DVD-quality lessons (including tabs/sheet music) available for immediate viewing on any device.
Take your playing to the next level with the help of a local or online banjo teacher.
Weekly newsletter includes free lessons, favorite member content, banjo news and more.
|
Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/399151
PrairieSchooner - Posted - 08/31/2024: 06:42:16
I have two banjos - a Bacon Professional FF and a 70's Gibson Mastertone - and I play old timey styles. I love them both but the tone is rather bright with more sustain than I'd like; I'd like it to be more "plunky" and I'm wondering about suggestions on how to achieve that. Both wear Fiberskyn heads and are stuffed but that's not doing it for me. Frankly I'm not looking to go to things like real skin heads and/or nylon strings (the Bacon has a replaced fingerboard and has had a truss rod installed so it can handle steel strings) - just too much maintenance for me. Maybe it's just not doable given the circumstances, but I'd be interested in any ideas. Thanks...
Eric A - Posted - 08/31/2024: 07:02:54
Loosen the head a bit? Heavier bridge? What tailpiece are you using? Use something shorter like a No-knot instead of something longer or heavier. Have you experimented with different string gauges? This should be a solvable problem.
Wobba - Posted - 08/31/2024: 07:52:58
Replace the fiberskin heads with Renaissance heads. That'll give the banjo more plunk. You might also what to experiment with down tuning. Say from G to F: fCFAC instead gDGBD. These are the two things I use to get more Old Timey plunk sound out of banjos with steel strings.
Old Hickory - Posted - 08/31/2024: 10:01:45
Try a set of Deering Julia Belle or John Pearse John Hartford strings, or make up your own set of 12-14-20w-24w-12 and tune down to E. Or even just down a whole step to F. That should be plunky.
rcc56 - Posted - 08/31/2024: 10:04:31
A Bacon Pro that's too bright with Fiberskin??? I don't remember any of the ones I've played as being particularly bright.
Loosen the head. And try a run of the mill Grover bridge.
If that fails, look for a cheap 16 bracket Buckbee held together with spit and chewing gum.
Edited by - rcc56 on 08/31/2024 10:12:22
J.Albert - Posted - 08/31/2024: 11:13:47
No matter what you do, I predict that you're not going to get the Mastertone sounding like an "old-timey" banjo. That isn't what it was designed for.
If you want an old-timey sound, get open-back banjos that ARE designed to produce "that sound" ...
steen - Posted - 08/31/2024: 12:43:16
Eric A said it. A heavier bridge will not give a shorter sustain but will take some of the brightness and add a little more plunk, and a slightly looser head will give a shorter sustain and a darker less bright sound. Try it. Some resonator banjos can produce a useable oldtime sound, and some don´t want to :). See what you can do and have fun. Steen
Bart Veerman - Posted - 08/31/2024: 12:51:19
A stuffed banjo with a FS head is about as non-bright and non-sustained as you can possibly get. I peeked at you HO page and it explained your situation: please don't be offended but, at your age, your solution is nice and simple: start using ear plugs.
Dan Gellert - Posted - 08/31/2024: 12:59:51
IMO a flathead Mastertone can have a terrific old-time sound. Just use your ears and take it easy.
For some reason, a lot of folks think "old time tone"= dull and muted, and "clawhammer style"= beat that fool banjer into submission. I disagree.
PrairieSchooner - Posted - 08/31/2024: 20:36:47
quote:
Originally posted by Bart VeermanA stuffed banjo with a FS head is about as non-bright and non-sustained as you can possibly get. I peeked at you HO page and it explained your situation: please don't be offended but, at your age, your solution is nice and simple: start using ear plugs.
Don't be offended? Apparently your mother didn't teach you any manners or respect. I expected better here.
kb10troy - Posted - 09/03/2024: 05:33:28
Try an annular flange- easy to make and totally reversible. This will kill off a lot of those crashy upper harmonics and leave more of the fundamental sound. I put one of this in a Wildwood with a tubaphone tone ring that I thought was way too brash and was surprised at the results:
its.caltech.edu/~politzer/myla...lange.pdf
This also:
its.caltech.edu/~politzer/anti...rings.pdf
BTW- lots of cool banjo physics and weird banjo science at this guy's website:
its.caltech.edu/~politzer/
Edited by - kb10troy on 09/03/2024 05:39:40
PrairieSchooner - Posted - 09/05/2024: 07:51:05
Thanks for the ideas of things to try; much appreciated...
Owen - Posted - 09/05/2024: 08:14:19
Tongue-in-cheek, surely Red Green would come up with a workable solution?!?!?
A layer of duct tape applied with esthetics in mind, on the underside of the head ... or top-side if one doesn't do the trick.
Yer welcome.
"I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to , I guess."
steve davis - Posted - 09/05/2024: 08:32:45
A sycamore bridge with a rosewood top produces a lovely plunky tone when the head tension is right.
This bridge at a weight of 2.7 grams is very predictable for this old-timey tone.
Helix - Posted - 09/05/2024: 16:40:42
PrairieSchooner Please listen carefully to what Bob Chuckrow always says.
rcc56 = Bob Chuckrow
Ok: my opinion is that all responders up above except Bob Chuckrow and Bart Veerman either give the wrong information always, or they have given the right info at the wrong time. They always will do so to get some kind of information they wish to share because they need to or because they always give information that is wrong because they can, or they need to . I can always get the right info by just reading it anyway.
Bob and Bart are the only ones who will always do that. Period. Please and Thank you.
You are asking the right question for the wrong reason. By this I mean anyone else above either makes bridges themselves or they don't like anyone who might tell you something because they have made it very clear they will not or cannot anyway.
Personally I know this has been asked many times, surely, but since I joined this hangout, maybe another 125,000 people may have joined and left the forum because they don't like it anyway or someone may be unwilling to tell you.
I just don't tolerate a job interview that only wants to know anything about me instead of wanting to know if I can do the job.
I have reason to say this because I am already mandated for life, I am truly committed to the well being of any man, woman or child who needs community assistance of any kind, I am truly committed to eradicate fraud of any kind, and I don't need to speak about myself, except that I have already born an oath of commitment to the United States Constitution since I was 18 year old.
PrairieSchooner: The banjos you mention can easily be changed to set up correctly because any banjo can already be set up that way.
To say otherwise obviously is too obvious otherwise. You are welcome to ask anyway.
Edited by - Helix on 09/05/2024 16:46:34
Brett - Posted - 09/05/2024: 19:37:59
Mr. Phil, I’ve had periods where I can’t play anything more than nylon string open backs with skin heads due screwed up inner ear issues, which also caused vertigo. I fully appreciate when too brash is too brash. Fear not. Your mastertone can be tamed some, because it’s a 70s mastertone. If it were mine, I’d remove the resonator. I’d remove the plates that fasten resonator to flange by unfasten the tension hook nuts. I’d remove the flat lower part of 2 piece flange, leaving the round hollow tube to bear the tension hook nuts.
While I had torn down, it’d back off head tension. I’d install medium gauge steel strings and I’d experiment with a piece of tape, or stickers, inside the head.
Store all the parts and play your open back thicker and not as loud and brash 70s mastertone.