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jbalch - Posted - 02/18/2012: 12:25:03
I just received a new Bart Reiter Bacophone –plus. It is another great banjo.
This one is a lot like the banjo I got from Bart in 2006. But the new one has a maple neck rather than mahogany. Both banjos have the “hot-rod” Whyte Laydie and Bacon tone ring combination that Bart calls “plus.”
I set this banjo up a lot like the 2006 version with the following details:
Medium-thick goat skin head from Jeff Menzies.
Gary Sosebee Cotton Mill bridge
Presto tailpiece (Prucha)
GHS PF150 strings
The head on this banjo is set very tight. That plus the maple neck give it a brighter tone than the 2006 example. It is an awesome banjo for a string band setting. I used it at The Nashville Contra Dance last week with a great fiddle band. This banjo sounded ideal in the mix with two fiddles, mandolin and bass. I took both the new Bacophone-plus and my 2006 banjo. It was very cool having two such similar banjos to minimize and simplify re-tuning as the fiddlers called tunes in various keys.
As most folks know, Bart announced his intention to retire from everyday banjo making after completing about 4000 instruments. He is currently a little more that 400 units from that goal. That should keep him working for another couple of years. But I decided a while back that I wanted one more of these banjos that I like so much. And I did not want to wait too long to get it.
In an e-mail Bart mentioned that he has the parts to assemble a very few more of this model. If anyone is interested in having one of these “plus” banjos, I recommend contacting a Reiter dealer (Elderly Instruments or Gryphon Strings). I don’t know how much longer they will be available…
Photos and a quick sound sample attached:
Edited by - jbalch on 02/18/2012 12:39:03
DEmery - Posted - 02/18/2012: 12:44:33
John that makes a great pair of banjos. I do think that skin you mounted looks excellent and sounds just as good. Last time we were together when I played the other BR, I commented on how well it played and sounded. With this BR being a little brighter it not only let's you keep that familiar feel but let's you have some choice of tone and cut through based on the playing situation. Nobody has been a bigger advocate of Bart's work than you and I know he must feel good about the results you have gotten from his banjos over the years. I cannot imagine anyone having a better collection of Bart's banjos than you. By the way...cut off those headstock wires before you scratch that new finish. Congratulations. David E.
Slingerland - Posted - 02/18/2012: 12:49:49
Very nice! Congrats!
blanham - Posted - 02/18/2012: 13:22:39
That sound sample sounds great! I totally agree, it's great having 2 very similar banjos. My "Bacophone Plus" and "Round Peak" banjos have identical necks (and Bart's necks are the best I've owned), so normally the BP is my G/A banjo while the RP is my C/D banjo.
dbrooks - Posted - 02/18/2012: 14:05:55
Thanks for the details and pictures, John. I forgot which forum you had posted in and thought for the briefest second that you were selling one of your Reiters. I quickly came back to my senses.
David
jbalch - Posted - 02/18/2012: 14:09:24
Yes David...these are not for sale.
Here is one more sound sample recorded earlier today:
shannonhearne - Posted - 02/18/2012: 15:08:08
Congratulations John!
I want one.
- shannon
RWJones1970 - Posted - 02/18/2012: 17:00:53
Congratulations John on your new jo! Every Reiter is a beautiful banjo! I am going to buy one more before he retires too because, for the money you can't buy a higher quality banjo.
Ho C Ying - Posted - 02/18/2012: 17:12:54
Congratulations!
unclekurty - Posted - 02/18/2012: 17:20:12
Sounds great!
rubicon - Posted - 02/18/2012: 21:49:18
quote:How come no picture of the maple neck ? Hehe
Originally posted by jbalch
I just received a new Bart Reiter Bacophone –plus. It is another great banjo.
This one is a lot like the banjo I got from Bart in 2006. But the new one has a maple neck rather than mahogany. Both banjos have the “hot-rod” Whyte Laydie and Bacon tone ring combination that Bart calls “plus.”
I set this banjo up a lot like the 2006 version with the following details:
Medium-thick goat skin head from Jeff Menzies.
Gary Sosebee Cotton Mill bridge
Presto tailpiece (Prucha)
GHS PF150 strings
The head on this banjo is set very tight. That plus the maple neck give it a brighter tone than the 2006 example. It is an awesome banjo for a string band setting. I used it at The Nashville Contra Dance last week with a great fiddle band. This banjo sounded ideal in the mix with two fiddles, mandolin and bass. I took both the new Bacophone-plus and my 2006 banjo. It was very cool having two such similar banjos to minimize and simplify re-tuning as the fiddlers called tunes in various keys.
