Just got a banjo that is gold plated. I've never been a big fan of gold plating, but the banjo played so well that I got it in spite of the gold plate. And of course it's got a gold plated tonering and co-ord rods. Since I have to replace the head anyway, do I go with a clear head? Again, I've never been a big fan of clear heads, but the gold tone ring is pretty awesome looking. So do I show the banjo off in all its gold-plated glory or keep it somewhat toned down? Also, if I show it off as a fancy banjo does that mean I have to play better? I've always had plain looking banjos, because I'm sort of an average player.
A clear head versus a coated head will have different tones. So the first decision is to go with the tone you prefer. Clear head will tend to give a little brighter sound, and on some banjos can be too bright and hard. Coated head will tend to give a fuller sound, and on some banjos can sound duller than a clear head.
As for the appearance, the only thing visible with the clear head is the inside of the tone ring and the coordinator rods, with the rim and resonator as the backdrop. Those who know about banjos already know that the inside of the ring is gold plated if the outside is, and the co-rods are generally gold plated too unless it is a parts banjo. There are not a lot of other people who are going to say, "Wow, look at those gold plated co-rods!"
Since you asked, I'd say go with your tone preference first, and take any appearances as secondary benefits.
And I'd add that your playing ability should have nothing to do with how your chosen banjo looks or sounds. Get the banjo you like and set it up how you like. Fun for you is the first priority !
My banjo is blonde and gold plated everywhere possible. I have a coated head on my Beauty. I wouldn't even think about using a clear head on my banjo.... but that's just me. I don't like the harsher sound of the clear head, I prefer the clearer, more precise tone of a coated head. Gee, it's hard to explain in words what you mean.
If you like the sound of the clear head, go for it. It's your banjo and it will look good whether the head is clear or coated. Just be sure you listen to some banjos with each type of head to see which one sounds best to you, then get that type of head.
Clear heads sound too "crashy" to me. Loud and shrill, if you will...I just don't think being able to see a little bit of hardware is a good trade-off for the sound of a coated head.
Didn't take long to convince me. This banjo is made of koa, and I prefer the softer sound. But as long as we're talking coated heads, the current one is coated outside and the wear and tear on it detracts from the looks. Is there much difference in sound between an interior coating and the exterior coated?
Everyone else has addressed the tone issue with some very accurate insight. But, tone difference aside, the one major thing I dislike about clear heads is that they show every scratch that the picks leave on the top. That looks worse than the coating wearing off.
"This banjo is made of koa, and I prefer the softer sound. But as long as we're talking coated heads, the current one is coated outside and the wear and tear on it detracts from the looks."
As George Flink recommended, the Renaissance head may fill your requirements. It's a smoother sounding head, still good for bluegrass, not dull at all. I have one on my Prucha and Great Lakes because it fits the tone of those instruments well.
Shows virtually no wear or dirt, because there is no top coating.
I've got an old early 70s Alvarez with a clear 5 star head, and it really compliments the banjo. It is bright, crisp, and powerful, I always get a lot of compliments on loud it is...people do a double take and ask....WOW...what kind of banjo is that? Like everybody else said...just depends on what setting you are playing in and personal preference. They do show a lot of scratches though....that's true.
I have owned two banjos with clear heads, and still own one, which you can see in my avatar. Both had artwork on the inside of the resonator, which the clear head allows everyone to see. Both had a sharp, bright tone that I liked when playing. The one I still own has a ceramic tone ring that softened the tone a bit, so the brightness of the clear head is probably a plus. My other banjos have frosted or fiberskyn heads; I only used clear on these because of the artwork, and I don't think I would use a clear head just to show the inside of the banjo. Both are good instruments, and I liked the sound with the clear head.
Is no one else curious about who makes a Koa banjo? I'd like to know, and I'd like to see it/one. I love the look of Koa guitars and ukes. Never saw a banjo made from it, though.
Okay, I'm going to try and upload these photos. Deering makes a plectrum banjo in koa. Spyder 550 on the BH had Deering make a couple of koa banjoes, but he provided the koa. So I'm not exactly sure of this banjoes history. I'll get around to checking it out. All I know is, I was in Hawaii wandering around koa trees looking for honeycreepers (birds) that live in that area. I've been looking for a better banjo for a few years, checked into the Elderly Instrument site while on Maui , and there was a koa banjo - and it was a Calico (my grandmothers nickname). So I came back to Michigan, went up to Elderly, played it, and I could get lots of different tones out of it. I need to tweak it a little, but it's a pretty amazing instrument.
Gotta say, really like the "Ships portal" artwork on mbrook's Dale Randall Banjo - and wondered why I hadn't heard about a ceramic tone ring, seemed like a good idea to me. I learn SO much from you guys,, well I'm going to swap out a clear head on a GT-500 banjitar with a top frosted U.S.A. Remo and let you all know my 2 cents.
Here's a quick vid of a Clear Remo Banjo head compared to frosted Remo U.S.A. on GT-500 Banjitar 20171104, switched it out about 2 hours after the vid with the clear head. I also think I may have been a little closer with the camera to the clear head. With the clear head I usually had some masking tape under the bridge and even on the backside of the head under the bridge to mellow it out some- and reduce the "echo/reverb" . I think I like the frosted a lot better (for my style, which will have a fair amount of strumming). The note definition seems clearer and I like it with less sustain or "ring"? Sounds more natural/balanced to me.
while I don't like the brilliance of a clear head, they're cheap enough to try and replace if you don't like it? Who knows, you might like it? It is a lot of work changing heads, but, you'll only eat $25 or so if you don't like it.
IMHO Those vids really show that the clearskins are really "clear sounding" - guess it matters most what were looking for. Sounds really good to me on the first 2 vids but on the last vid of "You changed" on the tenor banjo it is "too" clear, bright and honest for my (half tattered) ears. Probably some of it is I can't pick n play as clean as any of these fine folks, and a "mellower" skin masks some of my fretting fingernail buzzing on the next string, etc. so it doesn't bother me as much.
When I had this banjo built, arch top banjos and the bright sound of Ralph Stanley, Doug Dillard & Eddie Adcock was all the rage. I had really light gage strings, and a light bridge with a lot of the wood removed. Since the pot had a lot of purling inside & out, I installed a clear head to show it off. The clear head brought out the best of the arch top tone ring. That banjo cracked like a rifle & would peel paint off the wall.
