RV6 - Posted - 06/16/2016:  15:11:51

I'm selling my Reiter Buckbee only because I found I prefer shorter necked openbacks.  I now have a Reiter A Flat and a Sagmoen with 24 3/4" scales.

It's set up with Super Nylguts but I'll set it up with new steel strings and a no knot tailpiece if you'd like. 

banjohangout.org/classified/58270

Edited by - RV6 on 08/01/2016 18:32:14

banjered - Posted - 06/16/2016:  15:21:08

I think that is the mellowest Reiter that I have ever heard, pretty sweet sounding. Reiter's usually strike me as being metallic, shrill and a bit harsh but as they say, set-up is everything and you prove it. Banjered

RV6 - Posted - 06/16/2016:  17:56:19

Thanks, Tom.

I believe JBalch said the the Reiter's were very "adjustable" as to set up and tone and I agree.

I liked the Super Nylguts enough on the Buckbee that I put them on my Reiter A Flat a few weeks ago with pretty much the same results.  A few days later, I took the black painted Ren. head  off and put the Elderly goatskin head that I installed on JBalch's square flesh hoop on and that was the "icing on the cake" on that banjo.

RWJonesy - Posted - 06/17/2016:  05:14:15

I own the same A flat scale Reiter Standard....its a solid, great sounding workhorse of a banjo. I will never go back to the 26+ scale banjos. This 24 3/4 scale is just too comfortable to play and it works best for my hands. Heres a little clip to show you what I have mine sounding like at the moment.  I customized my Reiter quite a bit mostly to alter the tone to my ears and because I know it's my lifetime player. The Reiter Standard has alot of potential to produce many different tones. Yours is sounding nice on your "Just Noodlin' " upload. Best wishes to you Bob on your banjo journey.

Edited by - RWJonesy on 06/17/2016 05:28:08

VIDEO: Pretty Little Dog (click to view)

RV6 - Posted - 06/17/2016:  06:25:57

RW,   An outstanding  job of playing and your banjo sounds great!  Very much like mine, I think (but your playing is much better).  I like the look of the brass hardware (but not enough to change from the Reiter hardware that's on the A Flat).

I have a Fielding  tailpiece, too (nickel).  I assume you have steel strings on your A Flat.  What are they?  They sound good.

I've found that my hands and fingers (and shoulders) work best with the lower tension of nylon strings and a shorter neck. I also prefer the sound.  I've been playing with mainly Chris Sands string for the last 2- 3 years. Mostly mediums but I put a set of Sand's heavies on my Sagmoen which has a Dobson ring and Ren head and they've worked out great.  Better than the medium Sands, I think. I do think that the Super Nyguts are slightly louder and not quite as mellow as the Sands heavies and intended for the A Flat to be my "jam" banjo and the Sagmoen more of a "stay at home" banjo.

I stretched an Elderly calf skin head and put it on the Sagmoen but I didn't think the nylon strings sounded very good with that head.  Perhaps the higher tension of the steel strings is needed with the heavier calfskin head to "drive" it?

RWJonesy - Posted - 06/17/2016:  07:16:48

Thanks for the kind words Bob. I use Ernie Ball Earthwood Strings that I purchased at Elderly. If your looking for a brighter tone I'm thinking you want to tighten the calfskin head down pretty tight. If your looking for a plunkier tone then loosen the calfskin head up a bit. I dont have one but I understand a drum dial is really helpful for determining the desired tightness of a skin head. I just pretty much experiment without it on my own. RD Lunceford is a master in my opinion concerning the setup of skin heads and nylgut strings for optimal tone on any given banjo. I would recommend you drop him an email and ask his advice. He is very helpful with all things concerning banjo.

banjered - Posted - 06/17/2016:  13:19:42

Great tones, playing you two. A Reiter Standard was my first real banjo back about '90.  I could never get the tone out of it I wanted and so ended up selling it. Now that I know a lot more about set-up and as you two demonstrate I have often wondered how I could have made that banjo sound. Skin head certainly and back then  no Nylguts existed, and I think Savarez Yellows were the going recommendation for synthetic strings. Don't Bb, B#. Banjered

RV6 - Posted - 06/18/2016:  06:27:51

quote:

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Originally posted by RWJonesy

 

Thanks for the kind words Bob. I use Ernie Ball Earthwood Strings that I purchased at Elderly. If your looking for a brighter tone I'm thinking you want to tighten the calfskin head down pretty tight. If your looking for a plunkier tone then loosen the calfskin head up a bit. I dont have one but I understand a drum dial is really helpful for determining the desired tightness of a skin head. I just pretty much experiment without it on my own. RD Lunceford is a master in my opinion concerning the setup of skin heads and nylgut strings for optimal tone on any given banjo. I would recommend you drop him an email and ask his advice. He is very helpful with all things concerning banjo.

---

Thanks for the suggestions.  I took the calfskin of the Sagmoen almost immediately and put the Ren head back on and am going to stick with that.  I'll keep the goatskin on the Reiter A flat as long as I don't get too frustrated with the changing humidity and "hard head, soft head" problem.  We don't have air conditioning so we open the widows at night and turn on the whole house attic fan.  It cools down the house but brings in lots of humidity. 50-60 %.  I close the windows and turn off the fan around 5:30 am.  By the time I open the windows again at night and turn on the fan, the humidity in the house has dropped to 25% or so.  The up-down humidity problem would be solved if I installed air conditioning but, as we have no duct work, installation is a problem (not to mention the expense).

Sometimes I get carried away "chasing the holy grail" and it cuts into my banjo playing and learning.  Both banjos sound pretty good so I'll let them be-------for awhile.

RWJonesy - Posted - 06/18/2016:  08:17:23

"Sometimes I get carried away "chasing the holy grail" and it cuts into my banjo playing and learning."



I hear you there Bob. Chasing the HolyGrail banjo does exactly that. I bought and sold many banjos because of BAS and it definitely took time away from my progress. Once you have a banjo that suits your needs.....keep it! I love most banjos and there will always be a nicer one in appearance....it's an endless chase. I now have my lifetime player that works for me in every way. Maybe put your instrument in its case at night to help with the humidity affecting your goatskin head ?



Tom - Now that you have more experience with the magic of setting up your banjo, use it to bring out the maximum potential with your Mogi. Those are fine banjos. I know someone who has a Mogi and the tone is fantastic and the neck on it is really nice.

Edited by - RWJonesy on 06/18/2016 08:30:49