As most folks know, Bart announced his intention to retire from everyday banjo making after completing about 4000 instruments. He is currently a little more that 400 units from that goal. That should keep him working for another couple of years. But I decided a while back that I wanted one more of these banjos that I like so much. And I did not want to wait too long to get it.
In an e-mail Bart mentioned that he has the parts to assemble a very few more of this model. If anyone is interested in having one of these “plus” banjos, I recommend contacting a Reiter dealer (Elderly Instruments or Gryphon Strings). I don’t know how much longer they will be available…
Photos and a quick sound sample attached:
jbalch - Posted - 02/19/2012: 06:26:07
Tim:
The lighting was not great in my office when I took those photos. I'll try to get some better shots, including the neck, when possible.
jbalch - Posted - 02/19/2012: 07:02:40
It is a rainy morning here. Suitable for playing a simple old hymn like this on my new banjo. (BTW: no eq., reverb or added effects).
Edited by - jbalch on 02/19/2012 07:04:42
un5trung - Posted - 02/19/2012: 07:09:08
I love the idea if a ring inside a ring, and your playing brings out the possibilities very nicely.
Ho C Ying - Posted - 02/19/2012: 07:42:19
quote:
Originally posted by jbalch
It is a rainy morning here. Suitable for playing a simple old hymn like this on my new banjo. (BTW: no eq., reverb or added effects).
It is 23:39 at night here in China. I enjoyed this tune and your playing. 
RWJones1970 - Posted - 02/19/2012: 07:55:30
Beautiful tune John. "Farther along we'll know all about it, farther along we'll understand why, cheer up my brother, live in the sunshine." That banjo sounds fantastic. I would like an A scale version! Do you think as Bart nears retirement the wait will be any longer than the 3 months one waits now?
mikehalloran - Posted - 02/20/2012: 09:48:22
Nice banjos and sound clips!
Pine Cone - Posted - 02/21/2012: 09:26:04
Elderly shows that it is a limited run of ten for the Bacophone Plus. I wonder if they are getting all ten of them?
In any case, I succumbed to temptation and just ordered one. John does a pretty good sales pitch here, and I really like my older Reiter A-scale.
Expected arrival date at Elderly is the end of March, so I'll be counting the days until it arrives.
jbalch - Posted - 02/21/2012: 17:30:01
Congraulations on the new banjo. I truly hope you love it! I don't mean to be too much of a cheerleader on these... But the simple truth is: I really do like mine. I also realize that they will not be for everyone.
One thing I like about the "plus" tone ring combination is that it is unique to Bart. I'm not aware that anyone else combines them in the same way. I think the "hot-rod" rings do produce a distinct tone ... more sustain than a regular whyte laydie ... but not as much as a tubaphone. The sustain is subtle and not too harsh. They have a nice, balanced, throaty sound that (I think) is great for my personal playing style.
I tend to tinker with all my banjos and set them up for my taste. The same is true of the Bacophone-plus. It responds well to my changes (skin head, Sosebee bridge & Presto tailpiece).
Bart mentioned that he has on-hand the parts to assemble maybe ten more of these. I assume they will be made available through his regular dealers (including Elderly).
Enjoy!
Pine Cone - Posted - 02/21/2012: 19:04:07
quote:
Originally posted by jbalch
Congraulations on the new banjo. I truly hope you love it! I don't mean to be too much of a cheerleader on these... But the simple truth is: I really do like mine. I also realize that they will not be for everyone.
One thing I like about the "plus" tone ring combination is that it is unique to Bart. I'm not aware that anyone else combines them in the same way. I think the "hot-rod" rings do produce a distinct tone ... more sustain than a regular whyte laydie ... but not as much as a tubaphone. The sustain is subtle and not too harsh. They have a nice, balanced, throaty sound that (I think) is great for my personal playing style.
I tend to tinker with all my banjos and set them up for my taste. The same is true of the Bacophone-plus. It responds well to my changes (skin head, Sosebee bridge & Presto tailpiece).
Bart mentioned that he has on-hand the parts to assemble maybe ten more of these. I assume they will be made available through his regular dealers (including Elderly).
Enjoy!
I'm very much looking forward to getting this one. I like the sound clips of other Bacophone Plus banjos I've heard, and the neck on my Reiter is superb!
I like to tinker with my banjos as well.
Why do you like the medium-thick goat skin head vs a thinner Bill Miller vellum or other skin head? I think the head on my Jason Burns banjo is goatskin, and while it sounds great, I haven't tried another head on it yet.
