soupdujour - Posted - 09/01/2022:  09:46:10

I just recently bought an old vega folk ranger from the 60's. I prefer to stuff the pot on my banjos, but this one doesn't have a dowel stick or a coordinator rod to keep a pair of socks or a towel from falling out. I'm thinking I can wedge something long enough across the entire diameter of the pot and that might stay put while I'm playing. Any ideas on what I can put in there or how I can stuff the pot in general when there's no rod?

Culloden - Posted - 09/01/2022:  10:08:57

Get a piece of dowel rod and cut it so it fits snug inside the rim but not enough to warp it. Wedge it in and put your stuffing behind it. You could even take two pieces and put them in at right angles like the inside of a bodhran.

BrooksMT - Posted - 09/01/2022:  10:09:08

I stuff to reduce volume. I put a folded hand towel against the underside of the head. Then I cut a piece of cardboard (say from a cereal box) to fit over the towel. These 2 items are held in place with a pair of 1/8" dowels that span the pot, trapping the sandwich against the bottom of the head. Not the same as stuffing with a sock, but you get the idea. A washcloth might work fine, or cut it to make it smaller. Ditto a piece of foam rubber.
Hope this helps.

tdennis - Posted - 09/01/2022:  10:53:23

The drum world has several "stick-on" items to control tone & mute the head. They are not designed to be permanent & can be easily removed & placed on different areas of the head.

mike gregory - Posted - 09/01/2022:  10:55:50

How about a simple piece of twine, tied from, say the 1 o'clock fret, across to the 4. then to the 8, then to the 10, back to the 1?

Or,1-7-2-8-3-9-4-10 for extra security?
That'll hold the towel pretty good, ain'a hey?

soupdujour - Posted - 09/01/2022:  11:21:27

These are all great ideas, thanks everyone!

jduke - Posted - 09/01/2022:  12:48:41

There are other things that work too (beyond set-up), maybe not as well as stuffing though. Several strips of masking tape under the bridge on the underside of the head can help. So can Chenille wrapped strings and something weaved through the strings between the tailpiece and the bridge, like David Holt's feather. On my main vintage banjo, I have a leather oval with a gryphon tooled in it between the bridge and tailpiece. It might make enough of a difference that you don't have to be creative in stuffing the back.

Remsleep - Posted - 09/01/2022:  12:53:36

quote:

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Originally posted by tdennis

The drum world has several "stick-on" items to control tone & mute the head. They are not designed to be permanent & can be easily removed & placed on different areas of the head.

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This. They can be had from on-line retailers for very cheap. They are an easy way to play around with your tone. Plus they can be had in a variety of festive colors, should one desire.

tdennis - Posted - 09/01/2022:  13:00:28

The stick-on items can be put on the bottom of the head, so they won't be an eyesore. (This seems like a good alternative to turning the inside of your instrument into a redneck repair construction site w/ sticks, strings, cardboard & cloth ).

Culloden - Posted - 09/01/2022:  21:16:02

quote:

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Originally posted by tdennis

The stick-on items can be put on the bottom of the head, so they won't be an eyesore. (This seems like a good alternative to turning the inside of your instrument into a redneck repair construction site w/ sticks, strings, cardboard & cloth ).

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That's Hillbilly repair, Son. Redneck repair involves duct tape.

banjoak - Posted - 09/02/2022:  00:39:14

Duct tape on the head, under side, works pretty good.

Some folks have also use tape over the string at bridge. As well small block of foam behind the bridge under the after length can tame some harsh tone.

Then there is another alteration, might be worth experimenting with, making somewhat closed back...rather than open back, using a trapdoor type (resonator?), It alone will change the tone, but can also be thus stuffed.  I think really closed back can act like a closed speaker cab,  help with lower fundamental? maybe davidppl has explored this?

edit: One other thing to explore... I (and others) often just use a loose fitting plastic grocery bag in the pot... it seems to reduce a lot of the high ringy overtones without reducing volume much.

Edited by - banjoak on 09/02/2022 00:53:26