notty pine - Posted - 06/01/2018:  02:22:33

Have any of you every mounted a hide head like this. It's the first time I've seen it done this way. Looks harder to do to me but maybe some advantages?

This is a banjo with a stamp of E D Lewis. From what I gather he may not have actually built these. Maybe only assembled them. Very little information on him.

It is neat that it seems to have been made for a Lolita B Hughes in December 25 1887. Maybe a Christmas present?

Edited by - notty pine on 06/01/2018 03:45:17

 

AndrewD - Posted - 06/01/2018:  02:51:48

All of my banjos that had old skin heads on when I got them (maybe 6 dating from 1880 to 1930), may be original but certainly a loong time ago, have the skin round the other side of the flesh hoop and trimmed close enough so the overlap is not easily visible from the front. I think trimming the excess would be easier the "normal" way (you can get a blade against the inside surface of the tension hoop so don't risk cutting the head) , which is one reason why that IS the normal way and why this example is untrimmed. My guess (and it is only a guess) is that the head was replaced at some time by somebody who hadn't done it before and didn't have access to the internet to show him how. Nice old banjo. You got more photos ?

notty pine - Posted - 06/01/2018:  03:54:04

This head is decades older than the internet if not the original. Just kinda threw me when I first saw it.

 

notty pine - Posted - 06/01/2018:  03:56:45

This is a sweet little banjo

 

notty pine - Posted - 06/01/2018:  04:02:11

An engraved plate on the dowel stick.  Lolita B Hughes New York Dec 25th 1887

Edited by - notty pine on 06/01/2018 04:03:13

 

rudy - Posted - 06/01/2018:  04:27:05

quote:

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Originally posted by notty pine

Have any of you every mounted a hide head like this. It's the first time I've seen it done this way. Looks harder to do to me but maybe some advantages?

This is a banjo with a stamp of E D Lewis. From what I gather he may not have actually built these. Maybe only assembled them. Very little information on him.

It is neat that it seems to have been made for a Lolita B Hughes in December 25 1887. Maybe a Christmas present?

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Andrew's post pretty much covers it, but I'll add one more disadvantage.

If you consider that the stretched hide is going to sound best when the leading edge is in firm contact with the rim then the inside out mount will act to self-muffle the tone because the head passes over the extra layer of hide, which is most likely to also have a bunch of doubled over and folded areas from being wrapped into the circular form when it's mounted.  You could get the folded layer fairly flat, but it's still going to serve as cushion for the leading edge of the head.

There are some old discussions about the inside out hide mounting if you search the archived discussions.

jbalch - Posted - 06/01/2018:  04:48:35

I think this method might result in a stable and sturdy mounting.  But I prefer the more common method.  I think it gives easier control over crown height and avoids placing a double thickness of hide over the tone ring.

Here is a video demo of the "inside out" method:

part 1 youtu.be/b9r2VGZf--0

part 2 youtu.be/7NvWPKQJdm0