Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/284120
Page: 1 2
grich - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:05:57
Here's the new Madison RK-30 prototype
Maple neck & resonator
Hexagon 2pc flange
20 flathead
nickel plated
Edited by - grich on 05/19/2014 13:25:33
TOMCAT - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:13:16
Sweet! Is that a roasted house cat in the dogfood bowl in the bottom pic!? Just saying....
RedStar - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:21:58
Looks great!
Mark
TOMCAT - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:32:14
What's the price on this Greg?
revellfa - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:35:00
Two piece flange--awesome. I want a ball bearing reissue Mr. Rich!
buckholler - Posted - 05/01/2014: 12:42:00
Very nice and simplistic. I love my TPF banjo and can't wait to see how much I need to save.
grich - Posted - 05/01/2014: 13:20:08
I don't have a confirmed price yet but if I had to guess I'd say it's going to be in the same range as the RK-36 ...... hopefully
pastorharry - Posted - 05/01/2014: 13:30:21
I like the look! The only thing that (slightly) bothers me is the Recording King logo being slanted rather than straight.
Edited by - pastorharry on 05/01/2014 13:35:51
Old Hickory - Posted - 05/01/2014: 13:43:34
Hallelujah! A banjo that dares to be different!
Looks great.
DH#52 - Posted - 05/01/2014: 14:20:21
When?
Steve
Culloden - Posted - 05/01/2014: 15:02:53
Now I could go for something like this one. Reminds me of my old ball bearing model 3. I like the hex flange as well.
superdave - Posted - 05/01/2014: 15:49:18
What's the advantage of a two piece flange ?
Dave
REarl - Posted - 05/01/2014: 16:28:22
I guess that Greg should answer that. But as a TPF groupie here are the advantages as I see them, at least for the pre-war TPF's. The rim doesn't have to be cut down thinner below the flange as it does for the OPF. So the rim is thicker overall with greater mass and consistency top to bottom. The bottom of the resonator sits further from the rim thus increasing the volume of the tone chamber. I have been told that the TPF is generally considered to be a stronger design than the OPF. For the pre-war banjos the TPF are brass and the OPF are pot metal. Those are just the major issues, there may be more. Still, I don't think that I could tell you which flange a banjo uses just by listening to it. But I like the look of a TPF, but that's just me.
buckholler - Posted - 05/01/2014: 18:59:36
I'll agree with REarl. I don't think many can hear the difference. Like he stated that the rim its self is thicker cause less wood is needed to be turned off to fit the flange. From what I read Gibson went to a OPF to save money, cause it costs more to make a TPF. The heel cut also has more wood making contact with the rim than a OPF in my observations. To each their own. I have both kinds and love them equally. But to be honest I seem to like the TPF banjo's tone a little more.
Scott
dtyevans - Posted - 05/01/2014: 23:21:08
Very nice! Would love to hear it.
teletodd - Posted - 05/02/2014: 01:30:26
I have a 1981 Gibson RB250 that has a 2 piece flange and heavy gbb ring. Doesn't have the multiply rim. I think shortly after that Gibson went to one piece. Always thought the one piece was an upgrade, after reading this, perhaps not.
Earls 5 - Posted - 05/02/2014: 10:31:21
Hopefully the production models will not have crooked inlays in the peg head ! That bottom diamond on the peg head looks way out of line with the truss rod cover Greg...what gives?
grich - Posted - 05/02/2014: 11:03:30
Like I said it's just a hand built prototype and it will ship to me next week from China at which point I will
make any corrections along with Travis Atz our production manager before the banjo goes into production 
dobroman - Posted - 05/02/2014: 13:46:23
Greg,
I'll take that one with the funky inlay....how much? I been going to pull the trigger on one of your banjo's anyway!! I had an RK-80 and I let a guy talk me out of it....crap!! I wish I had it back. That banjo sounded as good as the high dollar ones I have.
