flatted3rd - Posted - 09/19/2009:  15:05:47

Hey everybody. I'm sure this answer is out there somewhere so feel free to send me to a post rather than answer again.

I'm a Stanley Style picker died in the wool and would love to hear the tricks of setting my archtop up to sound like Ralph's (or Sparkman's, or Gillis'); short of sending it to Frank Neat himself.

I just purchased my dream Neat archtop ("used" and set up to sound like a flathead) so all the elements are there such as the two piece flange to take the added pressure of seriously cranking down the 5 star head, which, incidentally, bent the flange on my Aria Pro 2 and necessitating the need for aforementioned new banjo. Now there's a run on sentence for you.

I'm also on the way toward purchasing Steve Sparkman's video...does this have any (if so, enough?) information on set up? Anyone have a used one they're done with?

Thanks ahead of time!

Emiel - Posted - 09/19/2009:  15:11:56

Extremely tight head. Play close to the bridge.

Emiel

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emieldk/
http://www.bluerounders.com

mburk5 - Posted - 09/19/2009:  16:05:14

I have The Banjo of Ralph Stanley DVD,I noticed his tailpiece is really close to the head also,cant tell just how close but i would say within 1/4 inch,maybe closer.

Kevin B - Posted - 09/19/2009:  16:20:52

This is how Mr. Stanley described his setup in the 1988 work “Masters of the Five String Banjo”

1985 Stanleytone (Built by Frank Neat)
Remo head as tight as possible
Standard 5/8” bridge (not angled for any intonation correction)
Presto tailpiece (4 hump clamshell in the pictures) lifted off the head “a little bit so it doesn’t touch.”
Action 1/8”+ at the 12th fret
Joe Morell light gauge strings

I would highly recommend this book.

Kevin ( )=='=~

'Possum, It's what's for dinner . . ."

Edited by - Kevin B on 09/19/2009 16:21:18

RB5 - Posted - 09/19/2009:  18:07:01

I have my raised head tap tunned to an A and it's pretty perky.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

Robert.

Edited by - RB5 on 09/19/2009 18:07:19

Brett - Posted - 09/20/2009:  08:22:44

Not denying what Ralph (or anyone else for that matter) says about tailpeices, but I'd got for a kershner if I really wanted to crank it down close and get that very bright sound. And, the mentions of really cranking the head down I agree with. You might even want to thin your bridge a tad. Heck, for a really bright sound those clear heads real tight will provide that too. I used to see alot of archtops with the smooth white heads too, not frosted.

Brisco Darlin' "man can get a lot of tones out of a jug"

The Old Timer - Posted - 09/20/2009:  19:10:47

I've been working on playing Stanley style since I first saw Ralph in person in 1970 (grew up on Stanley Brothers records). Bought a 1929 TB 5 Deluxe just like Ralph's from Gruhn in 1993. Only difference is a gold engraved original Grover 4 hump clamshell tailpiece instead of a Kershner. 40 hole archtop and completely original everything for the pot. This is my Stanley music banjo. (The Ray Roeller banjo in Greg Earnest's website.)

(I also play two Gibson flat heads.)

I think this banjo sounds as much like Ralph's banjo from the 60s, 70s and 80s as can be. Here's how she's set up, by "ear" and "feel", not by specifications:

*Dave Nichols walnut and Brz. rosewood neck
*5 star head that pings distinctly at a high A with resonator on and strings at G tension, damped with left hand. You can push a finger or thumb down into the head and feel it "give".
*Stew Mac "Snuffy-shape" bridge, I measure between 5/8" and 11/16" tonite. Has back-slant and wide ebony top. I like "room" on my bridge so my picks don't clatter against the head.
*tailpiece set parallel to the head, just like the Presto on my flat head Mastertone. I don't like anything that "constricts" the voice of a banjo
*action 1/8" at 12th fret
*GHS JD Crowe strings, the 9.5 1st string

Yes, I play closer to the bridge for Stanley style than when I'm playing "regular" Scruggs style on the flat head.

Steve Sparkman got to play this banjo at Thomas Point Beach and about lost his mind. He carried it over to where Ralph was signing autographs and in a New York second Ralph looked at it and said "buy it". Sadly for Sparky, it wasn't for sale.

Folks who've heard and played this banjo (Rob McCoury in particular) say it has a little more "guts" than a typical archtop, more bottom and middle. But it has the snap and sizzle of Ralph's banjo sound too. Not that "steel driving" sound like a no-hole archtop with an ebony board! I think it's leagues beyond the 1963 arch top RB-250 I played for 10 years (it better be!)

For 16 years I thought this banjo was my perfect Stanley sound banjo. Never heard it recorded until YESTERDAY, from an informal club show I did in August of 100% Stanley music, for funsies. I about fainted when I heard the recording. I couldn't be more proud, to me it had the PERFECT Ralph sound, on or off mike. I AIN'T TOUCHING A DANG THING!

I'm sure the age, and walnut wood is a big part of this banjo's sound. After that I'd attribute it to original gold parts and being a 40 hole, not a no-hole. I'm sure it could be set up "wrong" and sound like crap, but this banjo had a voice that was waiting to be found, and I'm lucky enough to have found it.

My general advice for any archtop banjo would be, don't over-do things like head tension and tailpiece pressure, that could constrict its voice. Leave it some open-ness to express itself. I do not have to play this banjo "hard", in fact, the light gauge strings will tell me if I'm playing too hard by intonating badly or going out of tune (a useful self-check).

I've heard old Gibson archtops from the 20s that to me sound "too tight". The notes coming off the head have a "clatter" like rain on a tin roof. Those banjos are too tight (to me).


The Old Timer.
"Mommy, does Jesus play the banjo?" Huck Paisley (Brad Paisley's little boy) quoted in PEOPLE, Sept. 21, 2009

Aaron Thomas - Posted - 09/20/2009:  19:43:56

put the tailpiece as close to the head as you can and tighten the head til your afraid its going to bust.. and you'll be close!