Rumlegs - Posted - 06/19/2016:  19:19:36

Hey just wondering if anyone has experience usin a moon bridgeon a skin head and can tell me the pros and cons of the different weights?

Bill - Posted - 06/19/2016:  19:41:26

I have used light, medium and heavy Moons with a skin head. I am currently settled on heavy for my preference -- I can't tell you why, except to say that the heavy Moon sounds better (to me) on my banjo. If I had to choose a word to describe the effect of lighter bridges on my setup, I might choose shrill.

I want to stress the "to me" that I stuck in the previous paragraph. There was a similar topic here recently, and most responders chose light bridges for skin heads. Perhaps the fact that I wear hearing aids is the most important factor here. I am certain that the small room where I do most of my playing affects my choice also. It certainly causes me to use a small rag stuck in the pot.

thumbdropper - Posted - 06/20/2016:  15:08:01

This comment may be of interest to users of nylon and other synthetic polymer strings.  For several years I have used fluorocarbon synthetic strings with my hide head equipped banjos.  I stopped using compensated bridges of any kind, because I came to realize that all the compensated bridges, moon and otherwise, are compensated for steel strings.  The issue for me was not bridge weight and its effect on tone quality, but intonation.  With a straight bridge slanted with a very slightly lengthened fourth string I have few intonation problems up the neck except with the fifth string, which I rarely fret anyway.  My fourth strings are solid fluorocarbon fiber, not wound.  The combination of skin head and synthetic strings pretty well eliminates risks of shrillness.

Ken LeVan - Posted - 06/20/2016:  16:16:54

quote:

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Originally posted by thumbdropper

 

This comment may be of interest to users of nylon and other synthetic polymer strings.  For several years I have used fluorocarbon synthetic strings with my hide head equipped banjos.  I stopped using compensated bridges of any kind, because I came to realize that all the compensated bridges, moon and otherwise, are compensated for steel strings.  The issue for me was not bridge weight and its effect on tone quality, but intonation.  With a straight bridge slanted with a very slightly lengthened fourth string I have few intonation problems up the neck except with the fifth string, which I rarely fret anyway.  My fourth strings are solid fluorocarbon fiber, not wound.  The combination of skin head and synthetic strings pretty well eliminates risks of shrillness.

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Excellent point!

You don't need a compensated or moon bridge with nylon strings.

Rumlegs - Posted - 06/20/2016:  22:42:47

Would the same go for nylgut strings?