Jason Wilkerson - Posted - 02/05/2012:  17:49:33

What is the tonal difference?  I'm trying to reduce the brightness and add to the plunkiness, would switching from calf to goat help?

J-Walk - Posted - 02/05/2012:  19:00:21

I don't think the source animal is much of a factor. I think it's the thickness of the skin: Thin = brighter. 

Also, the tightness is probably a factor. Have you tried sticking a rag in between the dowel stick and the head? 

jbalch - Posted - 02/05/2012:  19:10:12

Jason: 

I don't think you can make an absolute generalization.  Hide heads run the gamut from thick to thin ...and very stiff to soft & pliable.  The same is true for calf and goat. Each piece of hide is unique.  IMHO head tension has a lot more impact on "plunkiness" than does species.

But...if forced to speculate, I'd choose a thick goatskin head with relatively loose tension for maximim plunkitude.

oldtimefolkie - Posted - 02/05/2012:  19:10:31

Goatskin head, all maple bridge, lower tension tailpiece (e.g., a no-knot).

RG - Posted - 02/05/2012:  20:18:57

John is right on the money...

Jason Wilkerson - Posted - 02/06/2012:  05:33:03

Thanks for the help guys.  What's the best source for thick, high quality goat skins.  Bill Miller sells goat, but his website makes no mention of thickness.  Jeff Menzies has some in the classified, but he describes them as medium thickness. 

Viper - Posted - 02/06/2012:  06:52:04

Try Mid-East Music. You can pick your diameter and your thickness. And the price is nice. Though I don't think they sell flesh hoops, so you'll need one of those, if you don't already have one. (Bill Miller was my source.)

jbalch - Posted - 02/06/2012:  07:34:51

Really thick goat skins can be hard to mount.  I got  a thick one from Mid-east once and never got the thing on my banjo ...just wouldn't go. I've had generally good luck buying from Mid-east...but you never know for sure what you'll get. and their prices are not much less than Jeff or Bill.

I just bought five (5) from Jeff Menzies.  A couple of them are about as thick as I would want to mount.  If you order from him, ask Jeff to pick you out a good thick one.  I bet he can accompdate your request. Here is the one I mounted this weekend on my Reiter IR banjo.

Ho C Ying - Posted - 02/06/2012:  07:44:16

A source for good inexpensive goatskins is black-bear-haversack.com/index.../sort/2a.

Viper - Posted - 02/06/2012:  10:06:10

When in doubt, defer to John Balch. He knows his skin. 

jbalch - Posted - 02/06/2012:  10:07:07

quote:

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Originally posted by Ho C Ying

A source for good inexpensive goatskins is black-bear-haversack.com/index.../sort/2a.

 

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 Thanks for sharing the link.  I've not seen that site before.   The prices look very good.  Have you ordered from them?

black-bear-haversack.com/index.../sort/2a.

JB

Jason Wilkerson - Posted - 02/06/2012:  10:52:08

quote:

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Originally posted by jbalch

quote:

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Originally posted by Ho C Ying

A source for good inexpensive goatskins is black-bear-haversack.com/index.../sort/2a.

 

---

 Thanks for sharing the link.  I've not seen that site before.   The prices look very good.  Have you ordered from them?

black-bear-haversack.com/index.../sort/2a.

JB

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That site looks like it is geared toward skins for drums.  Would I be too obviously ignorant to ask if there's any quality difference between drum skins and banjo skins?

jbalch - Posted - 02/06/2012:  14:47:01

The difference may be thickness.  I think some drum skins are very thick. 

tdennis - Posted - 02/06/2012:  17:31:21

Drum skins made for bass & tom toms can be thick, but those made for snare batter heads are OK for banjos.  The best drum heads are those used for the snare(bottom )side of the snare drum. They are called "slunk" heads,.. nice & thin, excellent for banjos.  I recycle vintage drum heads all the time from my cache of vintage instruments.  (have yet to buy a new head in the past 20 years).  

DEmery - Posted - 02/07/2012:  04:26:07

That is a good looking skin John. Did you do the final trip with scissors? David E.

Bart McNeil - Posted - 02/07/2012:  07:18:11

Flesh hoops are easy to make using 16th inch brass rod bent to a circle and cut to size. Some folks braze the ends together but it is not really necessary as long as the fit is good... Even a coat hanger can be used when bent to shape. However since a coat hanger is steel it would be best to spray it with laquer to prevent rusting.