The Old Timer - Posted - 11/24/2012:  07:50:20

Went to the annual after-Thanksgiving leftovers party and jam yesterday and took the 1926 flat head conversion Granada with the new Balch calfskin head on it.   Last year this same banjo with the 20+ year old plastic head on it was frankly too loud for house party picking.   A couple of people actually commented on it last year, "My Gawd!  What is THAT?!?!".  (Quite a change from the original ball bearing sound!)

This year everyone  commented on its "dry" sound, lack of overtones, etc, but poppin' loud.  I had a bit of a hard time getting used to it myself.   Seems I kept overplaying it trying to "hear" it the way I was used to.   It made me feel like my picks weren't fitting right...

Later in the evening went to another room in the house and immediately felt much better and noticed big improvement in "responsiveness".   Same pickers.  Turns out the first room was filled with upholstered furniture and PEOPLE listening.  In this other room, no upholstered furniture, flat blank walls, a baby grand piano, no crowd of listeners, and I was sitting with my back to a wall instead of in the middle of the room!  Could hear great, felt really "on top" of it.  Noticed the banjo now actually had a nice bit of sustain, although still nothing like with the plastic head.  Very satisfying.

I've listened to tons of tapes of F&S over the radio in the 50s and 60s, and my banjo now has what I call "the AM radio sound".   Actually AM radio into a cheap home tape recorders, copied endless times.   If my banjo had some 60 cycle hum, it would be perfect!   Very dry, poppin', but loud and clear.

And once again, learned that MANY things influence banjo tone and sound IN YOUR EARS -- pre-war, post-war, inter-war, Peloponesian War or whatever!   The setting of the room has a huge effect.  On your ears!   All banjos sound powerful played in the bathroom...

jbalch - Posted - 11/24/2012:  21:20:15

I have observed too, that when you change from plastic to hide on a bluegrass banjo - it definitely takes some "getting used to."  It is quite easy to  "over pick" if you try to pull the same sound and volume as a plastic head.  When I installed a calfskin head on my 1929 Gibson TB1 conversion, I found that my right hand became tired quickly - precisely because I was picking too hard.

The sound and feel of a hide head on a bluegrass banjo is not for everyone.  But, real hide definitely has an authentic vibe.  There is really no other way to capture that specific sound.

I hope you enjoy the head on your Gibson.

O.D. - Posted - 11/25/2012:  04:36:01

quote:

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Originally posted by jbalch

I have observed too, that when you change from plastic to hide on a bluegrass banjo - it definitely takes some "getting used to."  It is quite easy to  "over pick" if you try to pull the same sound and volume as a plastic head.  When I installed a calfskin head on my 1929 Gibson TB1 conversion, I found that my right hand became tired quickly - precisely because I was picking too hard.

The sound and feel of a hide head on a bluegrass banjo is not for everyone.  But, real hide definitely has an authentic vibe.  There is really no other way to capture that specific sound.

I hope you enjoy the head on your Gibson.

 

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 I just put a hide on my banjo, It was just what it needed to get the sound I was looking for.

 I love the tone and it still has plenty of volume.

I posted a sound clip on my page for anyone interested in hearing the sound.

 Regards, Everett