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TonyS - Posted - 05/28/2009: 10:19:30
Ordered an OT 800 - waiting anxiously!
Any tips, do's & dont's etc re; long neck 'jos
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" This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender " - Pete''s banjo
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use GOODSEARCH as your search engine to support your favorite charity!
chip arnold - Posted - 05/28/2009: 10:30:13
Put a capo on the 3rd fret and pretend it's a regular banjo :-)
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
RatLer - Posted - 05/28/2009: 11:29:00
Cut off what you need and glue the head stock back on....
RatLer
RatLer - Posted - 05/28/2009: 11:31:37
Install a "warning alarm" so that when you move around, people can get out of the way...
RatLer
GW in Ohio - Posted - 05/28/2009: 12:13:15
Tips?
1. Get a Kingston Trio songbook
2. Find a couple of fun-loving guitar players
3. Scan eBay for good prices on matching button-down shirts
4. Drink heavily
philbywan - Posted - 05/28/2009: 12:39:20
start singing in low keys
keep that left shoulder loose, it's a long way up to those open chord positions...
I find when picking mine (I play Scruggs style) that there is a lot more "side to side" movement in the strings, I guess because they are longer. It has taught me to fret the strings with a "straight down on to the neck" sort of a position which has helped fret the notes cleanly.
Oh yeah, and enjoy it!
Chesapeake - Posted - 05/28/2009: 12:58:04
Get a long arm.
vega long neck - Posted - 05/28/2009: 13:13:30
It's a fun and wonderful thing that most player miss. It's primarily beneficial for a singer so you can get (no capo) A and E right through the standard A and D with the capo on the Longneck) 5th fret. The open banjo also has a really nice deep sound to it that is similar (very important word) to the de-tuned minstrel banjos. I prefer to use medium strings with at least a .024 on the 4th string. Pearse Strings will make up sets of any combination gauge you want so it's not much of a hassle at all.
As for playing, unless you're under about 5'8" the length of the neck just isn't a problem; nor is the reach. When sitting I put the pot between my legs, when standing it's slung so the pot is just off center - closer to the right hip. I prefer to use a sling in the Seeger method which scares alot of folks but it sure works well. He hangs the banjo from a bracket just above the tailpiece and a "sweet spot" on the neck that stabilizes the banjo and stops all swinging. I use a stainless eyebolt and drilled a pilot hole before screwing it in.
Be prepared for non stop jokes about the longneck, usually from those who have never played one. I guess it's the only avenue other pickers have to strike back for all the other banjo jokes that are told by guitar players and MCs.
My Vega has been my favorite banjo since '64 and I have no intention of ever selling it. Several other very nice standad scale banjos have come and gone over the years... NOT my Seeger model.
Experiment with the potential and you'll develp an appreciation for what Pete created. Enjoy!
Scott
pastorharry - Posted - 05/28/2009: 13:23:52
Careful of the chandeliers........
Isaiah 38:20
scruss - Posted - 05/28/2009: 14:35:59
Not all strings are long enough for a long neck. OME ones are, as are Newtone.
And to follow on from GW in Ohio's comment, one of them needs to play a tenor guitar. That's important.
--
scruss.com/blog/ - Hug a wind turbine today!
Gary Blanchard - Posted - 05/28/2009: 15:56:19
Congratulations, Tony! I am having a long-neck banjo built and hope to have it soon. It seems that we might be in a long-neck boom time right now.
Thanks for your comments, Scott. I've seen the pictures of Pete's banjo with the eyebolt and wondered how that works. What size eyebolt did you use? It does look like it would help keep the banjo stable so I may consider doing that to mine when it comes.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
brokenstrings - Posted - 05/28/2009: 23:30:01
Don't poke your playing buddies in the eye with it.
Jessy
Frailaway, ladies, frailaway!
vega long neck - Posted - 05/29/2009: 06:33:58
Noodler;
I guessed about the size based on my comfort level of the grip length/thread holding the weight of a Tubaphone ring. I have an open eye of 3/16" with about 1 1/4' inches of thread. It's never wiggled. I did move it about two inches a few years back for better balance.
