When I was in Nashville for IBMA I went over to Steve Hubers shop to say hey. Steve had a couple of banjos with his new tone ring in them and also the new rim. I gotta tell you its very impressive. A fella I drove out with had sent his Huber back before IBMA so Steve could install one of the new rings in his banjo. This thing just "lit up" (thats the best way I can describe it) when you touched the strings with your picks. The tone was excellant, although tone is subjective to the ear ( I think ), volume could be off the charts depending on how you pic but with little effort on picking the strings volume was great. Big ole fat fourth string, great sustain but also with a good drop off. I think some folks call this decay but I'm not sure so I refer to it as drop off. I was just really impressed and over time I have become somewhat "cynical" about the all the new, high priced, tone rings. But this new Huber did impress me. I was able to pick up a Ron Block model Huber while at IBMA and although it has the "old" Huber ring in it Steve was/is very willing to work with me on upgrading it in a couple months when I go back out there for SPBGMA. I love my Huber Block model as is but am also interested in seeing how it explodes with the newer ring in it. If you are in the market for a new tone ring though do yourself a favor and check out Hubers new ring. Jim Mulford

Jim Prewar3

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  07:17:30      

Boy, I've already started to get a couple of emails on reality vs. hype. Like many other folks that post topics to start conversation and let other players know what they/I have found that works well for me it is just that. Steve Huber and I do now have a business relationship. I read topics all the time about guys/gals that try a new ring, capo, rim, banjo, strings, cold strings, hot strings, cryogenic strings. I wonder how many of these people got or get emails and find out they are working for the people they make the positive post about. Of course I am being somewhat cynical here. But from the couple of emails I've gotten, not posted in the forum but a private email, I guess the world has become a suspicious, cynical place. Here is how I answered the emails recieved shortly after posting my topic/opinion on the new Huber ring:

Well, I have to disagree with you. Just opinion I guess, and like they saying goes, everyone has one. Am I one of "Steve's good ole boys" I don't know. What I do know is that I think Steve Huber is as professional as the come, is great when working with someone on their banjo, loves what he does and his passion comes thru in the product he produces. I would like to think of him as not only the owner and maker of Huber banjos but as a freind. Am I impressed with his banjos, yep. I am I impressed with this new ring that I got to sit with and play and compare to other rings that day, yep, Am I impressed with Yates banjos, yep. Am I impressed with new Gibson banjos, nope. Stellings have never done anything for me, but once again, matter of taste. I got a very dear friend who loves them. I have been fortunate enough to play around some with different parts of the banjo. try different rings, different rims, different bridges, different capos, different strings. IE..when Bill Stokes came out about ten years ago with the first "Timeless Timber" type submerged hardwood there was the same banter back and forth. Some said hype, some said big difference in a good way, some said not that much. BUT, the bottom line is that there is a difference between the older submerged woods vs. the woods that come from a tree farm. Will some disagree, sure. I've been fortunate enough to try the different rings, although I would not spend 1600 for a Burlile ring, I did have a Williams banjo that I got on a trade that had the Burlile in it. There was a difference in the tone, decay, sustain etc..when compared to a Huber ring, a Sullivan ring. a Stelling ring, a Dannick ring, and the Kulesh that came in my Granada. Now was there a 1000 difference....not for me but maybe for someone else. The other thing to keep in mind is that you can put a great ring and rim in a s***ty banjo and with the right set up it will sound pretty awesome. I have heard some of the 100k prewar banjos sound quite crappy...is it the difference in the ring at the time, the rim or the set up. Much has to do with setup. Now, reading Roger Siminoffs monthly articles in BNL and in his books, reading and talking to folks that have tested tone rings, rims etc...a good source is NDJohn who is a hangout member, no doubt about it that there is a difference in rings and the more expensive tend to sound better. Not because they are more expensive as you would probably say but because these folks have spent alot of time, effort and money on research and development. But, to each his own. Isn't there a saying about speaking before trying something and ignorance is bliss or something like that. Have a good one, Jim

Jim Prewar3

Edited by - Prewar3 on 10/15/2009 08:28:58

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  08:52:29      

Jim

I would describe myself as being "one of the Huber good ole boys" on the Hangout.

That said, I like Yates and Blaylock rings very much, the Dannick I owned was okay, but maybe I did not get the most out of it......the Burlile I owned was very good, but the price was a bit high compared to my satisfaction level.

I was asked by Huber to test drive his prototype ring and have posted several times on its performance......

The new HR 30 ring is not going to be for everyone, certainly not for those that are already convinced that the other rings mentioned above meet their expectations.

I have developed an adage....." If you KNOW and CARE, you will KNOW and CARE".....

