Every time I visited my Grandfather in Mississippi I loved spending time in his workshop. On one of my visits before he passed away he loaded a box in my truck with a couple of handsaws and few other things including a few little boxes. I thought it would be nice one day to turn one of these into an instrument. I thought it would be a great opportunity to make an intro course into fiddle making. Learning some of the principles and practices without all the stress of making the body of the fiddle.

So make sure to have fun and relax, enjoy the process of making! In the end you will have something that you can enjoy and be proud of for what it is. Everyone’s instrument will sound different, look different, and just be different…and that is a great thing. We are not after copying others. We are here to learn how to make something to express something we hold inside. I have such great memories of making things with just a couple of tools from my Dad’s tool box- I know what it is like to work with limited space and resources. I hope you enjoy the process of making this banjo with me.

Below are the links to the what you need outside of wood. I also have a link to the PDF for the project plans. ENJOY!

Please don’t share these with anyone who has not paid for the course.

Mississippi box fiddle beginner plansDownload

Fingerboard template.

Supply links: Lots of options here are some readily available.

  • Violin pegs HERE or Amazon or eBay just get 4/4 size Violin pegs
  • Strings I used in the project. HERE (But obviously use what you want.)
  • Bridges HERE
  • Endpins HERE
  • Fingerboards if you don’t make your own HERE
  • Nut and Saddle if you don’t make your own HERE
  • Fine tuners I used HERE
  • Tailpieces if you don’t make your own HERE
  • Reamer to fit violin pegs HERE.

Wood blank sizes: Lots of options here but these are the minimum. But give yourself a little extra to work with. Remember it is always harder to add wood than to take it away.

  • Neck: 244 mm x 55mm x 50mm (9.75in x 2.25 in x 2in)
  • Fingerboard: 276mm x 12mm x 45mm (10.75in x .5in 1.75in)
  • Box can by up to 353mm (14in) long or longer if you make a cool interesting tailpiece…But don’t have it over 125mm (5 in) wide in the middle or else the bow will hit the sides when playing.

F hole video