As I recall, Pete had some comments about the placement in his "How to Play the 5 String Banjo" book, at least he did in the 1960s version. You can make a simple double loop on the end of your strap and experiment with balance. There are some video clips of my set up on YouTube; my son recorded me at Galax last year and then I did some tunes for my granddaughters the next day at home. Under Scottsthomas with titles like Isn't it Grand, Johnny Todd, Hey Nelly Nelly, Chilly Winds.
The comment about string length is VERY true. Many companies have gotten conservative (cheap?) in the past few decades. When in doubt, ask the store if you can unwrap a 2nd or 3rd and hold it up to your banjo; no one has ever said no to me. The past few years I have gone to John Pearse (medium) strings with a .024 or .026 4th. They make up their sets to order so you can get anything you want. If you get them at a festival there's no shipping.
Scott
philbywan - Posted - 05/29/2009: 09:10:54
hey, I have that Pete Seeger book. Let me go see what he says about that srew eye... I'll be back
TonyS - Posted - 05/29/2009: 10:02:46
Cute comments guys!
Thanks for the serious ones!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender " - Pete''s banjo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
use GOODSEARCH as your search engine to support your favorite charity!
Gary Blanchard - Posted - 05/29/2009: 10:14:44
quote:
Originally posted by Jim Yates
Seriously, if you're going to emulate someone, why not the original long necker, Pete Seeger. I wonder how many long neckers are on the Hangout.
Jim
I agree, Jim. That is my inspiration! I was never a big fan of the Kingston Trio, even though Tom Dooley might have been the first song with banjo that I really noticed. Pete Seeger, however, caught my ear and my imagination.
I have noticed a number of long-neck threads and am not sure if there are more or if I am just more attuned to them. I am wondering if there is an increased interest in long-neck banjos at this time and, if so, what has triggered that interest.
It is also interesting to see some of the more flippant replies. Seems like long-neck banjos get almost as much respect as six-string banjos.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
Chesapeake - Posted - 05/29/2009: 10:26:04
quote:
Originally posted by TonyS
Cute comments guys!
Thanks for the serious ones!....
You're welcome.
Btw, lest you think I'm being snarky about longnecks, I'm a fan of both the KT and Pete Seeger, and owning one is pretty high on my bucket list.
chip arnold - Posted - 05/29/2009: 11:25:59
Flip, flip, flip! Gary us regular neck 5 string players have nobody to tease but you guys. I remember (Alice's Resturant?) Arlo Guthrie saying there's always somebody worse off that you are........and how he'd hate to be the last guy! Now of course I'd never, ever, ever suggest that folks like you and Pastor Harry could be in the "last guy" group .................. ;-)
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
Gary Blanchard - Posted - 05/29/2009: 11:52:29
Ah, yes. "The Pause of Mr. Claus." Arlo at his best. I can see that the last guy syndrome might apply here.
At least I am in good company if Pastor Harry is part of the crew.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
farmer bob - Posted - 05/29/2009: 17:33:13
Back in 1972 I ordered a Fender Allegro 5 string longneck openback. listed for $295. Got a price of 210 bucks net. I had to wait a year for it to be built. That was 37 years ago. Hasn't come yet ,If it doesn't come soon I may ask for my deposit back. I hope you don't have to wait that long...FB
Gary Blanchard - Posted - 05/29/2009: 19:50:11
quote:
Originally posted by farmer bob
Back in 1972 I ordered a Fender Allegro 5 string longneck openback. listed for $295. Got a price of 210 bucks net. I had to wait a year for it to be built. That was 37 years ago. Hasn't come yet ,If it doesn't come soon I may ask for my deposit back. I hope you don't have to wait that long...FB
You are a patient man. Luckily, I know where my builder lives.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
freddfish - Posted - 05/30/2009: 19:59:37
Cool topic.
I bought a longneck neck from a Pacific Rim supplier, had a lot of inlays that, to be honest I have no real use for. Bought it kind of on a whim, and am now in the process of getting a builider that tkae it the rest of the way. I bought Pete Seeger's book, in the hopes it will have something substantive to impart about this sort of instrument. I am not overly hopeful though...seems ol Pete repudiated much of what the book comtained in later years, Still, it should be a fun instrment to play once I get it.
