darryl k. - Posted - 11/14/2009:  20:59:38

---

Heavy or light banjos? I took mine to the scale. OME Monarch resonator 10.6 lbs.
OME Juniper open back 7.4 lbs.
Thats only 3 lbs difference. Why does it feel like a LOT more ? I have a theory that it's because the resonator places the banjo quite a bit further from my body. This in turn gives the weight leverage on the back, thus more strain.
How heavy are your banjos?
darryl


The road less travelled....5 strings, a stick, a hoop, and a piece of hyde.

J.D. Miner Trio www.jdminer.com

Bill Rogers - Posted - 11/14/2009:  21:09:35

---

The last Monarch I weighed was 17(!) pounds. 10.6 sounds light to me for one of those banjos.

Bill

darryl k. - Posted - 11/14/2009:  21:25:28

---

Seemed way strange to me too bill, so I went back to the scale just now. Monarch comes in at 11.6 and next time 11.8. The openback at 7.8
Maybe my scale lies....I've been suspecting that :-(
darryl


The road less travelled....5 strings, a stick, a hoop, and a piece of hyde.

J.D. Miner Trio www.jdminer.com

mike gregory - Posted - 11/14/2009:  21:25:47

---

Easy experiment:
Fold up some cardboard to make a thin box, that will push your openback far enough forward to match your resonator banjo.
Play it for a while, and see if the leverage hurts as bad.

=):{ )
Mike Gregory, Banjo Maker Infraordinaire
When I say my instruments are as good as anything Gibson or Martin ever made,
I mean MEL Gibson and DEAN Martin!


My banjos can be seen on my own website
http://littlebanjos.lunare.net

See me & my SQUARED EEL banjo on the Y'all tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97EfvhFgRBY

Alex Z - Posted - 11/14/2009:  22:05:24

---

Professional resonator banjo will weigh around 12 pounds. Top tension perhaps 2 pounds more.

4-5 pounds difference is a lot. Mike explained one experiment to test the different feel. Here is another: put on the open back banjo. Then tie a 5-pound bag of flour to hang from around the lower tension hooks. I think one will feel a pretty big difference.

Alex Z

---

Edited by - Alex Z on 11/14/2009 22:06:23

1four5 - Posted - 11/15/2009:  02:41:15

---

12 1/2 pounds for my Calico
7 pounds for my Goodtime Special
5 pounds for my Helix open back

I swear that gravity is getting stronger, the older I get.

Dean

fred davis - Posted - 11/15/2009:  05:54:25

---

thats the very reason I have gone back to my mandolin after playing my banjo for about and hour my back and shoulders hurt so much I sometimes can't sleep without pain pills.

RaYhOLio - Posted - 11/15/2009:  06:38:39

---

Exactly why my next banjo will be a Nechville with wood tone ring.. have you guys heard these? they have a new one with a titanium top that just blows gibsons outta the water (by my ears) and it is SO light...



-RayHoLiO
Makin' grass grow in Joplin, MO
www.joplingreenscape.com

Want a bail out plan that actually works??
www.fairtax.org

goldtopia - Posted - 11/15/2009:  09:29:30

---

Yes. I think there is a definite move towards lighter banjos. Most of us cannot afford a top of the range banjo like the lightweight Titan made of titanium. But there are some coming onto the market using the Tony Pass thin skirt that sounds like a tone ringed banjo. I have heard of banjos weighing as much as 20 lbs. The idea use to be the heavier the banjo, meaning a heavier tone ring, the better the sound but this no longer applies. The titanium tone ring which is the lightest gives now considered to be the the best sound but this may be a conjecture.
The heaviest light weight bluegrass banjo that I know of is the Gold Tone OB250 LW weighing 10 lbs. I don't' know what the lightest is without a metal tone ring as there are so many coming onto the market. The Nechville Athena and Fitch Palomino are two hot favourites both with excellent tone also the Deering Goodtime which is an entry level banjo though not quite as good.. The Fitch Palomino is also available with a nitro tone ring which increases the weight from 8 lbs to 10.8 lbs but I doubt that the difference is very much due to the excellent sound of the lighter version.

Bill.O

www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

axsis - Posted - 11/15/2009:  09:31:41

---

Hatfield=13+price case 21.........Try changing gates in Chicago at 34 pounds!

Cheers!
Don

goldtopia - Posted - 11/15/2009:  09:34:47

---

I would be interested to know more about the Nechville with the titanium tone ring. This would draw quite a lot of attention. Though I expect it would cost a fortune. It looks like Nechville are learning from Titan banjos to get that incredible sound.

