phatbass - Posted - 10/22/2013:  00:29:22

I have a fretless tackhead banjo with a skin head. This may be a dumb question, but is it o.k. to use a hair dryer to *CAREFULLY* dry out the head during times when there's a lot of moisture in the air  and the head gets a bit slack?

I'd assume if it's okay, to do it slowly, and only dry out the head enough to tighten it a bit.

Edited by - phatbass on 10/22/2013 00:32:30

Banjosnob - Posted - 10/22/2013:  02:39:43

I actually did this when I attended a banjo camp and got my skin-head wet. I took the bridge off and used the "warm" setting. It worked like a charm.

BDCA - Posted - 10/22/2013:  05:21:03

SOP for Irish Goat Skin drums. Wipe on Guinness to loosen the heads. heat and Guinness applied to the back.

Cya!

Bob

mbuk06 - Posted - 10/22/2013:  05:50:10

I guess it kind've depends how long you intend this fix to work for and how long your were going to play?

Given that the hairdryer doesn't change the prevailing high humidity the skin will be slackening back to match the true air conditions the minute you turn it off. I would either tighten the tension nuts a 1/4 turn and/or just re-tune.

Ira Gitlin - Posted - 10/22/2013:  06:17:02

In the 1920s and 1930s they'fd often keep light bulbs inside their banjos and plug 'em in on humid days. A drummer  (born 1918)  of my acquaintance said that when he was playing in NYC in the 1940s and 1950s, on rainy days he'd head straight to the kitchen of the club he was gigging in, and hold his drums over the lit burners on the stove.

Cottonmouth - Posted - 10/22/2013:  06:17:05

Mr. Earl Scruggs said he did 'it' (use hair-dryer) on the bus during inclement weather!

kmwaters - Posted - 10/22/2013:  08:28:46

If it was good enough for Earl..................................................

Jim Yates - Posted - 10/22/2013:  08:50:35

quote:

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Originally posted by mbuk06

 

I guess it kind've depends how long you intend this fix to work for and how long your were going to play?

Given that the hairdryer doesn't change the prevailing high humidity the skin will be slackening back to match the true air conditions the minute you turn it off. I would either tighten the tension nuts a 1/4 turn and/or just re-tune.

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 This solution won't help Phatbass's tack head.

I changed back to mylar heads when I tightened the head at a festival when jamming outdoors on a humid night and forgot to slack it off afterwards.  A tear appeared across the head and a tear appeared in my eye.

phatbass - Posted - 10/22/2013:  10:10:18

Only gotta work for about an hour, more or less, as I rarely get more than that much time in a day to myself...