johnedallas - Posted - 03/30/2015:  08:14:32

Hello,

I have a small zither-banjo that could do with a new head. Not urgent - it's not split, it's just that the previous owner re-headed it rather untidily. It sounds OK.

However, I recently had to replace a split head on an open-back banjo, and kept the old vellum. It split at the tone ring, so I've now got a circular piece of vellum 10 1/2" in diameter left over. The head of my zither-banjo is only 7 3/4", so from a size point of view, the old head should fit on it. (Or would that be cutting it a bit fine?)

Question is, is it wise to re-use a vellum that has been on a well-played banjo for 25 years? Would there be enough "stretch" left in it, and would that make any difference? And would the difference be in the tone of the instrument, or only in the procedure for fitting the head, or both?

Anyone out there had experience of this? Or, failing that, a theory about it?

Cheers,

John

beegee - Posted - 03/30/2015:  08:47:12

no problem using old vellum as long as you have enough margin to properly stretch it.

mikehalloran - Posted - 03/30/2015:  10:22:08

An old trick to handle a head that doesn't have enough skirt to work with is to take a needle and thread, make many loops along the edge. Make them large enough that you can gather them to a single point above the head after passing around the flesh hoop and back under the stretcher.

banjonz - Posted - 03/30/2015:  12:34:04

As Beegee has said, it will be ok providing you have enough material to be able to mount and stretch it. I always keep old vellums for this exact purpose. I try wherever possible to recycle them to smaller instruments.

Jarvie - Posted - 04/17/2015:  22:28:25

I have put quite a number of old drum heads, from snare drums, marching band bass drums, etc, on banjos, and have found them to be quite as good as the great Jos. Rogers heads of old.

I had a stack of these that I got from the trash.

The only problem I ever had with these is that I finally ran out of them after many years, and many banjos.

A snare drum has got to take more punishment than a banjer vellum!
Even the divots from the drum sticks hits faded with a good soak.

They looked and sounded great!