!!

steveh_2o - Posted - 12/29/2015:  18:50:08

Thanks everyone!

I worked on the song a bit.   I suppose if one has a walking stick banjo, he should know the right song.   Also, a few more pictures.

Steve

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane

Jonnycake White - Posted - 12/30/2015:  07:30:08

That's pretty interesting.  It seems a lot louder than I would expect for the small drum.