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Banjo Hangout
Players Union
Member Since 1/22/08

www.larry-hill.com

Playing Since: 1962

Experience Level: Expert/Professional

Interests:
[Teaching] [Jamming] [Socializing] [Helping]

Occupation: Banjo player/luthier/songwriter/musician

Gender: Male

My Banjos:
Helix Hurricane #001 - Curly Maple 8-Block Octagon Rim, Longneck, Open Back 7 lbs.///// Helix Midnight Zephyr #001 - Black Walnut 8-Block Octagon Rim, Longneck, Bluegrass Flathead 8lbs.

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Flatt & Scruggs Tony Rice, Doc Watson, Ralph Stanley, Fred Starner, John Hartford, Peter Mclaughlin, Josh Tharp, The Dillards, The Osbornes, JD Crowe, Kentucky Colonels, THE Country Gentlemen, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peggy Seeger, Mike Seeger, Erik Darling, Dave Guard, Jon Stewart, Ken Perlman AND any Czechoslovakian or Siberian Youths who played old-time, clawhammer, double-thumbing or bluegrass banjo music in the face of tyranny and helped bring down the Soviet Union with the music that kills death, itself. There's a band in England who has death locked up in a box of mice in the backyard. He hates mice.

Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 8/30/2006
Last Visit 10/6/2008

Latest Blog Entry

Helix Banjo Rims (TM)

Tuesday, August 07, 2007 @6:31:45 PM

My rim is an 8-block octagon rim, NO ONE ELSE HAS COME FORWARD TO SAY THEY'VE SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS, NOR PICTURES OR PATENTS OR DRAWINGS AND NOT FOR LACK OF ASKING ON THE HANGOUT, just something new. I cultivate communication with older cabinetmakers, they know something.

They called my rim a 'build up'. It's like a big pinion gear , an ancient Roman Arch. The music goes down away from the tone ring at a 45 degree angle and doesn't have to pass through tiers of blocks or bricks.

So my rims are 74% solid block from top to bottom with only 8 joints reinforced by 8 glueblocks cut from the ends of each block. Simple, strong, gorgeous rims that 'luminesce.' No warping, no delaminations, no steam, no bending. They vibrate cleanly, the rim now sings.

I built my own longneck from scratch, curly Maple rim, I used a Gold Tone long neck, the banjo is louder and fuller than my OB250, but with only a brass ring for tone. Then I converted my Gold Tone OB250 Long Neck bluegrass flathead to a Cherry rim but again used a simple brass tone ring, so it dropped the weight by 3.5 lbs. The tone and volume of each banjo is very loud and very full, very competitive.

I play what I build, I also jam regularly with many other types of bluegrass banjos, so I know their voices and weights. I have since converted the Cherry to a Black Walnut rim of 100-year old wood that was going to be cut up for book ends.

My banjos can punch right through a guitar 'clinic'. They 'play well with others.' I am looking to build the best 100-year rim.

I get old furniture and cut it up for rims, gives me seasoned wood, I use orchard logs like Grapefruit. I feel my rim design allows me to produce great sound from most any hardwood because the tone ring sits on top of a stack of fibers.

A woody flathead Mahogany/Ash rim is coming to term. Next is a Cherry archtop woody. I have new Hickory, Pecan, Oak, Chestnut.

I love the traditions, I love to innovate

1 comment

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