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mike gregory - Posted - 11/20/2009: 13:04:43
Wish I wodda took my camera with me.
Fellow showed me a very nice old banjo.
Straight pegs, fancy curly inlays.
And a tone ring that appears to be sitting on a couple dozen chisel-ended spikes!
Never saw anything like it.
I'm encouraging the owner to log on here, and become a member, since he is learning banjo.
Bill Rogers - Posted - 11/20/2009: 13:13:33
That's the "Washburn Improved" tone system. Really strange. It's sound has supporters and detractors. I'm among the latter I'm afraid. Here's a fancy example, surely made, as Bill Destler notes, by Rettberg & Lange: http://www.billsbanjos.com/washburn5100.htm
mralston - Posted - 11/20/2009: 13:52:22
Here's a clean, disassembled view of a Washburn tenor with that tone ring system (Bill R...... all due respect, but I'm a fan of this system ! !). I think that BConk has/had a Lyon & Healy with similar tone ring suspension. The one on Bill's Banjos website was the top-of-the-line Washburn in 1915.
Washburn used a flesh hoop that was about twice as tall as conventional flesh hoops, and you can see daylight between the pot and the bottom of the flesh hoop. This also lets some sound escape towards the player, which is nice.
Anyone recruited to BHO by Mike Gregory is welcome ! ! ! !
Mark "almost through the grieving stage for tragic loss of signature lines" Ralston
Edited by - mralston on 11/20/2009 13:54:48
mike gregory - Posted - 11/20/2009: 14:55:36
Looks a lot like that. Thanks.
fynger - Posted - 11/21/2009: 02:31:01
The one in my Melody-jo is a similar idea......more pics in my albums.
BConk - Posted - 11/21/2009: 06:00:31
quote:
Originally posted by mralston
Here's a clean, disassembled view of a Washburn tenor with that tone ring system (Bill R...... all due respect, but I'm a fan of this system ! !). I think that BConk has/had a Lyon & Healy with similar tone ring suspension. The one on Bill's Banjos website was the top-of-the-line Washburn in 1915.
Washburn used a flesh hoop that was about twice as tall as conventional flesh hoops, and you can see daylight between the pot and the bottom of the flesh hoop. This also lets some sound escape towards the player, which is nice.
Anyone recruited to BHO by Mike Gregory is welcome ! ! ! !
Mark "almost through the grieving stage for tragic loss of signature lines" Ralston
Indeed I do - an L&H "Own Make" tenor that I have strung as a ukulele with a clear head. I think it has an excellent tone for that application at least - but I've always wanted to see how it would sound as a 5 string. I believe Washburn and L&H had an earlier tone ring that was similar though the hoop was not raised as high as on these later examples. I've seen them on some older mando/banjos that I attributed to Washburn/L&H though they were not marked. I had a rim in a 5 string Bruno "Manhattan II" that was identical to that earlier Washburn example. When that banjo was fitted with a good skin head and set up well it sounded wonderfuland I too mourn the loss of signature lines...especially because mine RULED 
Edited by - BConk on 11/21/2009 06:02:40
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