dsr - Posted - 03/14/2008:  07:35:51

I have a '25 Bacon Peerless 5 string and am wondering if the Bacon tone rings sound similar to a whyte lady tone ring. I was going to get another banjo but don't see the point if what I have is the same. I do realize this is a hypithetical question due to varying setups.I play clawhammer style.

Dennis

jbalch - Posted - 03/14/2008:  09:02:40

Dennis:

What type tone ring does your Peerless banjo have? Is it like the Bacon "Silver Bell", the Professional FF Internal Resonator models (with donut ring), or something else?

I'm very familiar with the Bacon "donut" tone rings...and whyte laydie...but not the other Bacon styles. I can reply from that perspective...but I want to be sure and understand your question first.

Good luck!





www.johnbalchmusic.com
www.myspace.com/johnbalch

harvey - Posted - 03/14/2008:  09:03:21

Craig Evans, who posts here on the Hangout as "Frailin" has a very useful web page showing where different kinds of banjos and tone-rings are on the sound spectrum: http://www.frailin.com/Advice.html

Maybe that will help you in your choice of banjo.

Edited to add: John Balch, who replied just before me, plays the sound clips on Frailin's web-page!

Edited by - harvey on 03/14/2008 09:05:26

fatbanjo - Posted - 03/14/2008:  09:03:55

I have played a modern Bart Rieter with a bacon tone ring and I own a reproduction whyte lady. I thought the bacon tone ring gave sharper thinner kinda tone, almost brittle, where as the whyte lady tone had more of a bass end "clunky' kinda of tone. Technique and feel will make a big difference to, i tend to play with a fat pick worn backwards and also i think head types make a huge difference to sound as well. My overall opinion is that the whyte lady tone ring and the sound it produces tends to suit the clawhammer style best as does the tubaphone1

fatbanjo

dsr - Posted - 03/14/2008:  09:47:29

well I checked out frailins site and listened to the 2 tracks that have the W-Ladie rings and my Peerless sounds very similar.
Thanks for your comments. You just saved me some $$$$$$$$ although I still suffer from instramentitis!
Dennis

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/14/2008:  10:59:50

Far as I know, the Peerless has still a different tone ring, neither the one that's in the internal resonator banjos, nor a Silver Bell. But in any case, none of those tone rings sound like a Whyte Laydie. You can set up any good tone-ring banjo to get close, but the WLs have a distinct short-sustain "pop" (potentially) that's hard to get with other tone rings.

Bill

dsr - Posted - 03/14/2008:  11:04:16

HMMMM interesting. I have never heard a W-L played before and I'm sure the audio quality on my computer doesn't compare to the real thing.