As mentioned briefly in another thread, I stopped by Steve Huber's shop yesterday for some adjustments to my banjo. While I was there, he had me try out two conversions ( a #3 and a Grenada). In these two banjos he had installed prototypes of a new tone ring he is preparing to offer...not sure when, though. These were full weight rings not conversion rings in case you were wondering.

You are not going to believe it until you hear them for yourselves. The sound was as close to a prewar flathead as you can imagine from a conversion.

I wish I could give you all of the technical work that has gone into this new ring, but I couldn't do it justice.

All I can say is if Steve puts out new rings in normal production, and they perform like these, look out. It will have the BHO community buzzing. Let's hope it turns out that way. Whew.

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted - 01/24/2009 :  17:42:16    

Do you know if they are no hole or 20 hole?

2 Corinthians 5:10

Posted - 01/24/2009 :  19:41:57    

I don't know all the details of the new ring but I do know what they have been hearing out of these prototypes is unbelievable. I know where one was placed in a 1999 Gibson ES 49 classic and this thing became a cannon. I'm not just talking volume but great tone up and down the neck. This banjo wasn't bad but something was missing that was found in this new ring. I think some of the folks at Banjothon got an eye opening experience with the new ring in one of Steve's banjos there!

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  06:28:53    

If these rings are that much better than the current Huber ring, I think Steve should give Huber banjo owners a discount to upgrade.

www.keithkline.com

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  07:18:02    

So is this ring to replace the last rings that sounded like a prewar??

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  07:20:46        

I mean no disrespect to Huber but I thought the current rings were perfect matches to prewar rings. What is different from the prewar?

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  08:08:07    

If anyone ever finds "The perfect match to prewar rings" , other makers will struggle. I probably need to duck when I say this, but I have never heard my idea of "prewar sound" in a Huber banjo. I can hope this ring will produce it.
Obviously, I am not the only one who feels this way, since his search has continued to evolve. Our ideas and ears are each different and I am thankful people such as Steve continue efforts to make us all happy. I look forward to hearing one !

Would love to be on a tone ring testing team. It's getting too expensive to try them all.

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  09:05:35      

I have never heard any new banjo that sounded like a pre war regardless how good it is there is no substitute for 80 year old rims and resonators but I have heard pre war pots with Huber rings that got as close to pre war flatheads as with any ring I've heard and I bellieve I've heard about all of the rings out there.Let's not forget Ron Stewarts style 1 all the years it had a Huber ring in it that he done all those famous recordings with. Also the very best pre war conversion I ever done had an old Huber ring in it. I will definitely be among one of the first to try the new ring if Steve will sell me one.

Arthur Hatfield
HATFIELD BANJO''S
GLASGOW, KY 42141
(270)646-5219
BANJO WEBSITE WWW.HATFIELDBANJOS.COM
EMAIL HATFIELDBANJOS@SCRTC.COM

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  10:15:48        

By matches to prewar I was referring to the alloy, not the sound coming from the banjo. Sorry for the confusion.

Edited by - Joe Jakonczuk on 01/25/2009 10:20:02

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  11:08:05  

My understanding, limited to what I've heard over many years, is that all the original pre-war hi-profile full-weight flat head tone ring are not identical. Some weight a little more or less; some have slightly different metal formula percentages; some have no holes; some have a different "cut" on the interior chamber (not seen from installed rings); and some of these holy grail tone rings have a slightly different tone, or tones from one another when "tapped". I think Steve's original "Huber tone rings" are (as best as one can achieve w/ his background and talents) a match to the pre-war ring in his RB-75 (w/ the style 7 fingerboard & peghead). I think the tone ring under discussion here is being developed from a different pre-war flat head ring that came in a banjo he acquired from Gruhn. The original is scary good and soooo musical. My hats' off to Steve to use his abilities to explore this option further.
Brian

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  12:29:54        

quote:

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Originally posted by Joe Jakonczuk

By matches to prewar I was referring to the alloy, not the sound coming from the banjo. Sorry for the confusion.

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Posted - 01/25/2009 :  12:41:06        

Thank you very much for the explanation.

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  13:38:06      

But will it matchthe majesty of the Burlile Tone ring? I am only asking the question?

"ever searching for that special post-war / pre-submerged sound"

( )=====’==::

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  14:20:52        

Not sure what Magesty sounds like, but there will be enough comparison to all the other rings in due time. I lieu of hyjacking Shim's thread I may start a thread where I can discuss what we know about the new ring at this time. thanks

Stay Tuned! gDGBD

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  15:58:47  

Another flavor of the day with an exuse to raise the price during hard times. Are all used Huber rings going to be worthless now?

