Banjos5 - Posted - 05/23/2013:  09:11:08

Hello All,

As the owner of a new archtop bluegrass banjo, I am looking for advice on head tension. I have a drum dial and was curious as to optimum head tension for an archtop.

I realize that the drum dial gets you in the ballpark and from thereon it's per personal taste.

Many thanks,

Pete.

Banjos5

steve davis - Posted - 05/23/2013:  09:14:21

I've set archtop heads at a quarter deflection at the bridge same as my avatar pic of a flathead.
Todd Taylor likes the tone of a quarter on an archtop.

BDCA - Posted - 05/23/2013:  09:22:15

The consensus seems to be 90-91.

Steve, do you think the straight edge should be a bit shorter for an arch top since a 10" will hit both sides of the ring.

Cya!

Bob

Edited by - BDCA on 05/23/2013 09:23:52

wuzapicker - Posted - 05/23/2013:  09:38:04

The majority of my banjos have raised heads. Having no drum dial I tighten them until the tap is Bb then fine adjust to tune out any big overtones.

Michael

steve davis - Posted - 05/23/2013:  09:52:25

Bb is a nice tension.

A quarter under the stick gives a C head note with a .009 5 Star head..

Edited by - steve davis on 05/23/2013 09:53:04

RioStat - Posted - 05/23/2013:  10:02:04

Pete, my Gibson archtop likes 90 - 91 on the DrumDial.   My old 1970's StewMac archie likes 89 - 90 on the DrumDial.

I'm over in Akron, we should pick sometime, or spend some time comparing banjos.

Scott

Banjos5 - Posted - 05/23/2013:  11:30:03

Hi Scott, - sounds good. Let's get together.

Thanks to everybody for contributing to this thread. My archtop is a Sullivan Greenbrier from 2002, I think. Bill's signature on the inside of the resonator. Man this banjo is loud.
Pete.
Banjos5

Lester Crowe - Posted - 05/23/2013:  11:55:16

I just acquired a pre-war TB-4 conversion with original no-hole archie ring. Do they like a little looser head? And when using a drum dial do you put the edge of dial at the inside edge of the ring or the hoop like on flatheads?

Thx

Lester

RioStat - Posted - 05/23/2013:  12:34:02

I use my DrumDial at the inside edge of the tone ring for archtops, out to the tension hoop on flatheads

Edited by - RioStat on 05/23/2013 12:38:06

dickinnorwich - Posted - 05/24/2013:  05:41:46

I think it depends on the head....and a lot of other set up variables. But for the time being, let's stick with the question of the type of head.

The question pre-supposes that all heads were created equal which, of course, they are not, or, that everyone looks for the same kind of response from an archtop which, of course, they do not.  In 25 words or less, a frosted Ludwig isn't going to sound the same at 90 the same way a Remo will, or the same way an unfrosted 5 Star will. Heads are all different and to suggest that they all reach their optimum response at the same tension is just plain silly. For example, Kurt Kemp lent me a smooth, black, Remo a few weeks ago that tensioned out at 93. Each instrument is different. You want to be listening for the optimum response from your particular instrument rather than becoming a slave to the notion of one size, or tension, is optimum for all banjos. It isn't.

RioStat - Posted - 05/24/2013:  06:39:07

quote:

---

Originally posted by dickinnorwich

 

I think it depends on the head....and a lot of other set up variables. But for the time being, let's stick with the question of the type of head.

The question pre-supposes that all heads were created equal which, of course, they are not, or, that everyone looks for the same kind of response from an archtop which, of course, they do not.  In 25 words or less, a frosted Ludwig isn't going to sound the same at 90 the same way a Remo will, or the same way an unfrosted 5 Star will. Heads are all different and to suggest that they all reach their optimum response at the same tension is just plain silly. For example, Kurt Kemp lent me a smooth, black, Remo a few weeks ago that tensioned out at 93. Each instrument is different. You want to be listening for the optimum response from your particular instrument rather than becoming a slave to the notion of one size, or tension, is optimum for all banjos. It isn't.

 

 

---

Good points there, Dick.

All heads are not "created equal" or react equally. My statement above, about DrumDial 91 on my Gibson & 89 on my StewMac, should have also stated that the Gibson has a 5 Star head and the StewMac has a top frosted "regular" Remo. I think the 5 Star head feels thicker than normal Remos, so.....what you hear is as important as what your DrumDial, or your stick and coin tell you.

As can be seen from other posts here on the Hangout, head tension, (and how to do it) is a very subjective (and opinionated) topic

The Old Timer - Posted - 05/24/2013:  06:51:24

I have my old 40 holes Gibsons at a Bflat to B note.

wuzapicker - Posted - 05/24/2013:  06:58:41

That's why I prefer the old fashioned tap-tune method over a drum dial. In fact for years I got away with just screwing the head down real tight until it sounded best to my ear without further attempt to quantify it. When my '28 Epiphone Recording cracked like Ralph's early recordings, I felt banjo Valhalla had been achieved. Then I read Siminoff's book and knew I got it all wrong. LOL

Michael

steve davis - Posted - 05/24/2013:  07:30:07

I was surprised how good my archtop sounded at the same quarter deflection as my flathead,though they tapped different notes (C and A respectively).

country frank - Posted - 05/24/2013:  08:08:03

91 on my goldstar AT.