So I guess, in standard tuning it would be EBEG#B.
Sorry bout the spelling, and rambiling tone, Tired..........
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
vega long neck - Posted - 05/31/2009: 05:47:48
Don't know I would use "repudiate". Pete wrote a nice introduction to the latest (blue covered) edition about the order of learning and some other observations that I think show that his music and style continued to evolve over the years. He said(somewhere) that the original book (red cover) sort of started as seperate articles/ thoughts about the playing and were at first loosely strung together. He has different ideas now about what is basic and what emphasis is placed where. Much of the materiel remains essentially unchanged, edited but still pretty much the same. His perspective changed, some might call that growth. I have both a 60s edition and the new blue covered edition and have used both helping other folks.
Scott
Jim E. - Posted - 06/01/2009: 07:26:08
I'd also call it growth, Scott. And if you'd allow a friendly amendment to your thoughtful post above, the cover of the original edition of Pete's book was yellow, not red.
chip arnold - Posted - 06/01/2009: 07:42:26
And even before it was yellow it was run off by Pete's hand on a zerox machine! I've never seen one of these though but I have a 1962 edition which is red.
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
Jim E. - Posted - 06/01/2009: 07:51:30
You're absolutely right, Chip, except, to be entirely correct, it wasn't run off on a "zerox" machine, it was mimeographed (xerox copiers did not exist in 1948). If one of those original copies can be located, I think it should be enshrined in the Smithsonian.
whyteman - Posted - 06/01/2009: 16:05:12
I once saw a book on "Elderly's" sight that had tabs of songs by lots of LongNeckHeroes of the Folksong Revival. You might see if they still have any copies. It seemed to be well done.
Don.
Haul off your overcoat and roll up your sleeve.
chip arnold - Posted - 06/01/2009: 17:19:49
Mimeograph! That's the word I was looking for. I remember when I was little there was a hand cranked machine which used blue ink. I loved the smell of that ink. That was a mimeograph, right? Somebody, somewhere has a copy of that early book. I'd love to see one and I agree, it should be in the Smithsonian.
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
Jim E. - Posted - 06/01/2009: 19:37:38
You're right again, Chip. But I'm afraid that dates us both since only those who are, ahem, of a certain age remember the enticing aroma of mimeograph ink.
jhandsfield - Posted - 06/01/2009: 19:44:58
quote:
Originally posted by chip arnold
Mimeograph! That's the word I was looking for. I remember when I was little there was a hand cranked machine which used blue ink. I loved the smell of that ink. That was a mimeograph, right? Somebody, somewhere has a copy of that early book. I'd love to see one and I agree, it should be in the Smithsonian.
Sorry, Chip - that's a Ditto copier. Mimeograph was essentially a stencil that was cut using a typewriter and then attached to an inked drum. The Ditto machine was good for a hundred or so copies. The mimeograph stencil could be used for thousands.
Not sure what this has to do with long neck banjos, other than I've used a mimeograph machine and I play a long neck banjo.
Jim Handsfield
jhandsfield@mindspring.comAlways preach the Gospel - use words if you must (Francis of Assisi)
freddfish - Posted - 06/02/2009: 06:42:38
quote:
Originally posted by vega long neck
Don't know I would use "repudiate". Pete wrote a nice introduction to the latest (blue covered) edition about the order of learning and some other observations that I think show that his music and style continued to evolve over the years. He said(somewhere) that the original book (red cover) sort of started as seperate articles/ thoughts about the playing and were at first loosely strung together. He has different ideas now about what is basic and what emphasis is placed where. Much of the materiel remains essentially unchanged, edited but still pretty much the same. His perspective changed, some might call that growth. I have both a 60s edition and the new blue covered edition and have used both helping other folks.
Scott
Scott
You are probably right with this. I am getting his book (The Incompleat...) sent to me at the moment, and repudiate (without yet reading it...) may be the wrong term. I DO recall reading that he said he wished he could recall it and re-write certain parts, or maybe the whole thing....which is not the same thing. My guess is that that would be a reflection of his growth as a person and as a musician.
