vintagegeorge - Posted - 10/18/2014:  15:18:36

So I bought this old mountain banjo. Its so cool. I am now trying to decide if I should keep it as it is or try to turn it into a player. It's very light and has some cracks but I think it could handle nylguts. The head has slipped a little and may need to be replaced. Anyone have any advice on these banjos? Thanks George 

vintagegeorge - Posted - 10/18/2014:  15:19:32

Oh yeah the bridge is not original. I just wanted to hear what it sounded like.

bd - Posted - 10/18/2014:  15:30:47

"so cool" is right!

I don't have any restoration advice, I'm afraid, but I will say nylon or nylgut & 2 foot bridge. I sure smarter folks will be chiming in soon. Make sure you post a video or mp3 when you get up and singing.

Noah Cline - Posted - 10/18/2014:  16:11:46

That is cool.

If the cracks aren't anything major, and the head has some tension, then I'd leave it like it is.

The old one I recently restored I strung with Classic Nylguts (med. tension). 

I have it tuned down low, and I think it sounds best where it's at.

davidppp - Posted - 10/18/2014:  16:47:24

I vote for playing it! But I don't think there's any sense or point in thinking of repairs as restoration to its original condition. It's hugely charming as is. So I'd look carefully at the cracks with an eye to stabilization. Is there anything that might get worse because it's being played again?

In my limited experience, taking on the head is an adventure. On an 11" rim with a tension band, a range over which the flesh hoop can be pulled, and muscle memory of mounting similarly prepared skins, it's still a bit chancy how it turns out. Even Sam (S.) Stewart, at the end of an article with DIY mounting instructions, admitted (in polite terms) that it's a bit of a crap shoot because of the variability from skin to skin.

My best guess is that yours is mounted with nails or tacks on the inside and may (but likely not) have some tiny range of adjustment once it's dry. On a couple of mine, I succeeded in tightening by wetting the skin and adding a very thin wood ring (where a tone ring would sit) just to tighten the head -- rather than attempting to re-mount it from scratch. (If you mount one too tight from the start, it will just tear.)

So, before even thinking about a new head, I would use the generic tackhead approach and consider varying the bridge height to compensate a bit for head tension and variability.

It is definitely so cool. You're a lucky guy.

arnie fleischer - Posted - 10/18/2014:  16:58:35

Nylguts should work fine.  I have a similar banjo made by Frank Proffitt, Jr. that I bought from him in 1975.  It came strung with extremely light gauge steel strings and has been that way for nearly 40 years without a single issue!

vintagegeorge - Posted - 10/18/2014:  17:00:21

Thanks for the suggestions guys. Should I coat it with linseed oil? It's very dry.