What I have been searching for......"a sound you can feel" is being realized from my exposure to this new ring.

If the topic of prewar tone interests you, this ring will be well worth exploring.

David

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  09:44:42        

quote:

---

The other thing to keep in mind is that you can put a great ring and rim in a s***ty banjo and with the right set up it will sound pretty awesome.

---

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  13:03:58      

"If you have a great rim and ring, how can you "put it in" a banjo? All you can do is put a different neck on the pot."

What you ask/say is another topic all together. I was just using the "putting a great rim and ring in what some would call an inferior banjo and it will make it sound pretty good". My initial post was to just state something I had the opportunity to hear and play while I was at SPBGMA. I shared it with the hangout, which is what folks do here. I recieved and email shortly thereafter about it being all "hype" and "Hubers good ole boy network" etc, which put my nose out of joint so to speak so I then responded to that instead of sticking with my original post. So I guess I should just start over. I had the opportunity to play a couple of banjos that had the new Huber tone ring and new Huber rim. I also had the opportunity to have the process explained to me on how they came up with the newer formula and thier theory on the rim etc. I played the banjos with the new ring quite a bit throughout the weekend and am very impressed with it, so much so that I would upgrade my Huber down the road. Congratulations to all the guys at Steve Hubers shop for all the time, effort and money they put into developing the new rim and ring. Jim Mulford

Jim Prewar3

Edited by - Prewar3 on 10/14/2009 13:12:46

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  13:43:00        

I apologize.. I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  14:20:23              

It doesn't matter if it's the new Huber ring,a prewar ring or a Helix rim.If you say it's hype without ever having played it or heard it......you're forming an opinion without the benefit of knowledge.

Rod

Here's some music you might enjoy.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/roddurst

http://tinychat.com/banjolounge Come on in an enjoy!

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  15:22:57        

Hey Jim Prewar3,

Good to hear your comments about the new HR-30 ring. Don't let the nitpickers and naysayers bother you. Hang in there.

I've got one ordered from Steve which should be here by this weekend or maybe next week. Will be posting my comments about it later.

Ray

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  16:38:17      

I've got the new Huber ring in my banjo and I'm very impressed. The banjo seems to have more punch and when you strike the string its there.

Practice makes "better".

Posted - 10/14/2009 :  18:24:22  

We should appreciate the fact buiders are using their money, time & technology to provide some of the greatest sounding banjos made. I've had an original Huber in a banjo for a long time. Never going to change it, but I'm interested in what Steve has come up with.

Posted - 10/15/2009 :  08:32:57      

In my second post on the topic I started I had originally wrote that I was not one of "Steve's good ole boys". After thinking about this for a good 24 hours I decided I needed to "amend" that comment. So here is what I changed it too:

"Am I one of "Steve's good ole boys" I don't know. What I do know is that I think Steve Huber is as professional as they come, is great when working with someone on their banjo, loves what he does and his passion comes thru in the product he produces. I would like to think of him as not only the owner and maker of Huber banjos but as a friend".

Thanks to everyone posting on this topic of Steve's new HR-30 ring. I know Hooked on Bluegrass and his is one of the banjos with the new Huber ring that I got to play off and on while I was at IBMA. That thing is a cannon.

Jim Prewar3

Posted - 10/15/2009 :  19:54:01      

Thanks Jim for the compliment on my banjo. I took it to a jam tonight and it was sounding strong. I'm very impressed with this new ring. It really added what I call "energy" to my banjo. You hit the string and it there and the notes are so clear!!

Practice makes "better".

Posted - 10/15/2009 :  21:38:34        

jim do you have a banjo with one of hubers old rings
in it , say from 97 or 98?
i have heard alot of conversions with the later rings in
them and they just didn't have what mine has got in it. they were almost confined sounding beside mine.
it may be just me but i think his old rings sounded better than the ones made since 2000. but thats just
me. wonder if he will give a trade in allowance for an old huber ring on a new huber ring, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm..


terry m
n.c.

Timendi causa est nescire

4 longs and 1 short=banjer ring

Posted - 10/16/2009 :  05:38:27      

Terry

I believe Steve is offering a trade allowance for a new HR30 ring.......give them a call or email them and they can give you an official position.

David

Posted - 10/21/2009 :  09:40:37      

I stopped by Steve's shop en route NashCamp banjo weekend last week and had him put the new ring in my one year old Shelor Custom (gold with a reclaimed barn wood maple neck and maple resonator). While I believed (and many agreed) that the Huber was a great sounding banjo, the new ring made a significant difference. When he first played it after installing it I thought I heard a difference - crisper and with more "bottom growl," but I wasn't overawed immediately with a change. I have a pre-war Style-11 (also a maple neck and resonator) with an original Huber ring in it and the difference between the new Huber and my pre-war had been subtle, but discernible nonetheless. The pre-war was just a little crisper and more "rattle-ly" down low, but not as loud.