On Pete himself I am pretty conflicted. He turned a lot of folks on to this great instrument in particular, and folk music in general ( and I suspect I would like him on a man-to-man basis). For that I am grateful. He also gave political and publicity cover and put a big smiley face
on the Soviet Union under Stalin, one of the most murderous and brutal regimes the world has ever seen. Granted, he acknowledged his mistake and repudiated THAT 50 years and around 100 million corpses later, but to me, that is a case of too little, too late.
Well, let's hope I learn something about the long-neck from his book. It was basically a Seeger invention, at least that is what I am given to understand. I know from his videos that Mike Iverson plays one, I may be able to get a tip or two from him.
Plus, let's face it...they look cool.
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
Jim E. - Posted - 06/02/2009: 07:24:37
The ditto and mimeograph machines are often confused, even by those of us who were familiar with both. Adding to the problem, the term "mimeograph" became somewhat generic (much like "kleenex" and "xerox") and was/is often used to describe any drum duplicator.
To try to pull this arcane sub-discussion back to the subject of banjos, would Pete Seeger have employed a mimeograph or a ditto for duplicating the original issue of his book? As Jim says above, the ditto machine could produce far fewer copies and thus it may not have been Pete's choice. Pete's statement in the front of the book, that he "mimeographed" both the first and second editions of the book "while accompanying Henry Wallace in the presidential campaign of 1948", is in all likelihood definitive since he needed more copies than the ditto machine could produce in a single run. By the way, and in the interest of accuracy, the mimeograph ink was odorless. That of the ditto machine had a distinct smell and was highly toxic if exposure was prolonged. In contrast, long neck banjos emit no odor, but there are those who insist that their toxicity is still open to question.
chip arnold - Posted - 06/02/2009: 07:57:39
Must have been a ditto machine then. But I do think it had a drum that rolled by way of a hand crank..........
Banjo content: My banjos all have round drums and all can be very cranky at times.
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
freddfish - Posted - 06/02/2009: 09:50:43
quote:
Originally posted by whyteman
I once saw a book on "Elderly's" sight that had tabs of songs by lots of LongNeckHeroes of the Folksong Revival. You might see if they still have any copies. It seemed to be well done.
Don.
Haul off your overcoat and roll up your sleeve.
Do you recall the title, Don? I could maybe use it....
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
freddfish - Posted - 06/02/2009: 11:24:13
Hey, do you think you old fogies here could maybe get back to talking about longneck banjos, instead of old, fossilized, obsolete office equipement that nobody remembers; like ditto and mimeograph machines?
(Oh hell....who am I kidding? I remember the damn things too......
)
Go on....forget I said anything.....
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
Gary Blanchard - Posted - 06/03/2009: 09:10:54
As I sit here waiting for my new long-neck, I find myself wondering:
- where do I get a case?
- what strings do I buy?
- how do you tune the 5th string when you aren't using the capo?
- how did I ever get this idea past my wife?
I guess I'll just have to be patient while I wait to get my hands on this thing.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
freddfish - Posted - 06/03/2009: 11:29:32
quote:
Originally posted by Gary Blanchard
As I sit here waiting for my new long-neck, I find myself wondering:
- where do I get a case?
- what strings do I buy?
- how do you tune the 5th string when you aren't using the capo?
- how did I ever get this idea past my wife?
I guess I'll just have to be patient while I wait to get my hands on this thing.
Gary Blanchard
gbandf.com
Case? At this point I am thinking either make one or get a gig bag.....
Strings? Check earlier posts carefully......Some kind soul posted on this thread about making SURE you have long strings, and cited a couple of brands. Thanks be to them!
