Billyjimbob - Posted - 01/25/2013:  09:28:40

I have been toying with the idea of using an artificial cobra skin cowhide for a banjo head.. It isn't rawhide though..It is thin leather 1.5mm thick..Not sure if it would react the same when soaked and dried..Has anyone ever tried doing this? It may not sound too good but it would look pretty cool.

mbanza - Posted - 01/25/2013:  09:43:17

1.5mm sounds a bit thick.  Typical thickness is about 0.3 mm ao so.

xie - Posted - 01/25/2013:  10:15:45

Would look neat.

teletodd - Posted - 01/25/2013:  10:18:03

You could then play Snakeskin Cowboys by Ted Nugent.

jtallant - Posted - 01/25/2013:  13:23:05

Take a look at this guy.

ebay.com/itm/CONFEDERATE-BANJO...37f1e7964

He can make you a banjo head with any kind of design.  He uses a special process of printing designs on the underside of clear banjo heads.  Let your imagination run WILD!!

mike gregory - Posted - 01/25/2013:  14:37:25

Which brings up a question: Since pythons, released by their (gdm irsponsibl owners!!) are now being hunted & slaughtered in Florida, would they make good banjo heads?

rudy - Posted - 01/25/2013:  14:47:41

Mike, You beat me to the punch.  When I saw the topic I thought there may have been a CHANCE for the Everglades, knowing that banjo players the world round would be clamoring for Python heads.  If it's good enough for boots why not banjos?

The Python problem is no small matter, everything in Florida (at present, more states will follow...) is being decimated because once the Pythons start devouring small mammals, other reptiles, and birds it depletes the entire food chain right on up to the large game.

CosmicMaskedAvenger - Posted - 01/25/2013:  17:22:52

It's no good.

Earl never used cobra or python.  Believe he always used rattlesnake.

Use that.

And always plant both fingers.

;-)

Stivini61 - Posted - 01/25/2013:  18:14:07

I love how they first noticed a dip in the prey population which pointed to the python problem.  Roadkill survey.  Apparently the Florida DNR folks went to DefCon 6 when they found ZERO roadkill in the Everglades. 

DanKnowles - Posted - 01/25/2013:  18:19:39

The Japanese use snake skin on the banjo type instrument the Jamisen, The Jamisen is a smaller type of shamisen.

mike gregory - Posted - 01/26/2013:  06:37:40

quote:

---

Originally posted by DanKnowles

The Japanese use snake skin on the banjo type instrument the Jamisen, The Jamisen is a smaller type of shamisen.

---

 Never previously suspected that "Jam Session" is derived from the Japanese word "Jamisen".

But, it seems to make sense.

Ho C Ying - Posted - 01/27/2013:  02:29:42

You may watch one of my videos, an old man was playing a snake skin head four string banjo in Guangzhou, China.

 

Edited by - Ho C Ying on 01/27/2013 02:30:11

waiknott - Posted - 01/28/2013:  16:19:40

Well its not a cobra banjo head, but it is a python banjo strap. This was a Christmas present to myself that I picked up on Etsy.

Python Strap

desert rose - Posted - 01/28/2013:  16:41:29

First things first, the Japanese instrument is called the

SHAMISEN not jamisen

The python skin is used only on the Okinawa version of the instrument. I have talked to a number of players in Okinawa and most prefer the sound of the plastic imatation snake skin head to the natural, for better tone

Scott

Ho C Ying - Posted - 01/28/2013:  18:40:14

Snake skin head four string banjo in Guangzhou, China.

Edited by - Ho C Ying on 01/28/2013 18:41:21

John Gribble - Posted - 01/28/2013:  21:56:02

Sansin appears to be the preferred spelling of the Okinawan version of the shamisen. It is smaller than the various forms of the shamisen played on the main islands of Japan and traditionally has a snakeskin head imported from SE Asia. 

There are also "student" versions with tin can bodies which sound remarkably good. 

Nuts - Posted - 01/29/2013:  08:37:35

The Chinese Erhu is another example of an instrument with a Python skin head.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhu

skip sail - Posted - 01/29/2013:  13:53:55

Emus will eat small snakes,and i have tried Emu skin,and it was no darn good for a banjo. there is some sort of law of nature at work here.