casca123 - Posted - 07/29/2025:  20:29:32

Hey y'all,
I love having my banjos out in my small home office, but I find I get a lot of background noise. When I am talking on a Zoom meeting, I can hear the sound vibrating resonating in the banjos, and it is kind of irritating. But, I love keeping them out for easy grabbing.

Any tips on how I can mute the sounds while they are on the stands and I am in a meeting?

Thanks!

DRL777 - Posted - 07/29/2025:  20:58:09

If it's an MS Teams meeting, there's an option you have to turn on in order for others to hear a banjo. If you pick our banjo when your mic is not muted, it'll pop up a message and ask if you want that mode turned on.

I know it's not what you asked. :D I tested it with a co-worker. ...and yes, it was a during lunch test.

The opposite is true if you don't turn that musical mode on, for some reason banjo seem to entirely not come through. However, today I was in a meeting and someone was talking and I heard a guitar playing. Raised a few eyebrows... Only was person was not muted so we knew who it was.

Anyway if you must, just roll up some socks and place then under the strings. ...or turn down the volume of your meeting and talk more quietly.

chuckv97 - Posted - 07/29/2025:  21:06:31

.

 

pfalzgrass - Posted - 07/29/2025:  22:48:09

I know exactly what you are talking about. I find it improves when I am wearing a headset during online meetings. What also helps is facing the banjo head away from me (having the banjo facing the wall instead of the room).

martyjoe - Posted - 07/29/2025:  23:51:35

I play tenor banjo with a flat pick. When I wedge the pick in between the first fret and the strings it is enough to mute the passive vibrations of the strings. So maybe you could do something similar with a short length of ice cream stick.

NNYJoe - Posted - 07/30/2025:  02:17:40

My banjos also live in the open, ready to be played instantly.

However, I draped a soft cloth over mine, from the tuning pegs down the fret board to the bridge. This keeps dirt, dust & sticky stuff from settling where my fingers go. It also provide a bit of dampening. The only time I get any banjo noise is where my dog barks at it, and he has to be pretty close to make it ring!

Edited by - NNYJoe on 07/30/2025 02:18:16