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carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 16:49:13
My ramblings about the Presto tailpiece from what I've learned.
The Presto tailpiece was, on prewar Gibson banjos, the lower end tailpiece (next to the bent piece of steel of course). So, why do pickers today still use Prestos, and Presto copies? IMO, because Earl used one. I believe a better idea is not to use exactly what Earl used in his banjo to get the "Earl" sound, but to use another tone median to get that. Because none of us are Earl, we all know we're not ever gonna sound like Earl, even on Earl's Granada. Just because Earl was able to pull great tone out of a banjo with a Presto tailpiece, doesn't mean that some of that Earl sound is IN the Presto. A better option, IMHO, would be something adjustable (2 hump, clamshell, even Kershner) to get that sound by being able to adjust the tailpiece and tweak it. I'm in no way saying the Presto is an inferior tailpiece, I for one love it and use it because it gives me the sound I want.
Anyway thats my Presto rant, fire away
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 17:02:38
quote:I agree the tailpiece is one of the small(er) tone components (largest being rim, tone ring, resonator, neck). And I'm not really trying to sway anyone's opinions, just voice my own.
Originally posted by MTBanjo
I more or less agree, but there's no convincing people who feel otherwise. Some people feel that banjo design and sound can be improved upon, others seem to feel it was perfect back in the 20's & 30's and everything since then is a sales gimmick. I believe the former, however; I get the sound I want out of my banjo with a Clamshell, which aught to sound pretty much just like a Presto, and I've had banjos with Prestos whose sound didn't really need improving. I think the tailpiece is a much smaller piece of the sound puzzle anyways..
Zach
carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 17:19:37
quote:I didn't say that everyone uses one because Earl did, I use it because I like the tone, and I'm sure many others agree with me in saying they give very good tone, jus sayin
Originally posted by RONLD
Too many luthiers,A.K.A. banjobuilders in particular still use them on thier finest banjos,which by the way they spend hours working on.Not to mention they hand pick
beautiful woods-etc. for me to buy the "because Earl used one" line.I love Earl Scruggs as much as any God fearing man ought to - but "c-mon ,its crazy to say thats
the main reason people still use the presto style TP. The fact is they are light weight,so they dont give un wanted over-tones, and they work! O.K. i fired away!!!!!!!!!!
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
RONLD - Posted - 03/10/2008: 17:26:15
quote:
Originally posted by carteru93quote:I didn't say that everyone uses one because Earl did, I use it because I like the tone, and I'm sure many others agree with me in saying they give very good tone, jus sayin
Originally posted by RONLD
Too many luthiers,A.K.A. banjobuilders in particular still use them on thier finest banjos,which by the way they spend hours working on.Not to mention they hand pick
beautiful woods-etc. for me to buy the "because Earl used one" line.I love Earl Scruggs as much as any God fearing man ought to - but "c-mon ,its crazy to say thats
the main reason people still use the presto style TP. The fact is they are light weight,so they dont give un wanted over-tones, and they work! O.K. i fired away!!!!!!!!!!
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
You need to read the first two lines of your first comments at the top!!!
carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 17:50:23
quote:Not EVERYONE
Originally posted by RONLDquote:
Originally posted by carteru93quote:I didn't say that everyone uses one because Earl did, I use it because I like the tone, and I'm sure many others agree with me in saying they give very good tone, jus sayin
Originally posted by RONLD
Too many luthiers,A.K.A. banjobuilders in particular still use them on thier finest banjos,which by the way they spend hours working on.Not to mention they hand pick
beautiful woods-etc. for me to buy the "because Earl used one" line.I love Earl Scruggs as much as any God fearing man ought to - but "c-mon ,its crazy to say thats
the main reason people still use the presto style TP. The fact is they are light weight,so they dont give un wanted over-tones, and they work! O.K. i fired away!!!!!!!!!!
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
Probably shoulda worded that better, "some" Granada90 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 18:31:09
quote:The some what floating Presto, combined with its pre-war pot metal counter parts and pre-war ring gave a sound like no other. The weight of the tail piece is a factor as well. Earl did seem to make this a stereo type however. Ralph has an excellent pre-war sound as well as Don Reno did. And many others!
