Banjopickinmike - Posted - 10/14/2009:  16:52:16

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Well as per my normal computer routine I was watching a little youtube just now and happend across a video of Grandpa Jones on Hee Haw playing his banjo. I was absolutely floored with the sound and tone of the banjo he was playing. Can anyone tell from this video what make/model etc it is? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-u-Ql6_Gm8

Isaiah 38:20
The Lord was ready to save me, therefore I will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of my life in the house of the Lord.

The Engineer - Posted - 10/14/2009:  17:11:44

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I believe it was the Vega V.I.P.

mandolin123 - Posted - 10/14/2009:  17:13:43

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don't know, but I like it.

blah blah blah

mrbook - Posted - 10/14/2009:  17:17:17

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I don't know the exact model, or how many he owned, but they always seemed to be Vega banjos.

Bill

mrphysics55 - Posted - 10/14/2009:  17:45:18

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Here's another with the same banjer ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIv5...ture=related



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wtbryant - Posted - 10/14/2009:  18:15:55

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He always played a resonator banjo which is a little rare for most clawhammer players.


Todd

chip arnold - Posted - 10/14/2009:  18:16:45

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He and Stringbean are both picking out near the edge of the pot in these videos.

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Take what is given
Give what is taken

Chip Arnold

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 10/14/2009:  19:34:09

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Stringbean and Jones were both from the era when getting a banjo to mic well was a difficult proposition. abut 30 years ago I was thinking of putting a resonator on my Whyte Ladyie because bending my spine to keep the banjo close to the mic boom was killing me.
I went to a lav mic positioned inside the pot and eventually stopped dragging around a heavy WL because I could get all the volume I needed out of an old Slingerlands.

I think anyone who played into a sound system in those days tried everything possible to get the sound out. I know that I would get another lav before even thinking of adding the weight of a res - or heavy ring.


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Banjopickinmike - Posted - 10/14/2009:  19:40:22

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Thanks to all that have replied so far.
Just by some quick looking on the internet it doesn't look as though this kind of banjo is easy to find. Are there similar ones still made? Anyone have any suggestions of banjos that sound really close to this one?

Isaiah 38:20
The Lord was ready to save me, therefore I will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of my life in the house of the Lord.

John Gribble - Posted - 10/15/2009:  05:27:03

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quote:

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Originally posted by Banjopickinmike

Thanks to all that have replied so far.
Just by some quick looking on the internet it doesn't look as though this kind of banjo is easy to find. Are there similar ones still made? Anyone have any suggestions of banjos that sound really close to this one?

Isaiah 38:20
The Lord was ready to save me, therefore I will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of my life in the house of the Lord.

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Consider a Wildwood. Very bright, a lot of oomph to it.

John Gribble
Tokyo, Japan

banjoike - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:17:16

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I was thinking Ode. But i could be wrong. There is an old Ode for sale on ebay.

Emiel - Posted - 10/15/2009:  08:49:57

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It's a Vega resonator banjo, probably with some variant of the Tubaphone tonering. If you want such a banjo new, you'll have to custom order a Vega Tubaphone resonator banjo from Deering. They make both a five-string Vega Tubaphone openback as a tenor tubaphone resonator banjo (the "Professional Tenor"). So a five-string resonator won't be a problem. If you want one just like Grandpa Jones, you'll have to search for a used one though.

Indeed, as said before, Wildwood who makes openback tubaphones also offer the tubaphone tonering as a custom option for their resonator banjos. The rim will be a block rim in that case.

Emiel

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

Bagie0 - Posted - 10/15/2009:  09:07:59

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Try a Deering Boston longneck. Mine has a great Grandpa Jones sound - much closer than my Wildwood and much cheaper than a Vega longneck.

five_string - Posted - 10/15/2009:  09:49:07

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I've got a Wildwood Minstrel listed in the classifieds. It has the Tubaphone tone ring and lots of power.

janolov - Posted - 10/15/2009:  09:56:23

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Just a thought: How much of the depends on the banjo and how much on the banjoist?

.

Jan-Olov

PharmBoy - Posted - 10/15/2009:  10:31:57

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You just have to smile when you listen to Grampa Jones perform...

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There is no growth in the Comfort zone, and no comfort in the Growth zone.

"The instrument proper to them is the Banjar, which they brought hither from Africa."
-Thomas Jefferson

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Emiel - Posted - 10/15/2009:  10:35:40

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quote:

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Originally posted by janolov

Just a thought: How much of the depends on the banjo and how much on the banjoist?

.

Jan-Olov

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Of course, but I understand fully that when a certain artist fascinates you and the sound of the banjo in question, you want one just like that banjo...

Emiel

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

gottasmilealot - Posted - 10/15/2009:  12:49:30

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Soon people will want to play with a plaid shirt buttoned at the collar.

Keith

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 10/15/2009:  15:13:15

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Grandpa and most of his contemporaries hit the strings HARD! It was necesary to get the sound out to the back of a hall, and became a habit they didn't outgrow when better mic's and PA's became available.
Paul

"A master banjo player isn't the one who can play the most notes. It's the one who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello
http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=128303 IBARD topic
http://ibard-rendesvous1840.blogspot.com/

gorf - Posted - 10/15/2009:  16:31:37

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I grew up with Grandpa Jones, and Stringbean, always enjoy listing to them play and sing. I agree about hitting the strings hard and fast, I think that is it.

Bizdoc - Posted - 10/15/2009:  16:39:01

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I don't know what model, but I've admired his playing ability and showmanship for a long, long time.

_______________________________________________________
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