CrackerJo - Posted - 07/27/2016:  10:23:57

I just ordered a Bart Reiter Standard Banjo, looking for advice on spikes for the neck. Should I go with spikes on 7th thru 10th. Any advice is appreciated.

I hope i put this in the right place.

Edited by - Bill Rogers on 07/27/2016 18:30:53

Tobus - Posted - 07/27/2016:  10:33:55

If it were me in your shoes, I'd get the spikes at 7 thru 10, at every fret.  Or you can just do 7 and 9 (which seems to be standard for a lot of spiked banjos) and get used to tuning the 5th string up or down a half-step.  Say, if you want to play in Bb, you can spike up to 9 (B natural) and de-tune a half step.  Or tune it up a half-step from 9 to get to C.  This is a pretty versatile option with minimal installation.  And since spiking always involves a little tuning adjustment anyway, it's no biggie to go up or down that half-step.

jbickfor - Posted - 07/27/2016:  10:44:53

Congratulations on your Bart Reiter! I bought one a couple months ago and now my several Deering banjos are mostly gathering dust. Bart's craftsmanship is fantastic, especially for the price!

Ga-PorchPicker - Posted - 07/27/2016:  11:23:36

I hope you enjoy your new Bart Reiter Banjo.. I recently purchased a Bart Reiter Regent. I love it.. Its the second BR i have owned.. His workmanship is superb and a great value for the price compared to other banjos on the market... My banjos are spiked at 7th and 9th frets.. I never needed any more then that..Unless you really play in a lot of tunings this I find this is enough for me. Some prefer more spikes..

Julie

banjered - Posted - 07/27/2016:  12:26:59

Just the 7th. If you put a capo at the 3d or 4th, just lower the pitch of the fifth to match the first string. Any capo above the fifth, let the fifth and first  string match.  Works good'nuff. Banjered

Bill H - Posted - 07/27/2016:  14:54:16

You would know best about the keys you need to tune to. For most old time jams 7th fret is good. If singing is a big part of the jams you play at, 7 and 9 are handy. On the other hand, if you do 7 thru 10 you're covered for all situations, and they really don't get in the way.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 07/27/2016:  15:48:31

Depends on what sort of repertoire you are going to be playing and whether you have mastery of the basic traditional tunings.
If you are going to be playing traditional repertoire/stringband stuff, you don't need any spikes. A capo at the second fret and
tuning up the 5th string one whole tone from G to A is all that's required.

Especially if you are limited to gDGBD and are going to be trying to match someone's vocal range follow Tobus's advice.

CrackerJo - Posted - 07/29/2016:  05:02:51

quote:

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Originally posted by banjered

 

Just the 7th. If you put a capo at the 3d or 4th, just lower the pitch of the fifth to match the first string. Any capo above the fifth, let the fifth and first  string match.  Works good'nuff. Banjered

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Thanks everyone for the great advice! I'm sure all of you have a lot more exp. in this area than I do.

I think I will go the way banjered suggest. I will have Mr. Karl at Bucks County Folk Music shop install the spike once he receives it from Mr. Reiter

ScottK - Posted - 07/29/2016:  14:45:13

Agree with your choice. When I bought my Bart Reiter Whyte Laydie and my Ramsey Student, I had spikes put in at the 7th and 9th. But I only use the spike at the 7th. And if I'm not in a performance situation where I have to retune quickly between tunes, I'd rather tune the 5th string up rather than using the spike, in order to get a little more clearance for my thumb on the 5th string. It's subtle, but noticeable. But the spike is nice if you're performing and need to retune in a hurry. I just play in pick-up bands for square dances, so it's all fiddle tunes in G, A, and D. I think you would only need additional spikes to accommodate singing in other keys/tunings.

Scott

rudy - Posted - 07/30/2016:  08:33:45

Spike at 7th.  If you're capoing mostly at the second fret and re-tuning D/A then you'll be pretty much covered if you use the normal handful of tunnigs used by old time players.

Why not have Bart put the spike in before he ships?

The advantage of not tuning up, in addition to the increased risk of breaking the 5th string if you do a lot of re-tuning, is the relationship of the open fifth remains the same.  The only time this matters is if you're playing tunes where the fifth is used as a melody string, but most old time players don't use the fifth in that manner.

Edited by - rudy on 07/30/2016 08:37:29

Don Huber - Posted - 08/01/2016:  01:17:49

I've had my Standard for almost twenty years. If I was facing a finanacial crisis and had to liquidate everything, it's the one instrument I'd keep.



My Reiter pre-dates the current scooping fashion. I sort of look at scooping as I do circumcision; the banjo doesn't have a say in the matter, but lives with the result.

 

Edited by - Don Huber on 08/01/2016 01:18:38