kaybone - Posted - 12/09/2012:  17:11:12

A few weeks ago I made the trip down to Hickory, NC to pick up my new Skillet Head. It is Skillet head #8L since it is a lefty. I have nicknamed it: "Toneshiner Lady Yates", half inspired by the #8L serial number ("L8Y Y8S"), and half inspired by Mrs.Yates who didn't kill Warren, or Ron for that matter, when they where trying to blow up his back yard, coming up with the proper alloy for these Yates banjos, forcing them to move their "toneshining" foundry operation into an unknown location into the woods.

This Skillet Head is such a killer instrument! It's amazing such a light touch can produce such a wide deep tone. With SH it seems I have gone from a BB gun to an assault rifle, which I can feel in my stomach. Still learning to drive her a bit, but I know a banjo thread is useless without sound, so I will post a clip very soon. It'll give a realistic idea what a two year novice sounds like on it.

Thanks to everyone that helped me with my new SH! Thanks to Ron Stewart for taking the time early on at a venue, first sticking his own SH in my hands and answering all of my many questions. Thanks also to Warren who made the purchase so easy by answering a lot of email questions, sending all those cool build pics along the way, and for personally showing me around his shop when I picked my Skillet up. Thanks also to Robby Boone, and all the rest of you Skillet Head owners before me, for exchanging questions and comments along the way.

The whole experience was awesome and I am very proud to own a Yates Banjo! It motivates me to become a better player as well. Here are some pics below:

My baby on a chair:

Ron with my lefty - Warren holding the Original SH that inspired these banjos:

Some Build pics:

Edited by - kaybone on 12/09/2012 17:14:03

greenhorn - Posted - 12/09/2012:  17:15:58

Excellent. Yates are the best sounding banjos in production. Did it come with a sound clip of Ron picking it left handed?

JMalmsteen - Posted - 12/09/2012:  17:20:37

Ron played one tonight. The banjo sounded great. Of course, having Ron behind it didn't hurt. :)

Edited by - JMalmsteen on 12/09/2012 17:24:00

kaybone - Posted - 12/09/2012:  17:34:16

quote:

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Originally posted by greenhorn

Excellent. Yates are the best sounding banjos in production. Did it come with a sound clip of Ron picking it left handed?

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 I got a very gracious sound clip from Ron thanking me for the purchase, but they had a little camera trouble that evening. But here he is picking the next lefty after mine. Funny,  when I picked it up Warren mentioned he had three lefty banjos in his shop - 3 banjos and he said he couldn't play a one of them.

Here is Ron picking Banjass's Skillet ( 2nd clip - its pretty cool):    youtube.com/watch?v=7ypbKvOU_CE

Premsore - Posted - 12/09/2012:  18:16:40

Kaybone, congratulations on SH8! I know you're enjoying yours as much as I am mine.......sometimes I just sit and look at it, but then I have to pick it up and hear him shout. We are both very fortunate to own something made by the hands of Warren and the vision/talent of Ron.

Rick Polston - Posted - 12/09/2012:  18:54:07

The best sounding new banjo's being built today!

robbyboone - Posted - 12/09/2012:  19:37:58

Congrats on the banjo Mark. Your Skillethead will give you many years of picking enjoyment and will only get better as you become acquainted with it and learn exactly what it is capable of and how to get the "goody" out of it........these are truly amazing instruments. I have to agree whole heartedly with Rick Polston in that Yates banjos are the very finest sounding new banjos that money can buy.

Robby

rferg - Posted - 12/09/2012:  20:27:44

Congratulations. Those are great pics. Thanks for sharing.