I had to get across town to the campsite for NashCamp, so I left hoping the investment was worth it - oh, by the way, Steve took the old ring in trade giving me credit towards the new ring. A couple of hours later as I began to pick with it at NashCamp, the sound just blossomed out - I guess the ring had to settle in and be played a little. As the weekend progressed the better it sounded. As unbiased as I was ("not"), I thought the banjo compared well to Bill Evans' and Sonny Osborne's pre-war flathead Granadas. Bill Evans liked the sound. Bill Emerson played it, looked at me and said, "you don't need to bother looking for a better sounding banjo." I'll take that as a positive vote. Charlie Cushman played it and really liked it - "that's a great sounding banjo." I met a fellow there - among the best non-instructor pickers there - who had recently purchased a 1927 Granada. He told me that my Huber was the best sounding new banjo he had played all weekend. I think I'll take that as another positive vote. The bottom line: unless you are prepared to spend in the upper five or six figures for an original pre-war flat-head, have a listen to Huber's new ring. My experience says you won't be disappointed.

Posted - 10/21/2009 :  18:01:52      

Great story Mark. That sounds like a cool Huber as well. Do you have any pictures of it?

Practice makes "better".

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  12:12:49      

quote:

---

Originally posted by HookedOnBluegrass

Great story Mark. That sounds like a cool Huber as well. Do you have any pictures of it?

Practice makes "better".

---

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  13:46:45    

Mark,
Is that some of your personal wood you had Steve to use on the neck of your huber? Or did Steve have it?

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  14:48:56          

quote:

---

Originally posted by vtyankee5

We should appreciate the fact buiders are using their money, time & technology to provide some of the greatest sounding banjos made.....

---

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  15:15:07        

I agree with Cliff about the head at an A. I received my HR-30 ring last Saturday, put it in the banjo, tightened the head to where it sounded awesome, and then determined the head was tuned to an A. Well, over the next couple of days, the head stretched a little to where the head was at a G# and then a little below G#. While it sounded good, it just was not as good as when the head was at an A. So last night, I tightened the head back to an A and it's awesome again. Also, like Cliff said, probably the best 4th string I've ever heard, but the 3rd string is also probably the best I've ever heard. FWIW, the ring to rim fit in this banjo is a fairly loose fit. You can turn the pot upside down and the ring will fall off.

Definitely the best ring I've ever used. Steve nailed it on this one.

Ray

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  16:06:50      

I happen to really like the Huber rings...what is happening with the trade ins...are they being posted on Steve's site?? I would like to find one of the early Huber rings that has been traded in for the new model...

Bill

"I've been to Georgia on a fast train..." Shaver

North Georgia Bluegrass Chronicles
http://bcbrown.net/bluegrass/chronicles/

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  16:36:10      

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eastbanjo

Mark,
Is that some of your personal wood you had Steve to use on the neck of your huber? Or did Steve have it?

---

Posted - 10/22/2009 :  16:48:01          

quote:

---

Originally posted by fitch5string



You get what you pay for. If you want $200.00 worth a tone, buy a $200.00 ring. Personally, I would rather invest in the best rings on the market instead of wasting my money or cheaper rings. If you havent played a $1600.00 ring or $800.00 ring, you shouldnt assume that they are "hype".
If a builder is not using the best avalible rings on the market, they are not doing the customer or themselves any good. It would be like buying a 4 cylinder Corvette.

FITCH BANJOS
www.FitchBanjos.com
Hand-Crafted Professional Banjos
Burlile Tone Rings

---

Posted - 10/23/2009 :  05:00:14          

quote:

---

Originally posted by markbyrum@erols.com

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eastbanjo

Mark,
Is that some of your personal wood you had Steve to use on the neck of your huber? Or did Steve have it?

---

I provided the old barn wood - straight grained hard maple - worm holes and all. I could not tell whether it was straight or curly until it was machined (wood from barns aren't usually finished to the point of where one can tell that at a glance). It turned out great!
Mark

---

Posted - 10/23/2009 :  08:53:00  

Dang..I was at Nashcamp and missed this banjo? I have a Huber VRB4 with the older ring in that sounds great..but may get a HR-30 for a conversion that I am working on.

Posted - 10/23/2009 :  10:41:22  

Bilge- I have one of the Huber VRB-4's also. Terrific sounding banjo, too good to tinker with. I would like to try the new ring btu it will have to be with another banjo. Jim O