Old Hickory - Posted - 05/02/2014: 14:01:31
Would be neat to have the hex two-piece flange offered as a part, same as the one-piece flange.
Culloden - Posted - 05/02/2014: 14:31:23
Crooked inlays are there to let us know it's hand made. If it was perfect then we would know it was machine made.
Regarding Harry's post about the slanted logo; Gibson logos were slanted. Maybe this is a nod to that tradition. Gold Star slants their logos the same way.
prewartb3 - Posted - 05/03/2014: 03:49:08
Greg; Who made the prototype??
The Old Timer - Posted - 05/03/2014: 06:15:32
Good to see diamonds and snowflakes inlay coming back around.
3 finger ninja - Posted - 05/03/2014: 08:19:57
Dont the tpf also make it easier to use it as an open back?
mikehalloran - Posted - 05/05/2014: 07:18:35
quote:
Originally posted by 5 finger ninja
Dont the tpf also make it easier to use it as an open back?
Absolutely.
About slanted Gibson logos on mandolins and guitars: If you held your instrument at the "correct" angle shown in the instructional materials and advertisements of the day, the logo is horizontal and easier to read.
Marketing!
buckholler - Posted - 05/05/2014: 09:46:23
quote:
Originally posted by 5 finger ninja
Dont the tpf also make it easier to use it as an open back?
Yep, all you have to do is take off the plate, "L" brackets, and resonator and you've got your self a open back.
grich - Posted - 05/05/2014: 13:50:03
Talking about the tube-and-plate flange, this is a project I've been wanting to put in place for some time here at The Music Link. I actually designed this banjo two years ago, and with Travis's help we finally got our workshop in Shanghai to produce this prototype. Travis is bringing it back next week for me to see.
For those of you that have never played a tube and plate flathead, I really truly believe you're going to love the sound of these banjos. I know I'll take some opposition from the one piece flange crowd, but when it comes to tone, I believe the tube and plate banjos have a sweeter, softer sound to them. Generally they don't have the power and volume of a one piece flange, but that's not what I'm talking about here!
This is one banjo I'm really looking forward to seeing. When I get it in my hands I'll try to get some detailed photos up and hopefully finalized pricing.
grich - Posted - 05/05/2014: 13:52:02
nittio - Posted - 05/05/2014: 18:06:27
Greg if its anywhere near as good as the usa custom shop tube and plate . I am sure it will be great !!!
larry p - Posted - 05/05/2014: 18:16:26
ANOTHER impressive new banjo! Wilb - you're doing great work out there
grich - Posted - 05/06/2014: 10:34:23
Hey Mr Larry
Hope your feeling better let me know when your up to doing the book interview !
grich - Posted - 05/19/2014: 13:29:17
Edited by - grich on 05/19/2014 13:44:50
grich - Posted - 05/19/2014: 13:37:30
And yes it will be priced less than the RK-35 from what I understand ......
And it's finished in a new Vintage Red Maple
Goldstarman - Posted - 05/19/2014: 13:43:53
You guys are killer Greg
RKArtisan - Posted - 05/19/2014: 16:36:05
Hey Greg,
Any chance you might make one of these RK-30's with a solid archtop tone ring??? How soon will they be available to the public for sale?
Mickey
teletodd - Posted - 05/20/2014: 10:39:36
Wow, totally tubular
grich - Posted - 05/20/2014: 20:49:12
Mickey
I'm not sure right now if we could do a run with archtop tonerings but maybe in the future if we get more requests, as for
when retailers will get them I'd say maybe 4 to 5 months
thanks
Greg
Emiel - Posted - 05/21/2014: 12:31:18
I would like one with a 40-hole archtop tonering, if I can afford it...
grich - Posted - 06/02/2014: 11:31:42
Remove the resonator and flange and you get a nice openback ..... 
Thor - Posted - 06/02/2014: 11:47:45
quote:
Originally posted by mikehalloran
quote:
Originally posted by 5 finger ninja
Dont the tpf also make it easier to use it as an open back?
