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jmod - Posted - 09/03/2014: 07:22:09
Hi All,
I have always loved the sound of a goat skin head but have never wanted to change out the synthetic head I have on my Ramsey Woody. Does anyone play with a natural skin on their wood tone ring banjo (esp. a Ramsey)? What are your thoughts?
Many thanks!
revellfa - Posted - 09/03/2014: 07:40:53
My old Kalamazoo had a maple bead turned for a tone ring on top and it had a skin head on it. LOVED IT! No sound in the world like it.
I've attached "just a few" videos of that old banjo played in all styles and one with Nylgut strings.
hweinberg - Posted - 09/03/2014: 07:41:58
I have played with a goatskin head on my 11" rosewood capped Cedar Mountain L-2 for many years. For no special reason I am going to try a ren head on it soon just to hear the difference. It was originally set up (in the late 90s) with a fiberskyn that I replaced with goatskin after a couple of years, which I liked better. -- Howard
jmod - Posted - 09/03/2014: 08:25:11
Frankie, that is a sweet sound - thanks for posting!
Howard, thank for your feedback. I currently have a ren head on mine and am contemplating the opposite of your situation. :) I do love the ren head sound; it is a bit more articulate than what I imagine a goat skin to sound like.
banjo bill-e - Posted - 09/03/2014: 09:57:40
Josh earlier this year I put a John Balch 4-Star Goatskin head on my Ramsey Woody. I like it MUCH better than the Renaissance head. Not only is the tone richer and more complex, I swear the banjo is actually louder than before, and even my wife noticed the difference.
Also let me say the the John Balch head went on perfectly, the entire process was straightforward and very easy. I had never taken the head off before but there was nothing to it. John makes a great product.
Go for it!
Bill
jmcconnan - Posted - 09/03/2014: 11:39:07
I play a rosewood tone ring with a goat skin head as well as a Renaissance headed banjo. The goat gives a deep, mellow sound which is perfect for clawhammer and works surprising well for finger picking with steel picks.
Get a goat!
mrphysics55 - Posted - 09/03/2014: 11:54:04
Goat + Wood = Mo' Better Tone
This combo is my favorite and I employ it on ALL of my banjers.
MrP
banjo bill-e - Posted - 09/03/2014: 11:56:13
Jim said " works surprising well for finger picking with steel picks."
Amen. I LOVE the tone of my Woody when playing Two Finger with steel picks. It took some time to get used to them but I get a lot of volume and a cool tone that makes it worth it. With a mic for volume I think that this setup would sound great playing Bluegrass too, imo, if you don't just have to have THAT ONE sound. Now, the Woody/Skin combo is NOT dark and dull, by any means, but the Ren head with picks was just a bit too shrill for my ears. With the goatskin it is perfect. And of course, it's perfect for Clawhammer, too.
bhniko - Posted - 09/03/2014: 12:59:00
Ditto on the John Balch goat skin head. Great.
Oldpiper - Posted - 09/03/2014: 13:58:36
Jason Romero combines a wood tone ring with skin head most of the time and you know how they sound!
DEmery - Posted - 09/03/2014: 16:31:52
Wood rims and a Balch Hide Head sounds really fine. I have three wood rims; one of which is a flush fret. It is probably my preferred sound for banjo while I do enjoy Dobson rings with skin heads...which is a little different. David E.
rubicon - Posted - 09/03/2014: 19:57:54
nothing better than my wood tone ring banjers or my Dobson banjers with J B goatskin head' s.
Edited by - rubicon on 09/03/2014 20:04:44
jmod - Posted - 09/04/2014: 14:46:23
So now I'm curious, does anyone have some sound bites of a wood rim with a balch head? Bill, I would love to here that Ramsey if you have anything. :D
banjo bill-e - Posted - 09/04/2014: 15:05:39
I wish Josh, but I have not yet been able to record anything that I could stand to listen to twice. As soon as I hit the record button I seem to go into full retard mode, even though we learned in Tropic Thunder "never go full retard!" I'm still working on it but I can't promise anything. Strangely enough I can play in front of other people with only a small amount of nervousness, but I can still play. I just can't seem to play alone in a room with a recorder running. So, if you're ever in Nashville------------
Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/04/2014: 16:18:37
quote:
Originally posted by banjo bill-e
I wish Josh, but I have not yet been able to record anything that I could stand to listen to twice. As soon as I hit the record button I seem to go into full retard mode, even though we learned in Tropic Thunder "never go full retard!" I'm still working on it but I can't promise anything. Strangely enough I can play in front of other people with only a small amount of nervousness, but I can still play. I just can't seem to play alone in a room with a recorder running. So, if you're ever in Nashville------------
Just set up the recorder where you usually play. Turn it on every time you play. Then forget about it. Don't think about recording anything at all.
Play a lot of stuff.
Eventually you'll relax, and something you're happy with will be recorded by accident.
Ultimately, you'll become desensitized to the presence of the recorder, and be able to record at will.
Edited by - Marc Nerenberg on 09/04/2014 16:22:39
rubicon - Posted - 09/04/2014: 21:09:14
I have to make a correction on my original post I wrote Dobson's plural ,we have a brief editing window here as you know .When I looked at the post I made an error it should have read my wood tone ring banjer's and my Dobson which have JB 4 star goatskins. My other Dobson is a Jason Mogi With a killer goatskin head he mounted himself ,the banjo has incredible tone and he deserves credit for the fine head as well as the build ...
Edited by - rubicon on 09/04/2014 21:17:31
BBanjers - Posted - 09/05/2014: 00:20:41
I've just received a pre mounted head from John Balch and I'm very much looking forward to putting it on an all Black Walnut open back in the next couple of weeks which I'm building for a customer. I'll be posting sound samples and photos once completed.
DEmery - Posted - 09/05/2014: 02:38:46
John thanks for posting those samples. Bill...I heard you play and there is no reason to be nervous. I like your style a lot. David E.
jmod - Posted - 09/05/2014: 05:01:02
John, thanks for posting these, they are great. Bill, I resonate with the whole recording thing. :)
davidwigal - Posted - 09/06/2014: 17:17:27
Wow thanks gents! I just stumbled onto this thread as I too was contemplating mounting a skin-head on my 12" Ramsey walnut "Woody."
Now after reading, and hearing, all of the positive comments I decided to go for it and buy a J Balch goatskin head.
Thanks again awesome banjo bros :-)