Edited by - RB11 Player on 01/25/2009 16:01:29

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  16:08:44        

Yeah but if you like vanilla, you'll probably stay with vanilla. Price hasn't been established. you can always make a clock out of your Huber rings or tape a quarter to it then it will always be worth something

Stay Tuned! gDGBD

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  16:20:54  

I'm sure that it will be a great tone ring, but I would have a hard time parting with one he put in my '33 TB-1 in '99. Flatthead (Jim) would probably do bodily harm to me if I did. LOL
Eric Ellis

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  16:27:39      

I really wasn't intending to stir up things with my post. It is interesting to read some of the reactions. There are those who are excited and those showing skepticism about the new ring versus his current one (with visions of marketing ploys, etc). From my perspective, the prewar flathead sound is created as a sum of a number of factors. The biggest probably being the ring and the rim...and how they interact with one another over time. I think Steve would agree that a great prewar flathead has a sound that has yet to be duplicated perfectly. That said his current ring, along with others such as Burlile, Blaylock, McPeake, etc come pretty darn close in many banjos. To Steve's credit he is constantly thinking of ways to continue to improve his materials and process to get even closer to "that" sound. As mentioned by banjodr I understand there is a process change with respect to this new ring based on new information he learned and testing. I am simply reporting what I heard in the two I played. Hopefully you can go to SPGMA to hear it for yourself.

Importantly, I don't feel this makes the current rings obsolete. They still sound great. That's why so many players (me included) are very happy with them, just as the owners of the other rings are with theirs.

Jeller...I believe the ones I played were the 20 hole variety.

Thanks,
Paul

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"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  19:06:26        

quote:

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Originally posted by Ebanjo

I'm sure that it will be a great tone ring, but I would have a hard time parting with one he put in my '33 TB-1 in '99. Flatthead (Jim) would probably do bodily harm to me if I did. LOL
Eric Ellis

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Posted - 01/25/2009 :  19:46:25          

"tape a quarter to it then it will always be worth something"

Now THAT'S a funny line! I'm afraid I'll have to steal THAT one.


1983 Deering Deluxe (2008 JLS #4 tonering/ Cox rim/ Arthur Hatfield setup)
2001 Stelling Red Fox

--What''s time to a hog?--

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  21:44:19  

Dang, there goes my 2008 tax refund and second economic stimulus payment combined!
Can I get one pretty soon? I haven't been practicing much lately and need the new ring just to stay as prewar as I was when I was practicing more.

PickaFive

Posted - 01/25/2009 :  23:45:17    

Well, I don't know from squirt about the "new" ring, or "process" but I DO know that if Steve Huber had anything to do with it, the homework has been done... Over, and over again. And as far as discounts to upgrade, Try asking GM for a discount because fuel injection was invented, and your '57 chevy didn't come with it! As long as there are innovators, improvements WILL be made. The Huber was the BEST thing going at the time (and STILL pretty damned good!) If he improved on that, and you want one, you should buy it. From a manufacturers standpoint I would see no reason to "discount" anything.

Edited by - pipefitter61 on 01/25/2009 23:53:17

Posted - 01/26/2009 :  03:23:32      

quote:

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Originally posted by pipefitter61

Well, I don't know from squirt about the "new" ring, or "process" but I DO know that if Steve Huber had anything to do with it, the homework has been done... Over, and over again. And as far as discounts to upgrade, Try asking GM for a discount because fuel injection was invented, and your '57 chevy didn't come with it! As long as there are innovators, improvements WILL be made. The Huber was the BEST thing going at the time (and STILL pretty damned good!) If he improved on that, and you want one, you should buy it. From a manufacturers standpoint I would see no reason to "discount" anything.

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Posted - 01/26/2009 :  03:49:08  

quote:

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Originally posted by banjodr

quote:

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Originally posted by Joe Jakonczuk

By matches to prewar I was referring to the alloy, not the sound coming from the banjo. Sorry for the confusion.

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Joe actually the alloy isn't the big issue change. Everybody out there making rings does a great job researching the old compositions of the old rings. Steve is taking a totally different approach to the fabrication processes and with that, he has discovered some characteristiics of the old rings that until now weren't really considered as having much to do with the contribution to the tone and overall sound of a banjo....not just an old banjo but banjo in general. And to the response of the upgrade.....there will definately be an upgrade retrofit availability when the ring is released and in production. That is my style 3 conversion that shimdog played and it will be at SPGMA on display for you guys to hear.

Stay Tuned! gDGBD

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Posted - 01/26/2009 :  06:30:38    

quote:

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Originally posted by RB100

[quote] 57 Chevy? Now, I know you are too young to have 'cruised' around in one of those in your high school days!

Bill

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Posted - 01/26/2009 :  07:30:07      

quote:

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Originally posted by Ebanjo

I'm sure that it will be a great tone ring, but I would have a hard time parting with one he put in my '33 TB-1 in '99. Flatthead (Jim) would probably do bodily harm to me if I did. LOL
Eric Ellis

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