HLW - Posted - 02/03/2026:  11:35:14

Drives me crazy. The head seems very rough to begin with it’s got a BanjoBen logo on it. Thinking of a bottom frosted head or is there a brand that’s top frosted but not so scratchy?

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 02/03/2026:  11:42:41

Dont hit the head with the picks...

BobbyE - Posted - 02/03/2026:  12:21:49

Just keep playing it. At some point the picks will have worn all the coating off and it will be smooth and not scratchy. Or adjust your picking technique. Some pick strokes striking head is normal. That is what those marks running parallel to strings indicate on most banjo heads.

Bobby

Nopix - Posted - 02/03/2026:  13:06:40

I sanded the rough stuff off (lightly) where my digits tended to collide.

Banner Blue - Posted - 02/03/2026:  13:51:01

What Steve said, use steel wool or 220+ sandpaper to reduce the roughness around where your fingers hit the head.

FenderFred - Posted - 02/03/2026:  14:22:24

quote:

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Originally posted by HLW

Drives me crazy. The head seems very rough to begin with it’s got a BanjoBen logo on it. Thinking of a bottom frosted head or is there a brand that’s top frosted but not so scratchy?

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The scratchy sound you hear is from your picks touching the head as you play. This is quite common for a beginner in time you'll learn not to hit the head. BanjoBen will be pleased to hear you are promoting his gear, but I can assure you you'll get that same scratching sound if you replace it with a Remo head. A smooth head might give you a more clunky sound. 

Edited by - FenderFred on 02/03/2026 14:24:21

tdennis - Posted - 02/03/2026:  14:56:21

Your scratchy sound comes from your touch & technique, & can be eliminated by practice. The head you have is probably perfectly fine.

Owen - Posted - 02/03/2026:  15:14:46

Re. " Just keep playing it. At some point the picks will have worn all the coating off and it will be smooth and not scratchy."

I dunno .... I didn't "ruin" a pick,*  though I wore more off it than I like by the time I figured out what was going on.

* An older (?) style ACRI with the wide brass band .... not easy to find nowadays .... but m-u-c-h preferable to the new-and-improved (?) style that's more readily available.... IMNSHumbleO.

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/03/2026:  15:16:28

Hi TD,  "Your scratchy sound comes from your touch & technique, & can be eliminated by practice. The head you have is probably perfectly fine."

I agree with you 100 percent. I have used Remo heads my entire life and there is no scratchy sound. It's all in the touch and that comes with time.....Stay warm....Jack Baker

Edited by - Jack Baker on 02/03/2026 15:17:51

HLW - Posted - 02/03/2026:  16:24:24

apologies, i wasn't clear. it's my resting fingers not the picking fingers. Ill try the sanding suggestion to smooth it out where they rest and move back and forth.

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/03/2026:  16:26:52

Yes,
I understand it could be either one hand or both hands involved....Jack

Owen - Posted - 02/03/2026:  17:20:55

............ ??????

stanleytone - Posted - 02/03/2026:  17:33:26

If its your resting hand are your nails too long?

Old Hickory - Posted - 02/03/2026:  18:27:32

Resting fingers that aren't moving don't make scratching sounds. You're moving your fingers on the head. Or touching the head too much during position shifts..

FenderFred - Posted - 02/04/2026:  02:41:49

Let's put this one to bed. There is nothing wrong with your banjo head. Go pick some banjo and have fun.

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/04/2026:  08:41:47

Ha!

Glad I don't play banjo anymore, it's for children....Jack   p.s. at least based on these ridiculous topics....get a banjo, have someone show you what to do and then just learn the d--n thing and stop worrying about all the  questions

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

Resting fingers that aren't moving don't make scratching sounds. You're moving your fingers on the head. Or touching the head too much during position shifts..

