Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos profile picture

Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos

Art bad. Banjo good.

About Me

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GOURD NGONI W/CEDAR TOP

BASS DUTAR

Married Miss Stephanie Vargo. Visit www.myspace.com/smvargo
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Guitarist/vocalist song-writer w/The Deliberate Strangers. Visit www.myspace.com/thedeliberatestrangers
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Luthier, banjo pimper, and inlay artist. Visit www.bornagainbanjos.com
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The luthiery arts are only an attempt to make a better gourd. Check out the 2008 GOURD BLOG!
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Played guitar in a band called The Five in Pgh/Boston 1980-87....


Look down! It's the LUTHIERY SLIDE SHOW! ....



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My Interests

Spike Fiddle
Gourd Instrument

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Being in great band for going on 13 years.

When I was six, my father presented me with a Stella tenor guitar which he "got off a drunk"
It sat there until Ike Turner inspired me to take up the guitar on Oct. 31, 1969

Building and collecting musical instruments... Started doing restoration and inlay work on flea market banjos, ukes, etc. Built a mandolin. Things got out of hand when Alex Meleshenko took me under his luthiery wing.

I'm intrigued by the fretless banjo and its relationship to West African instruments, as well as the stunning variety of stringed instruments originating in the Middle East and central Asia. That interest has inspired a series of "hybrid" instruments which I began building in the spring of '06. First was the Hybrid Xalam, which led to a CBG featuring Appalachian dulcimer fretting. Next came the Hurdy Gourdy, a hand cranked wheel driven instrument with a gourd body and a fretless fingerboard. There's also the "Anlyre", a harp made of deer antlers and cherry soundbox based on Pythagorian principles. There's a little animation and sound clip to your right. Most recently, I've been working on some spruce and cedar topped "ngonis", a project that was the subject of much photo-documentation by Randy Jaroz. I'm currently building my first oud. You can monitor the progress via my OUD BLOGS

I've done some recordings of a banjo through a looping device, despite the fact that "electronics" give me the willies. You can hear it on the "Hey Dock!" video on this page.

I'd like to meet:

The Kid from Deliverence. Honeysuckle Devine.

Music:



Ali and Vieux Farka Toure, Charlie Patton, Son House, Dock Boggs, Curtis Eller, Jelly Roll Morton, Gus Cannon, Robert Wilkins, Dick Justice, Frank Hutchinson, Roscoe Holcomb, John Fahey, Otis Taylor, Boubacar Traore, Maybelle Carter, Tinarawin, Jorma Kaukonen, Emmett Miller, Harmonica Frank Floyd, Peg Leg Howell & His Gang, Frank Stokes, Mississippi fife and drum bands, the Master Musicians of Joujouka, RIP Hamsa El Din, Congotronics, the Atlanta 12-string crew, DJ Cheb i Sabbah.

Then there's Jimmy Page, Keith, Hubert Sumlin, Billy Zoom, Poison Ivy, but that's another story entirely.

Movies:

Dancing Outlaw, Multiple Maniacs, The Producers (Brooks original!), Dead Man ("stupid fucking white man"), any Spaghetti Western

Television:

Various History Channels, National Geographic, Larry King. Recently following Saturday night boxing matches at The Big House.

Books:


Cold Mountain - Frazier
Palm Wine Drinkard - Tutoula
Salvation On Sand Mountain - Covington
Last Mountain Dancer - Kinder
Screaming With The Cannibals - Maynard
Anything by James Welch

Heroes:

Blue Jacket

My Blog

OUD BLOG II

4/10/08 - Since I can't seem to edit my blogs anymore, I'll try this...C'mon Uncle Rupert, fix the damn thing!4/6/08  Been a while since the last entry. I had a minor disaster. After getting all the ...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:28:00 PST

McCain and Palin Are Playing With Fire

Just had to post this article from this morning's Washington Post. McCain and Palin Are Playing With Fire By Khaled HosseiniSunday, October 12, 2008; Page B05I prefer to discuss politics through my no...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:54:00 PST

LUTHIERY ACTIVITY

11/25/07 - Now that gourd growing season is past, I can write about what's been going on in the Born Again Banjos workshop. I've been working on some new instruments that I hope to finish soon. One is...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:45:00 PST

GOURD BLOG 08

4/18/08 - Once again, Spring has sprung in Squirrel Hollar. Its turning green and the hippies are hauling compost. Time to go out tomorrow and view the winter damage to the compound.4/23/08 - Ms. S an...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:29:00 PST

OUD BLOG

1/18/08 - Going to start a new blog as I’m starting a new major project. Today, my copy of Dr. Oud’s "The Oud: Construction and Repair" arrived. Looks like I’ll be bending some wood....
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:20:00 PST

GOURD BLOG

Got the gourd seeds started this evening. The agricultural phase of Born Again Banjos commences.5/11/06 - Getting some good sprouts ..5/14/06 - Those sprouts are getting big. Got them outside acclimat...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Wed, 03 May 2006 03:48:00 PST

PLEASE VISIT MY MUSIC PAGE

I wanted a place where I could put up some music I've been working on outside of The Strangers. Here's the link Tom's MusicCurrently there's some new music and animation I've been experimenting with, ...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Tue, 30 May 2006 04:13:00 PST

Cyber-sluts: Pain In My Ass

I'm getting really sick and tired of all the Jennas, Tammis, and Ms. Sexy Thangs clogging up my mailbox with friend requests and messages. Unless you play the banjo, build musical instruments out of w...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:25:00 PST

SQUIRREL HOLLER

The sun actually came out today in W. PA. Was able to get a couple coats of finish on a banjo rim I've been working on. Also took a walk in the woods and found some soon to be hybrid halam necks layin...
Posted by Tom Moran/Born Again Banjos on Sun, 21 May 2006 01:50:00 PST