Originally posted by carteru93
My ramblings about the Presto tailpiece from what I've learned.
The Presto tailpiece was, on prewar Gibson banjos, the lower end tailpiece (next to the bent piece of steel of course). So, why do pickers today still use Prestos, and Presto copies? IMO, because Earl used one. I believe a better idea is not to use exactly what Earl used in his banjo to get the "Earl" sound, but to use another tone median to get that. Because none of us are Earl, we all know we're not ever gonna sound like Earl, even on Earl's Granada. Just because Earl was able to pull great tone out of a banjo with a Presto tailpiece, doesn't mean that some of that Earl sound is IN the Presto. A better option, IMHO, would be something adjustable (2 hump, clamshell, even Kershner) to get that sound by being able to adjust the tailpiece and tweak it. I'm in no way saying the Presto is an inferior tailpiece, I for one love it and use it because it gives me the sound I want.
Anyway thats my Presto rant, fire away
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 18:32:38
Brent, glad to see you posting on the forums!
And I also forgot to mention, the obvious best of both worlds, the Fults 1934 ADJUSTABLE presto.
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
carteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 19:21:12
quote:You got me, fare n' square
Originally posted by RONLD
Ha,Ha,Ha- Carter i gotcha!!! I love ya man.You said to fire away-and by the way i have 1 presto,1 price sl-5, 1 stelling,1 4 hump clamshell & i like em all....
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
As stated before, the tailpiece is only a small component of the thing we call a banjocarteru93 - Posted - 03/10/2008: 21:16:32
quote:Gee, that's a tough question. MY BANJO with a Presto sounds open, bassy, with pop and great decay time. EVERY BANJO will sound different with a Presto.
Originally posted by lethegoodtimesroll
I must ask..... What kind of tone does the Presto have? I noticed a improvement in tone after I put a Price tailpiece on. I also noticed a degradation in tone after I removed the Price and put the Presto back on.
davey - Posted - 03/11/2008: 09:24:57
Of course, Gibson still use ( I believe ) a Presto on all thier current line. Right up to the 5's and 6's. They also put them on the re-issue 7-12 and 18 when they were produced.
I think it's fair to say the presto is a basic tailpiece. I removed it from my RB12 and put an old Kerschner on which sounds great.
However, I am a stickler for tradition and I will shortly be installing a Clamshell as this is what would have originally been on there.
It will be interesting to note any change in performance...
Davey
Gibson Art Deco 12.
TMarshall1 - Posted - 03/11/2008: 10:34:11
When a person dances in a circle, they typically end up where they started from.
It's a gDGBD (Gosh Darn Good Banjo Day)!
Tony
Proud Member of
The Gibson Chapter
"...if ya got time to breathe, ya got time for music..."
Briscoe Darling - Apr.29,1963
lethegoodtimesroll - Posted - 03/12/2008: 01:21:35
Prestos are on most banjos because they are the cheapest tailpiece available for a Bluegrass Style banjo.
flake - Posted - 03/12/2008: 09:50:59
The cheaper price largely has to do with the design and the size. When you get right down to it, a Presto, Clamshell Eagle Claw, Kerschner or Waverly aren't all that far apart in price. I suspect that the price difference in the two and four hump Clamshells largely has to do with the fact that Prucha had to do the tooling from scratch by copying the best examples of early Clamshells that Bill Sullivan could find. It's got a spring and a nifty cover and a tension screw that does something----they're really nice. But you'll never be able to say a Presto is over-engineered.
The Presto is really simplicity in itself and doesn't do much in the way of adjustment except go up and down. It can be carefully bent for angle, but that's about it. Would it really be a better tailpiece or make anybody happier if the price was doubled?
To me, the lighter weight of a Presto and the up and down adjustment get me closer to the tone I'm after than anything else there is......plus I can make a string change in less than a minute if I have to.
You guys can't honestly think that Gibson, Steve Huber and Sonny Osborne, among others, are putting Prestos on their banjos because they can get a good deal on them........J D Crowe and Sonny Osborne have changed more strings than the total number of notes I've played, and I doubt they're still playing Prestos just because "that was what was on it when I got it" !
mike
A boy can learn a lot from a dog......obedience, loyalty and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.
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