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Edited by - Jack Baker on 02/04/2026 08:52:05

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/04/2026:  11:22:43

Ah,

I'm sorry I posted that rude post. I keep forgetting that this is exactly why BHO exists....Sorry Folks, please forgive me this time....Jack Baker

Edited by - Jack Baker on 02/04/2026 11:30:01

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 02/04/2026:  12:24:51

quote:

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Originally posted by Jack Baker

Ah,

I'm sorry I posted that rude post. I keep forgetting that this is exactly why BHO exists....Sorry Folks, please forgive me this time....Jack Baker

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Jack you should try punching up, not down. It's less unbecoming that way ;)

Anyway back to the question, it's a moot point anyway as the planted right hand finger(s) will eventually wear all the frosting off rendering it silent.

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/04/2026:  12:33:49

I don't understand punching up or punching down....clue me in please...do you accept my apology is the question?...

Edited by - Jack Baker on 02/04/2026 12:34:47

chuckv97 - Posted - 02/04/2026:  12:40:29

My ring fanger , witch haz a bit of fingernail for guitar fingerpicking, scratches/“clicks” the head quite a bit. Nobody has ever run up to me to “punch down” ….. jest sayin’

Owen - Posted - 02/04/2026:  12:51:53

Well Jack, though you didn't specifically ask me, seeing as how the apology is from the same guy who said laziness and stupidity are the principle reasons people like me have difficulty with music/banjo ..................... ?????

Fwiw, I too can use some clarification re. punching up/down. 

Edited by - Owen on 02/04/2026 12:52:46

pinenut - Posted - 02/04/2026:  13:02:48

quote:

---

Originally posted by HLW

Drives me crazy. The head seems very rough to begin with it’s got a BanjoBen logo on it. Thinking of a bottom frosted head or is there a brand that’s top frosted but not so scratchy?  Renaissance/amber, suede and some of the old 5-stars have 'textured' surfaces instead of scratchy frosting.  Assuming that your banjo is a typical flat-head; the suede will change the tone, but you may find it to be a good change...

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I love the feel of a fresh frosted head and wish the frosting would stay rough forever.  It gives grip to the posted fingers for diggin into the strings and just feels good.  note:  I keep my nails trimmed flush with the flesh.

Edited by - pinenut on 02/04/2026 13:05:28

Owen - Posted - 02/04/2026:  13:10:45

Nothing's being made up Jack.   I didn't keep track of the thread ['twas maybe 2 years ago; you can do your own searching], but you and another poster* were trying to outdo each other to ridicule guys that were having difficulty .... among others, comments like, "[music] is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7/ABCDEFG .. can it get any simpler?"

I think you and the other guy thought you were being "funny" ... fwiw, it wasn't .... and I stand by what I say 100%.

* I'm only about 99.999999% sure of the other fellow, so I'm not naming him publicly.

Edited by - Owen on 02/04/2026 13:19:12

Dean T - Posted - 02/04/2026:  13:17:43

Years ago I was wearing an ugly hole through the frosting where my pinkey anchored and moved around. I just so happened to have some white electrical tape, and stuck a piece over the nasty looking bare spot. It looked better, and nice and smooth and quiet.

Jack Baker - Posted - 02/04/2026:  13:27:15

Owen,

Enough ok? You are just ranting with no proof at all so up/down is over....Jack   "END OF STORY"

Originally posted by Owen

 

Edited by - Jack Baker on 02/04/2026 13:33:43

Owen - Posted - 02/04/2026:  13:31:47

Well Jack, I wasn't the one who asked if your "apology" was accepted.  I'm fine with "end of story" .... unless/until you ask again.  

Ira Gitlin - Posted - 02/05/2026:  07:36:13

HLW, are you playing with other people, or just playing alone in your home? In my experience, things like the scratching you're hearing (or, for some people, pick noise) loom large when you're listening to your banjo by itself, like when you practice, but fade into insignificance when you're hearing guitar, bass, an other instruments along with your banjo.

Owen - Posted - 02/08/2026:  17:27:04

FredFlintstone posted this in another forum ..... looks like Mr. Troy found a "solution."

gcpicken - Posted - 02/08/2026:  21:49:21

You would think the moderators would have done something about that guy a looong time ago. But they still let him run wild, rant, insult, take threads off topic, and drive people from the forum. 

Edited by - gcpicken on 02/08/2026 21:52:39