Absolutely.
About slanted Gibson logos on mandolins and guitars: If you held your instrument at the "correct" angle shown in the instructional materials and advertisements of the day, the logo is horizontal and easier to read.
Marketing!
Only if they alternate the flange hole sizes to allow for easy plate removal. 
3 finger ninja - Posted - 06/02/2014: 12:39:27
That is one sweet mama jama...I think its going to be a hit...with its versatility, it could easily take the place of the most recommended entry level banjo for bluegrass and clawhammer players alike...very nice Greg Rich.
buckholler - Posted - 06/02/2014: 12:49:14
quote:
Originally posted by Thor
quote:
Originally posted by mikehalloran
quote:
Originally posted by 5 finger ninja
Dont the tpf also make it easier to use it as an open back?
Absolutely.
About slanted Gibson logos on mandolins and guitars: If you held your instrument at the "correct" angle shown in the instructional materials and advertisements of the day, the logo is horizontal and easier to read.
Marketing!
Only if they alternate the flange hole sizes to allow for easy plate removal.
Thats a good idea. I heard some of the old gibsons did that so you didn't have to remove all the hooks to remove the flange plate. I guess in the end if RK didn't do that you could aways bore out every other hole yourself. But that would be an added feature, and make the banjo more versatile and quicker to convert.
Leslie R - Posted - 06/02/2014: 12:55:56
Looks sweet Greg.
My family is getting me a RK guitar banjo for my birthday this month. It looks quite a bit like the model shown here. I wish it had a tonering, I'm sure I'll get one on there though ASAP. I like to play a 5+1 setup, G, D, B, G, wound D, then a high G on top. Have to get a nut and a custom bridge. I have to use 8ga strings for the 2 high G's. I started tbis in March of this year. Could not begin to say why, but my playing has radically improved since I went with this. But i have to custom do about everything. Still, it's way worth the effort. Sorry to get off track, but I thought you might like to hear about something "out of the box". I think there are a couple of clawhammer players that do this as well.
Rawhide Creek - Posted - 06/08/2014: 21:36:49
I'm asking Santa to bring me one of these by Halloween, or maybe Thanksgiving! (How about a limited-edition archtop for 2015?)
Edited by - Rawhide Creek on 06/08/2014 21:47:49
Rawhide Creek - Posted - 06/08/2014: 21:53:18
Only if they alternate the flange hole sizes to allow for easy plate removal.
Wouldn't that be a fairly simple DIY modification? Or am I missing something here?
grich - Posted - 06/09/2014: 10:22:24
Since posting these photos we have been getting a bunch of requests for an Archtop tonering model , I can't promise
but I'll look into it and see if is something we can do in the future !
Goldstarman - Posted - 06/09/2014: 10:35:32
This is what its all about, you ask for something and you have a company that listens and are willing to give you what you ask for.
Thor - Posted - 06/10/2014: 07:38:08
quote:
Originally posted by RawhideCreek
Only if they alternate the flange hole sizes to allow for easy plate removal.
Wouldn't that be a fairly simple DIY modification? Or am I missing something here?
I suppose it would be fairly simple - if you're comfortable drilling or filing flange holes. I doubt that I would bother doing it.
I'd consider it a value-added feature if it was done at the factory.
As someone mentioned, Gibson used the alternating flange plate hole sizes... Janet Davis sells them:
jdmc.com/product/205-5PS.html
No idea if it would fit the RKs.
mikehalloran - Posted - 08/30/2014: 03:06:49
Vega 2 and 4 piece flange sets used alternating holes. Besides the fact that you undo fewer nuts to remove the flange, head tension is not changed.
Modifying this kind of flange is easy if that's what you want. I have done this with a conical grind stone and a hand held drill. Takes a few minutes once the flange is off.
Edited by - mikehalloran on 08/30/2014 03:10:36
Page: 1 2