RWJones1970 - Posted - 02/21/2012: 20:31:14
I am intrigued by this model that Bart offers. Just curious, because this banjo has two tone rings is the weight similar to a bracketband Vega/Fairbanks banjo?
blanham - Posted - 02/22/2012: 04:17:42
My bacophone-plus is 7.7 lbs. and my 1923 Vega Tubaphone with bracketband (with a Ramsey neck) is 7.8 lbs. Subtract a few ounces for straps, but they both have identical straps.
jbalch - Posted - 02/22/2012: 06:12:35
My 2006 Bacophone-plus has a (medium thickness) calfskin head. My new one has a Med-thick goatskin head. I prefer my heads to be not-too-thin.
Individual hides each sound a little different. But I don't think the animal species makes a predictable difference.
The goat hide is fairly stiff piece of skin with some translucent spots. That type of hide (stiff & semi-translucent) seems to be sturdy and capable of plenty of tension. That contrubutes to a bright - throaty tone. With less tension it would be nore "tubby."
Edited by - jbalch on 02/22/2012 06:14:02
Davidprat - Posted - 02/22/2012: 07:35:41
What a great banjo!!! It sounds and looks great! An John your playing is amazing as always!
jbalch - Posted - 02/22/2012: 14:28:01
It is great hearing from you David! Thanks.
From what I've seen online, you've been building some nice instruments too lately. Best wishes!
quote:
Originally posted by Davidprat
What a great banjo!!! It sounds and looks great! An John your playing is amazing as always!
mrphysics55 - Posted - 02/22/2012: 15:17:38
Enjoy Brother John!
MrP
jbalch - Posted - 02/27/2012: 05:59:04
By request: Here is Lost Cherokee on the new Bacophone-plus #3575.
DEmery - Posted - 02/27/2012: 06:54:05
Lots of bottom end and tone. You got it set up well. David E.
erikforgod - Posted - 02/27/2012: 06:55:07
awesome playing and a great sounding banjo!
jbalch - Posted - 02/28/2012: 16:56:44
Thanks! Is is a keeper...for sure...
Pine Cone - Posted - 02/28/2012: 21:47:56
Love that sound. Great playing too!
Looks like Elderly has sold all of their Bacophone Plus models. They no longer seem to show up on their website.
Edited by - Pine Cone on 02/28/2012 21:49:41
jbalch - Posted - 03/09/2012: 10:28:11
Elderly's current prices are:
Standard Fretless $995
Standard A-flat scale $1095
Standard full-scale $1195
Special $1295
Galax $1395
Round Peak $1395
Regent $1495
Bacophone $1495
Bacophone-plus $1595
un5trung - Posted - 03/09/2012: 13:02:42
Buying used can be a good way to save money.
jbalch - Posted - 03/09/2012: 13:10:04
quote:
Originally posted by un5trung
Buying used can be a good way to save money.
I agree.
jbalch - Posted - 03/09/2012: 13:35:12
I will add that having a brand new one is nice. Either way...that a lot of banjos for not too much $$.
Pine Cone - Posted - 03/09/2012: 21:53:22
They re-appeared on the Elderly website up in price from where they were earlier, but I think at $1595 they are still a very good deal.
Bart might joke about how his favorite part of building a banjo is getting the check in the mail, but he makes a great banjo for the price. I've been a banjo player for almost 48 years now and Bart Reiter's are among the best I've ever played. I love the one I own and can hardly wait until I get my Bacophone Plus. Less than a month to go before I should be able to play it!
I like buying used banjos, but when was the last time you saw a used Reiter Bacophone Plus for sale?
blanham - Posted - 03/10/2012: 03:30:10
quote:
Originally posted by Pine Cone
I like buying used banjos, but when was the last time you saw a used Reiter Bacophone Plus for sale?
Good point - it was 2009 when I bought mine used, and I can't remember seeing any used ones since. One advantage of it being used was it already had a real skin head.
un5trung - Posted - 03/10/2012: 05:12:58
quote:
Originally posted by blanham
quote:
Originally posted by Pine Cone
I like buying used banjos, but when was the last time you saw a used Reiter Bacophone Plus for sale?
Good point - it was 2009 when I bought mine used, and I can't remember seeing any used ones since. One advantage of it being used was it already had a real skin head.
No argument there -
Pine Cone - Posted - 03/17/2012: 19:24:36
Say hello to Reiter Bacophone Plus #3581, a close relative to John's #3575. Stock from Bart & Elderly except for the addition of an arm rest....
Finish isn't as good as my older Reiter, the pores in the mahogany neck aren't totally filled, but it plays and sounds great!
banjohangout.org/myhangout/pho...albumid=0
jbalch - Posted - 03/17/2012: 19:33:48
Just play that finish a lot...it wil wear smooth like glass.
