jmoathout - Posted - 06/05/2014:  07:15:34

For banjos equipped with skin heads, let's assume the humidity changes and all the strings go sharp (or flat). What is your preferred technique for getting back in tune?

1.  Re-tuning strings

2. Changing bridge height

3. Adjusting head tension

4. Other

My inclination, especially if it goes sharp is to lower the head tension to avoid possible head splits.  When I go flat, I typically re-tune the strings.   Others seem to change bridge height.

It seems to me that if the fundamental cause of being off tuning is a humidity change, the preferred adjustment would be to adjust the head tension, rather than to treat the symptom. Just wondering what others do.

grm405 - Posted - 06/05/2014:  07:36:52

That is what I did.  I found that the head tension (as measured by nut torque) might change by 20% or more up or down.  Required re-torquing the nuts frequently (daily if there was a sudden humidity change) but gave me the same sound and action from day to day.  I finally decided the skin was not worth it and replaced it with a Renaissance head.  Somewhat brighter and consistent sound and action.

YMMV.

Gerry

The Old Timer - Posted - 06/05/2014:  07:41:55

Tighten when it sounds dead/thuddy or the action goes low on a damp day. Critically important to remember to slack the head back off before putting it away, in anticipation of the air drying out again. You don't want the head to split just sitting in the case!!

Same goes for seasonal change. You have to slack the head off at end of summer, as the air dries out for fall/winter!

I presume we're talking about heads tight enough for good bluegrass sound. For old time music I don't think there's as much interest in really tight heads.

jmoathout - Posted - 06/05/2014:  07:51:09

Old Timer, I was talking about OT, but failed to state.

banjered - Posted - 06/05/2014:  09:16:13

I spray the daylights out of the head with"KIWI PROTECT-ALL" that is sold at Wal-Mart. I put masking tape on the inside of the pot on the wood part, takes about two minutes to put a layer on both sides, wait 20 minutes and hit it again, then once more (3X). Seems to work but if the head disintegrates in two years my people will get back with your people....Banjered

Fathand - Posted - 06/05/2014:  13:45:20

Dry the Head with a hair dryer or Lightbulbs?

banjo bill-e - Posted - 06/05/2014:  13:59:42

"even for Old Time", we want TONE! And a too-slack head kills the tone. I adjust tension as needed, have never swapped bridges for that purpose, but on my tackhead it''s the only possible solution. However, on my tackhead, I've never needed to change anything. Perhaps it's not crucial when tuned down so low.

Ken LeVan - Posted - 06/05/2014:  14:58:22

An iron works very well, esp a small one, like a travel iron.

The brand name "Weather King", still used today by Remo, came about because of this problem. I can remember in the late 50s early 60s when first ALL drum heads were replaced by plastic, soon to be followed by banjo heads.

Old timers I knew swore that the ball bearing Mastertone with the heavy springs was supposed to keep tension on the head in damp weather - think a Shriners string band marching in a parade when it rains, not Earl Scruggs on stage. Anyway - that's been widely disputed, but I knew a lot of credible people who swore it was true. Didn't work, anyway. Plastic heads work and so they universally replaced skin heads in a short period of time.

My hat's off to anyone living in a variable climate who is willing to put up with skin heads. The definition of a traditionalist and/or romantic. I'm both a traditionalist and romantic myself, but have not yet ventured into the skin head arena.

rudy - Posted - 06/05/2014:  15:27:37

If you are using goat skin, Brooks Masten outlines the procedure he uses to install heads that results in seldom if any need for readjustment due to humidity variations.

It's in the "Babbling Brooks" section of his website.

Edited by - rudy on 06/05/2014 15:29:27

westsideryan - Posted - 06/05/2014:  15:42:52

Hers's the link to what Rudy was referring to (I think anyway): brooksbanjos.com/index.php/bab...in_heads/  I booked marked it last night when I stumbled across it.  Seems that he uses square flesh hoops instead of round ones.  He says that "using a square flesh hoop actually pinches the skin and crimps it into place, enabling a stability that round hoops can't provide."  From what I know most people use round flesh hoops so I don't really know if any of this information would be useful to the majority of people.

Edited by - westsideryan on 06/05/2014 15:44:43

jmoathout - Posted - 06/05/2014:  16:13:48

The hide heads I've gotten from John Balch have square flesh hoops.  The Masten article is very interesting.  When I posted the thread, it wasn't to report a problem, or seek ways to avoid changes in head tension, but rather to see what folks did to counter a head tension change:  re-tune, adjust tension hooks, change bridge height, other (heat lamp, etc.)  My leaning is to maintain tension with tension hook adjustments, although I often re-tune, if flat.  If the banjo goes sharp, I tend to loosen the hooks to avoid splitting.  I recently had a hide head split: fortunately it was going to be replaced anyway since it had a small "worn place" where the previous owner had the no-knot tailpiece too low.   

Edited by - jmoathout on 06/05/2014 16:14:53

westsideryan - Posted - 06/05/2014:  16:27:21

quote:

---

Originally posted by jmoathout

The hide heads I've gotten from John Balch have square flesh hoops. 

---

That's cool to know.  I am working on ordering a head from him right now.  Maybe it's just the older banjos that I've seen that have the round flesh hoops.

The people that I've seen with hide heads seem to adjust the tension hooks to keep the head at the right tightness.  I've seen a couple of people show up to jams early to tighten their heads and then they loosen them again before they leave.  I am hoping that my head will be a bit more stable then that and that I'll only have to make minor adjustments every so often.

Edited by - westsideryan on 06/05/2014 16:31:39

carlb - Posted - 06/06/2014:  05:52:40

Change bridges to keep the action about the same and the strings from buzzing. While I prefer my my 5/8" one, I also carry a 1/2" and a 11/16'. It takes me about a minute to change a bridge (remove strings from the slots; stand up the new bridge near the one to be removed; remove old by leaning it over; place the new bridge in about the right position; slide the strings back into the slots; modify the bridge position by comparing 12th fret harmonic compared to note when you press down on the 12 fret; adjust your tuning to the group).