Anthony S - Posted - 02/28/2026:  11:11:39

hi. It’s been suggested i get a drum dial for my banjos, measure the head tension. OK. I guess i will. Can anybody tell me if there are any considerations to think about before buying one? I assume none are made specifically for a banjo? Is Remo the only company that makes them? (Does Remo, in fact, make them?)



Just rather have some advice before i purchase one.



Thank you.

Edited by - Anthony S on 03/01/2026 20:46:18

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 02/28/2026:  11:22:50

DrumDial is a brand name.

Nechville (iirc) also carries a smaller, more banjo-friendly tool they call the pocket dial.

Cant go wrong with either one.

Anthony S - Posted - 02/28/2026:  11:40:30

Thanks. I think I’d heard of pocket dial but i can’t find anything relating to Pocket dial anywhere on the internet. Not on nechville site, not on drum dial site. Not in google search.

The only choice i see is between drum dial (analog) and drum dial (digital).

BobbyE - Posted - 02/28/2026:  11:56:44

Try Banjo Ben; he usually has them and also did a video on how to best use them.

Bobby

FiveWire5 - Posted - 02/28/2026:  12:20:50

nechville.com/products/drum-di...for-banjo

RioStat - Posted - 02/28/2026:  12:53:57

Get the analog version......here's one

ebay.com/itm/287158565361

banjomobob - Posted - 02/28/2026:  13:48:54

youtube.com/watch?v=4aPXp1vIYI8

Anthony S - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:01:35

Still having a bit of a trouble finding pocket dial. But I’ll probably find it before too long. So pocket dial is not made by same people or company that makes drum dial, right?

Anybody prefer one over the other?

Thank you.

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:16:27

bluegrassunlimited.com/article...g-device/

My apologies, it is Nashville Banjo co., not Nechville.

Cannot find a for sale link either however

banjomobob - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:19:42

I don’t think the pocket dial is currently available. I prefer the pocket dial because it weighs less and I like the orientation of the display. Otherwise it seems to work pretty much the same as the drum dial.

martyjoe - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:43:19

quote:

---

Originally posted by RioStat

Get the analog version......here's one

ebay.com/itm/287158565361

---

I totally agree with RioStat! I bought the digital version of Drumdial. The first one I got I had to return because it was faulty. The replacement one that I have now worked ok for a while but now it has lots of issues and I don't really have confidence in it. I regret not getting the anolog version. 

Jon Borcherding - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:53:04

I have a Drum Dial. It's the analog one. I like it. There are plenty of folks who say they are unnecessary, that you can accomplish the same task by tapping and listening. I'm sure they're right, but I'm also pretty sure all those guys have more experience tuning banjo heads than I have.

I used mine just the other day to tune a head that I changed. It worked just like it was supposed to and I'm very happy with it.

Old Hickory - Posted - 02/28/2026:  14:53:30

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anthony S

Still having a bit of a trouble finding pocket dial. But I’ll probably find it before too long. So pocket dial is not made by same people or company that makes drum dial, right?

---

The only live links I can find to anything about Pocket-Dial are old promo stuff. I cannot find a live link to anyone currently selling Pocket-Dal. Even the maker's own site - Nashville Banjo Co. - doesn't have a live link to Pocket-Dial. I think the product is discontinued.

DrumDial is made by DrumDial. Have you seen their video on using DrumDial to measure banjo head tension?

At their website and at retailers' sites, you can see what DrumDial costs. I have an analog DrumDial and am totally happy with it. And I totally believe if you want one it's a great idea to save some money and buy a used one in good condition. That's what I did. Can't remember if it was in the Hangout classifieds or eBay.

And finally, know this about DrumDial: The purpose of DrumDial is NOT to tell you the number reading at which to tighten your head. It's to give you a reading (a reference) for the tension that sounds good to you, so you can (1) adjust the head to that same tension evenly all around, (2) keep your head at that tension by testing and adjusting it from time-to-time, especially when you think you hear a change in your banjo's sound, and (3) go to that tension when you change or temporarily remove then replace the head.

In short: DrumDial is DEscriptive of the tension that produces the sound you like. Not PREscriptive for what tension you WILL like.

Have fun.

RB3 - Posted - 02/28/2026:  17:19:19

Anthony S,



Based on the YouTube videos I've looked at, it appears that the digital version of the drum dial is equipped with a digital dial indicator that will yield readings in minimum increments of .0005 inches. The analog version has a dial indicator with a scale that's printed with minimum increments of .001 inches.



I would urge you to get the analog version, rather than the digital version. With the analog version, you can visually interpolate readings between the marks on the analog scale. That means that you can achieve greater accuracy with the analog version. It's not difficult to get readings that are within .00025 inches using visual interpolation. You can't interpolate with the digital unit.



Another reason to prefer the analog version is the price; it's less expensive. Below is a link to the product at Amazon.

Drum Dial - Amazon



 

Anthony S - Posted - 03/01/2026:  20:44:57

Thanks, everyone. Bottom line, i got the drum dial recommended by riostat, on eBay, great deal, seller accepted my offer.

Also, i asked Dave Dillard why he doesn’t make the pocket dial anymore and this is what he said:

“The materials were getting more and more expensive, handling the orders was taking more and more time, and I wanted to focus more time in the workshop building banjos. So those factors combined led to the decision. Thanks for asking. - Dave“

So that’s it.

Will mark this posting closed or resolved or whatever.

Thanks again.