Tuning? As near as I can tell, you could either go EBEG#A (all strings lowered down 3 steps to make the E triad...) OR G#BEG#A (raising the G drone up to G# to make the E triad)
I heard the 2nd was preferable, as it keeps good tension on the G string. DON'T take my word as gospel, or even as an authority, though....I am only relating what I have heard. I am still waiting for my man Chris Via to finish building my longneck. And he is pretty busy, I think. Lots of folks want those Somersets he is building, as well as his other stuff...AND he is busy getting ready for the Henry Reed fiddlers Convention that he is the main guy for, next week.
gilesmountainstringband.com/henryreed.htmlWife? Remember this, my friend....Forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission.
Heh heh....I hope this was helpful.
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
John Gribble - Posted - 06/03/2009: 14:16:07
quote:
Originally posted by freddfish
[quote]Originally posted by whyteman
I once saw a book on "Elderly's" sight that had tabs of songs by lots of LongNeckHeroes of the Folksong Revival. You might see if they still have any copies. It seemed to be well done.
Don.
Do you recall the title, Don? I could maybe use it....
Fred from Baltimore
I'm going to guess it is FOLK BANJO by Peter J. Curry. Not a bad book, but it is a bit thin for the price ($25.00), considering there's no CD with it.
John Gribble
Tokyo, Japan
pastorharry - Posted - 06/03/2009: 15:22:53
My favorite strings are the ones I have on my looooonnnnnggneck right now-OME heavy guage-get this.011,.013,.018,.026,.011 . These strings are great for that lower tuned deep tone. Ome mediums also work well-.010,.012,.014,.022,.010.
Whatever you do don't put lights on your long neck, it's like having your banjo strung with limp rubber bands.BTW; as far as I know, OME is the only company still using a Chennille wrap on their strings,someone correct me if you know of any others. God bless, Pastor Harry (the last guy) 
Isaiah 38:20
chip arnold - Posted - 06/03/2009: 15:31:29
;-)
**********************
Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
freddfish - Posted - 06/03/2009: 16:57:28
quote:
Originally posted by pastorharry
My favorite strings are the ones I have on my looooonnnnnggneck right now-OME heavy guage-get this.011,.013,.018,.026,.011 . These strings are great for that lower tuned deep tone. Ome mediums also work well-.010,.012,.014,.022,.010.
Whatever you do don't put lights on your long neck, it's like having your banjo strung with limp rubber bands.BTW; as far as I know, OME is the only company still using a Chennille wrap on their strings,someone correct me if you know of any others. God bless, Pastor Harry (the last guy)
Isaiah 38:20
Never fear, Pastor Harry, I would never
put lights on my banjo neck.
Except at Christmas time, of course.......
Fred from Baltimore
"A few years later the abbot died. The cat was still around so they continued to tie
it up every evening before prayers. When that cat eventually died no one could
remember why anybody had ever started tying up a cat every evening. But hey,
why break a tradition? A new cat was brought into the monastery and tied up
every night.
Centuries later the members of the monastery were writing scholarly treatises
about the religious significance of tying up a cat before evening prayers.
Now and then you are going to run into somebody who is going to tell you that you
have to play a song in a certain key, a specific tuning or copy the exact
arrangement of some other banjo player. If you ask this person why you have to
do any of these things he will give you a horrified look and say, “Because it’s
traditional.”
I’m not going to tell you what to do. That’s up to you. But before you follow
blindly along, stop and ask yourself if this person isn’t asking you to tie up a cat."
-Patrick Costello, The How and Tao of the Old-Time Banjo
pastorharry - Posted - 06/03/2009: 16:58:28
BTW; to help answer Jim Yates question about how many long neckers on the hangout? I've posted a new thread banjohangout.org/forum/topic.a...ID=149523
Shortnecked, rezenater totin', overallwearin',middle fingerless ,last guys need not apply!!
Isaiah 38:20
reese158 - Posted - 06/03/2009: 21:53:59
Some random replies to posts in this thread:
--D'Addario strings are also long enough. I like their medium-gauge, phosphor-bronze wound sets.
--There are three different editions of Pete Seeger's How to Play the Five-String Banjo: 1948, 1954, and 1961. I have never seen a copy of the 1948 edition, but I did see a copy of the 1954 edition a while back on ebay or Alibris. As I recall, I think the cover looked like the title page of the current edition. Sing Out! magazine has an extensive archive of folk-revival era material available to its members--they might have a copy of the first edition. Sing Out! is, of course, the descendant of the People's Songs Bulletin on whose MIMEOGRAPH machine Pete Seeger most likely printed the first edition of his book.
