dilrods - Posted - 07/21/2014:  10:16:18

I had read that anyone with the ball-bearing ("cyclotronic") system in their Nechville could drop in just about any name brand tone ring with no adjustment whatsoever (JLS, Huber, Nechville, Kulesh). I've been very happy with my Nechville TTT ring (Titanium+Wood) but wanted to try a vintage style ring for fun. I picked the Kulesh Vintage 20 because it is the most affordable.

Took me ... 12 minutes? Love it. Just what you'd expect, a little drier with slightly more bassy overtones and a little more volume. I'd say it's a more noticeable difference than the jump from wood ring to wood + titanium. Very traditional sounding. And heavier ...

So am i keeping it in there? Only until the next time I get the bug. Both of the Nechville rings I have are very distinctive and great in their own right--and three pounds lighter. This banjo is a tinkerer's dream ...

richla - Posted - 07/21/2014:  11:07:30

The more I read about Nechville's the more interested I become. Thanks for posting this, I did not know about this feature.

dilrods - Posted - 07/21/2014:  11:27:21

You're most welcome! Maybe anyone who has found a ring that doesn't fit (if there are any) should chime in ...

jswkingsfield - Posted - 07/21/2014:  11:37:07

I once plopped a Sullivan V35 into my Nechville Classic DLX, and that didn't work.  I think because it is a long skirt ring, sat on the rim too high, the ball bearing were sloshing around inside.

dilrods - Posted - 07/21/2014:  11:48:38

Aha! So maybe just standard skirt length.

jswkingsfield - Posted - 07/21/2014:  14:14:12

quote:

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Originally posted by dilrods

Aha! So maybe just standard skirt length.

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Yep, that would be my guess.  

Come to think of it, I think I have a short skirt ring sitting around here somewhere . . . but every time I take my Helimount apart, these dang ball bearings end up all over the carpet!

dilrods - Posted - 07/21/2014:  14:35:13

Somehow I'm able to get the tightening ring out and then knock all the balls inward into the head so they're all in one place and can't get out. Then pull out the tone ring.

alprice - Posted - 07/22/2014:  07:52:50

As long as the ball bearings fit inside and the ring can still make contact with the rim, you are good to go.

Keeping those ball bearings under control can be a challenge.  I nudge them onto the head with a pencil and then place them in a bowl or cup.

Richard Kulesh Jr - Posted - 08/16/2014:  07:24:32

Glad to hear you like the combination, dilrods. Happy Pickin'!

Tim13 - Posted - 08/16/2014:  09:41:20

 I have a kulesh ring in my Gibson RB-3 reissue, and it sounds very good.  I can't imagine another ring sounding better.  It pairs up with the mahogony in this banjo very well.

Tim

jswkingsfield - Posted - 09/01/2014:  19:40:09

I today tried installing a Dannick tone ring into my Classic DLX, and same problem as when I tried a Sullivan V35 ring -- balls sloshed inside the ring.  The channel of the Dannick seems deeper than the Nechville Pro ring. 

dilrods - Posted - 09/02/2014:  03:33:06

Very interesting! A slightly larger ball-bearing might solve that.

gottasmilealot - Posted - 09/02/2014:  10:23:17

It would be a nice thing if the Nechville website had a list of compatible tone rings, or we could list the rings known to be compatible on the Nechville Owner's Group page on this site

Edited by - gottasmilealot on 09/02/2014 10:25:00