gottasmilealot - Posted - 08/12/2014:  08:16:45

I never really had the need to seal a head, but my last late night picking adventure had me starting out with a head at an "A" note, and ending hours later on a warm damp night with strings buzzing to the point where the banjo was unplayable, so I need to do something.  What product do you seal your skin head with?

revellfa - Posted - 08/12/2014:  08:39:13

Shoe stores usually sell a leather sealant which I have used in the past. But I tell you you just can't beat a well mounted skin head. I have found that a square flesh hoop is better than a round one.

If you use the sealant make sure that you don't get it on the hardware--I've heard it can do bad things to it.

But I've had great success with a well mounted square flesh hoop and the sealant. I have some heads that have stayed stable for well over a year with no adjustment--that's better than a plastic head!

jbalch - Posted - 08/12/2014:  08:41:26

I spray with this:  It doesn't eliminate the issue of stretching in VERY humid conditions.  But it probably helps.

Otherwise, I tighten as needed and play on (If the conditions are really extreme and I tighten a LOT, I'll loosen afterwards when returning to more normal levels).

I have also temporarily installed a taller bridge to raise the action. The sound may still be a less bright - but it avoids the need to add tension.

Edited by - jbalch on 08/12/2014 08:42:19

John Gribble - Posted - 08/12/2014:  14:55:57

If you try a spray, take the head off the banjo first and do the spraying outside. It's rather nasty stuff.  But it does help.

Even with the spray, though, you need to occasionally adjust the head to humidity conditions. And don't forget to loosen it up when things get dry, or you'll be buying a new head.

Fathand - Posted - 08/12/2014:  15:12:53

When I first read the subject line, I thought you were headed to Newfoundland for the yearly seal hunt to acquire a head.

Leather shops often sell aerosol sealant for leather coats. You could try that.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 08/12/2014:  21:13:58

I think maybe Brooks Masten has some tips on mounting heads that virtually emliminates the problem.

Try his web site .

raybob - Posted - 08/12/2014:  21:31:33

I agree with taking the head off before spraying. I give mine two coats, let it dry completely, then put it back on. 

hstrawn - Posted - 08/13/2014:  04:28:49

"Curly maple Minstrel Tackhead banjo. Rugged, loud, easy to play. The goatskin is weatherized with a thin vinyl coating on each side."

From an ad for the Bell Minstrel Tackhead Banjo. Not sure what the coating is or how it is applied but from personal experience with one of these banjos, IT WORKS.

Link here: banjobuyer.com/banjo/43457

How would it work with a 'modern' banjo? Maybe it wouldn't.

carlb - Posted - 08/13/2014:  04:42:46

quote:

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Originally posted by gottasmilealot

I never really had the need to seal a head, but my last late night picking adventure had me starting out with a head at an "A" note, and ending hours later on a warm damp night with strings buzzing to the point where the banjo was unplayable, so I need to do something.

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What about just switching to a higher bridge under those conditions. That's the solution I use. It takes me about a minute to change bridges.

gottasmilealot - Posted - 08/13/2014:  06:19:47

Carl, I took you suggestion and do that, but in this case the change was extreme.  It was a resonator banjo that just had the head installed and was still going through it's initial stabilization, and I decided to stay up was too late on a damp night, so I figure I might as well just seal it and see what happens. It was also calf skin instead of goat skin if that makes a difference. My previous heads were goat skin. I haven't had enough of them to have the experience with the various types.

I should have played around a campfire instead of a lantern.

Edited by - gottasmilealot on 08/13/2014 06:20:40

gottasmilealot - Posted - 08/13/2014:  18:10:32

I picked up a small aerosol can of Thompson's water seal, so I'll see if that works. Thanks for all the suggestions.

gailg64 - Posted - 08/14/2014:  16:04:09

There's no perfect approach, but I have fair luck when I combine several of the strategies mentioned (taller bridge, Rack Room Shoe weatherizer--2 coats, applied outdoors).

Hide heads can be a royal pain if you live in the humid southeast.  The worst conditions are outside at night in the summer --just when & where people are often playing at Fiddlers Conventions! And forget a useable skin head outside in Florida! . 

There's a reason why Earl Scruggs was an early adopter of the Weather King. There's also a reason why you'll sometimes come across old banjos with burn marks on them...someone overdid it! Other old-timers may remember the sudden popularity of skin heads on old-time banjos that happened about 20 years ago. I'll never forget standing in a line of people waiting for the bathroom hair dryers right before the banjo contest!

G

quote

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Originally posted by carlb

quote:

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Originally posted by gottasmilealot

I never really had the need to seal a head, but my last late night picking adventure had me starting out with a head at an "A" note, and ending hours later on a warm damp night with strings buzzing to the point where the banjo was unplayable, so I need to do something.

---

What about just switching to a higher bridge under those conditions. That's the solution I use. It takes me about a minute to change bridges.

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jgcannon - Posted - 08/14/2014:  20:10:02

I think it was Bob Smakula that suggested using Thomson's Water Seal, which worked pretty well for me on a 12" goat hide head.

I keep wondering how that "NeverWet" experiment went that someone mentioned. My son-in-law gave me a kit of it, but I haven't tried it on a banjo head! (I have a few on the way from Elderly, so maybe it's time to take the plunge... pun intended...)

carlb - Posted - 08/15/2014:  05:24:50

quote:

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Originally posted by gottasmilealot

Carl, I took you suggestion and do that, but in this case the change was extreme.

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Last year, for the first time in 9 years with my present head, I ran into the same problem in that my strings started buzzing with my highest bridge. I simply tightened the head a smidgen and that fixed the problem.

dculgan - Posted - 08/15/2014:  06:50:07

Playing a big ol’ minstrel style banjo for the general public in the humid east coast summer over the years I’ve tried silicone head coatings and found that they help, but in order to get the loud crisp sound you can hear from a distance I’ve often  had to resort to heating the head to keep it dry and tight. Strong sunlight is the best and a campfire works great but when that is not available I’ve come to rely on a small charcoal burner ( a 18^th cent. style brazier) for heat. A handful of briquettes burning will last an hour set, I apply a few seconds of heat to the head between songs. Of course it looks odd, cooking the banjo, but it also gets the audience interested a chance to point out the construction and materials of the early banjo. You can see the brazier at my feet in this picture.