--I agree with John Gribble, the book Don mentioned was probably Folk Banjo by Peter Curry. Curry also wrote Pure Dave: an Analysis of Dave Guard's Playing Style. Both are still available from Elderly.
--While I'm recommending books: Lieberman, Robbie. My Song is My Weapon: People's Songs, American Communism, and the Politics of Culture--1930-1950. University of Illinois Press, 1995. This book can truly help one understand the allure of American communism in the first half of the twentieth century.
--And just for good measure, here's some long neck info I wrote for an earlier thread:
quote:
In 1942, Pete Seeger wanted to accompany "Viva La Quince Brigada" in a key lower than he could achieve on the standard five-string. He had John D'Angelico saw the end off the neck of his White Laydie and insert TWO extra frets. He played that banjo for about eight years until someone stole it. Then he got a chunk of lignum vitae (fascinating stuff--look it up) cut it out, filed it down, and had someone install the frets. This neck--which was now THREE frets longer--he mated to a tubaphone (c.20's--not sure of the specific vintage) pot.
In 1955, Peggy Seeger dropped out of Radcliffe, and before leaving for Europe, had Vega custom make a long neck model for her with a Tubaphone Deluxe pot which she still plays today. Bob Gibson also had one. They had the squared, "Little Wonder" peghead and block style inlays (Gibson's had Rotomatic tuners and a different inlay sequence).
Shortly thereafter, Vega began to make an official "Pete Seeger" model. There are various cosmetic and structural differences between the vintages of Vega "Pete Seegers." Vega presented one to Pete in 1960. Throughout the sixties, most of Pete's playing was done on the official Vega model. Eventually he donated it to an auction to raise money for Sing Out! Last I knew, billionaire Warren Hellman who throws the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco owned it. Pete has reverted to playing the one with the homemade neck.
Also, Mike Seeger had one made out of a 1926 Vega Regent By having the neck sawed and frets inserted by Joseph Wallo. It was recently for sale at Bernunzio Instruments. He had the job done in 1953, which would make it one of the earliest long necks in existence.
In a decaying society, art, if it is truthful, must also reflect decay. And unless it wants to break faith with its social function, art must show the world as changeable. And help to change it.
-Ernst Fischer.
Edited by - reese158 on 06/03/2009 21:57:56
chip arnold - Posted - 06/04/2009: 06:54:38
Pastor Harry, I read Isaiah 38:20 and I didn't see nuthin' about no rezonators or overyhalls. Are you sure that's the right reference?
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Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
TonyS - Posted - 06/04/2009: 09:33:43
Thanks again for the tips!
1. drink a lot - already do!
2. how did I get it past the wife? My secret for now.... (beg or do a lot of laundry)
3 as for sniffing the purple mimio ink .... I don't know about you guys sometimes.
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" This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender " - Pete''s banjo
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use GOODSEARCH as your search engine to support your favorite charity!
pastorharry - Posted - 06/04/2009: 10:24:48
quote:
Originally posted by chip arnold
Pastor Harry, I read Isaiah 38:20 and I didn't see nuthin' about no rezonators or overyhalls. Are you sure that's the right reference?
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Take what is given
Give what is taken
Chip Arnold
That's right Chip-God will let you into HIS club even with them funny clothes and that funny banjar!!
P.S. He has a special place in His heart for "Last guys" like us.
Isaiah 38:20
Edited by - pastorharry on 06/04/2009 10:27:23
tubaphonethumper - Posted - 06/04/2009: 14:07:51
Hi Pickers,
I am short (5') and can play a long neck fine. I just swing it over to my right hip instead of having it in front of me as I do with me Vega #2. I truly love the rich bass of mmy Bacon Belmont. I got it in 1965--- My dad bought it from Montgomery Ward or Sears.
'S all.
Edna Mae
Forgive ''em today. Tormorrow one you may have croaked.
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