jswkingsfield - Posted - 06/01/2015:  06:59:14

Enviable collection, Joe!  Thanks for sharing -- and possibly triggering another round of BAS . . . . 

Roll Player - Posted - 06/01/2015:  09:24:44

Listening again today, I liked the "twangy" ones a lot better than I did. I can't say why. I'm using the same headphones as before. Maybe my ears are a bit different today. Overall, #6 sounds a bit better than all of them, and #3 sounds a little deader than I thought the other day.

In truth, they all are fine sounding banjos, and a slight tweak in setup, playing technique, or even recording technique could produce a different sound. The best sounding banjos, imo, are the ones that best match the skills and preferences of a really good player.

Joe, thanks for the comparisons. Good picking, too!

The Old Timer - Posted - 06/01/2015:  09:50:55

Well I'll be danged! I liked the Stelling the best! Not knowing much about the Golden Cross, please tell what wood in the neck/resonator please. How has Stelling construction evolved, to give this "newer" sound not like the old ones. Would like to understand more.

Thanks, that was a good lesson!

Geoff Stelling - Posted - 06/01/2015:  10:52:30

Joe,
Nice job of playing. I must admit, I had a difficult time choosing one over another. They are all good sounding banjos. It is amazing that they all had a similar sound, most likely because they were all played by the same person. We've all heard the saying that Earl could make any banjo he played sound just like any of the rest he played. Much can be said about the picker being the main ingredient of the sound. Set up is crucial to the sound of any banjo and it needs to be explained if the set ups were as identical as possible on all the banjos played. I would assume so. Then, again, not all set ups are equal to every banjo.
Geoff

banjoez - Posted - 06/01/2015:  11:00:11

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Old Timer

Well I'll be danged! I liked the Stelling the best! Not knowing much about the Golden Cross, please tell what wood in the neck/resonator please. How has Stelling construction evolved, to give this "newer" sound not like the old ones. Would like to understand more.



Thanks, that was a good lesson!

---

I am hoping that Geoff is still following this thread and perhaps he can enlighten all of us on the evolution of his banjos. It would be very interesting. Geoff?

banjoez - Posted - 06/02/2015:  07:07:40

quote:

---

Originally posted by The Old Timer

Well I'll be danged! I liked the Stelling the best! Not knowing much about the Golden Cross, please tell what wood in the neck/resonator please. How has Stelling construction evolved, to give this "newer" sound not like the old ones. Would like to understand more.



Thanks, that was a good lesson!

---

Dick, The Golden Cross is built with highly figured curly maple.

As far as Stelling construction and evolution, the biggest change was in the early 2000's when they changed from a traditional 3 ply rim and went to the Tony Pass thin birch block rim. It tended to give the Stellings a richer, fatter more traditional sound without sacrificing the power and volume they were known for. It worked.

Edited by - banjoez on 06/02/2015 07:11:11

TOMCAT - Posted - 06/02/2015:  08:35:23

Joe is spot on. I had a 2003 GC that was a monster and the truest clearest banjo I have played yet from one end of the fretboard to the other

musicmiscandmore - Posted - 07/07/2015:  10:21:45

Great sound test. Thanks!

ceemonster - Posted - 07/07/2015:  17:35:08

i'm late to the party here, and only 4, 2, and 1 seem to be there. I liked 4 the best, unsurprising because it was the fattest/deepest, which i really like.  and it turns out to be the hatfield? #2 was great in that clear way, much more present than #1, which was also in the clear mode, but less present than #2, i thought.   so, 4 is the hatfield, 2 is the stelling GC? or are they all shuffled around and out of order now? the stelling was mahvelous, but my thing is usually fat and deep.



I love these threads, they're so much fun.

ok, they're all there, i'm bad with tech. ok, still like the 4 the best. this is giving me insight into my historic aversion as to the gibson ec series banjos with the original ring.   my '49 classic has a kulesh Big 10 in it, which does give a fatter, deeper sound i like much better, though not in the hatfield or huber way . . .

Edited by - ceemonster on 07/07/2015 17:50:42