Bill.O

www.bluegrassminstrels.co.uk

RaYhOLio - Posted - 11/15/2009:  10:15:52

---

Actually.. as I understand it, the Nechville is a WOOD tone ring with a titaniam top on it.. less titanium should mean a little cheaper.. I personally prefere the sound of the standard athena.. but I'm not much of a traditionalist. :)

-RayHoLiO
Makin' grass grow in Joplin, MO
www.joplingreenscape.com

Want a bail out plan that actually works??
www.fairtax.org

Erbus - Posted - 11/15/2009:  11:26:33

---

Hi RayHoLiO

Have you played the Athena?
I'd love to try one out. I'd like an Athena with a Phantom neck.



Terry

"Banjo, one of my favorite things to pick"

RaYhOLio - Posted - 11/15/2009:  13:00:52

---

That's exactly whay I'd like to have terry.. I went to the Nechville touring workshop last week.. met Tom Nechville, got some valuable insight into banjo set up and construction (he made my Recording king sound like a million bucks).. and yep.. I had the oppertunity to play with nearly every banjo in the nechville line.. with the exception of the Nevu.. which I wish I coulda seen..

They were all fairly unique.. I got to watch tom set up 2 REALLY nice gibsons, and then play a song on them followed by him playing a song on a nechville.. The Nechvilles blew the gibsons outta the water.. But the main thing was watching, and listening after the workshop, when better players than I all picked up different instruments and played in sudo-jams.. The one that always caught my ear was the athena. but the titanium topped ring was REALLY traditional sounding.. had a lotta pop.

-RayHoLiO
Makin' grass grow in Joplin, MO
www.joplingreenscape.com

Want a bail out plan that actually works??
www.fairtax.org

Erbus - Posted - 11/16/2009:  05:08:47

---

I'm real jealous now RaYh0Lio...............

Terry

"Banjo, one of my favorite things to pick"

pick1936 - Posted - 11/16/2009:  11:55:02

---

Ray, You got it right, My Classic Deluxe with the Cocbolo wood Tone Ring sounds really great, The one banjo that I played at the workshop last was THE BEST sounding one I played, It had The Rosewood/Titanium Tone Ring,, I hope to get one some day? don't know when? BUT all Nechville's are GREAT...
Mine weighs 7 lbs.

Rings like Silver.
But It's Wood.

Nechville. In Higginsville.

Lee Kelso

---

Edited by - pick1936 on 11/16/2009 11:56:21

banjoy - Posted - 11/16/2009:  16:01:57

---

My top tension weighs just under 14 lbs. It gets heavier every year.

With Calton deluxe case, just at 26 lbs I think. Yikes.

--Frank

John Allison - Posted - 11/17/2009:  05:53:58

---

Both my ODE C and my Sullivan Greenbrier are quite weighty. If I ever trade again, it will probably be for the Nechville Athena. I went to one of Tom's workshops and he set up my Greenbrier and boy did it sound good. He is an excellent set up man. Not sure what I would get rid of though as my Sullivan is a 2002 model with Bill's signature and date clearly visible on the inside of the resonator. The ODE is a real gem in near mint condition and sounds great. But, it sure would be nice to have a light weight when it comes to playing on stage for 1 1/2 hrs with a short break after 45 minutes.

Froggie
"Courage is Fear that has said its prayers.

---

Edited by - John Allison on 11/17/2009 06:02:46

Helix - Posted - 11/17/2009:  07:02:10

---

Full resonator bluegrass banjo = 8 pounds Helix Midnight Zephyr - Black Walnut

Open back = 7 pounds Helix Hurricane - Quilted Curly Maple

Bamboo 50-yr. Flooring = 5 pounds - Helix Jackrabbit with tone ring AND sustain. oooooh. It's called a Jackrabbit because once she gets loose, she wants to run.

That's racing, you work in your shop to improve the breed. Duh.

Weight and bronze will take you to a certain accepted level, it will not go past that, quick what's that in the rearview mirror??? That's racing. Fun, huh???

http://www.helixbanjos.com
(_)===='===::}

country frank - Posted - 11/17/2009:  08:06:17

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Helix

Full resonator bluegrass banjo = 8 pounds

That's racing, you work in your shop to improve the breed. Duh.

Weight and bronze will take you to a certain accepted level, it will not go past that, quick what's that in the rearview mirror??? That's racing. Fun, huh???

http://www.helixbanjos.com
(_)===='===::}

---

I second Larry, I use a Helix AT woody full reso banjo that WILL take a bite out of the seat of your pants if you're not careful and still comes in at a little less than 8lbs. Makes me think twice about pulling my maple blossom/goldstar/fender out of the box.

Proud Union Man

Regards from London.

www.myspace.com/countrygrit

Ritchie Mintz - Posted - 12/03/2009:  19:30:08

---

I have a very heavy (but great sounding) Ome XX from 1980 that I put in the case to save for my "old age". Now I'm old and I can't lift it. I play a tube & plate flange banjo that is way lighter.