muskox - Posted - 05/19/2011:  21:19:11

Hi all,

I was taking a long hard look at my playing stance yesterday, and realized I would be better served with moving my armrest over a hook.  It seemed like a no-brainer operation to me, but when I went to reattach, it became apparent that the notches in the armrest don't match up with the hooks in the new position.  Is there a reason why the hooks would be unevenly spaced?  Should I be alarmed?  The banjo in question is a Deering Deluxe.

John Gribble - Posted - 05/20/2011:  01:32:41

Are you sure?? Measure the distance between several of the hook.

danielburdett - Posted - 05/20/2011:  05:45:19

That is strange... 

1four5 - Posted - 05/20/2011:  07:25:13

Pictures would help!

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 05/20/2011:  08:00:47

Pictures always post Pictures! it helps us Banjo Geniuses solve the galactic Banjo problems that are posed on the site. Thanks

( I  )====='----<::)

Frank Ford - Posted - 05/20/2011:  08:09:44

You might find that the notches don't quite line up in the original position either, but sort of "spring" into position with the attachment screw is tightened.  Sometimes it helps to loosen the hooks a bit when installing an armrest.  With a cast flange and notched hoop, there shouldn't be serious misalignment.

McUtsi - Posted - 05/20/2011:  08:49:21

Maybe the armrest was in the "non-matched" position to begin w/.McUtsi

muskox - Posted - 05/20/2011:  09:48:29

I'm not sure the photos below will add much, but take a gander nonetheless.  Measuring the holes in the flange, roughly center to center (I haven't removed the hooks), reveals the spacing to be different (38mm vs. 36mm).  This carries over to the spacing of the notches on the hoop.  In fact, it appears that the spacing varies all the way around the banjo - news to me!

Maybe I should just hijack my own thread and ask for recommendations on after-market armrests!  ha!

Fits

Doesn't

vintagewells - Posted - 05/20/2011:  11:00:13

As to the uneven spacing, I was reassembling an old banjo and noticed that some of the bracket shoes were drilled a little off center which caused the bracket spacing to vary a mm or two.

But yours has a flange so you might want to check the spacing on the holes .

FiveStringPop - Posted - 05/20/2011:  14:01:27

Check to see if one of the "offending" hooks may have "rotated" slightly when it was last tightened.  Looking down on the head and tension hoop, the top of the hook will be somewhat skewed.  If so, loosen it somewhat, and with the armrest attached to the pair you want to use, tighten the hook.

banjonz - Posted - 05/20/2011:  15:40:28

Mike, what brand of banjo do you have? Is it a cheapy Asian? I cannot tell by looking at the flange. I have found that on some Asian banjos, the quality control was nonexistent and things just didn't line up nor fit. Generally arm rests are made with notches that fit the spacings of the hooks. Apart from some Asian banjos, I have never seen an armrest that doesn't fit the instrument it was designed for.