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laguna21dc - Posted - 10/24/2025: 17:52:48
Just installed a new renasiance head on my nite hawk banjo and after inspecting it was blown away with the pot and tone ring construction . Never seen a donut tone ring like this one and it’s suspended on brass buttons recessed into the rim .even the rim itself is turned down to give a tone chamber around the tone ring . Can’t wait to hear it with the new head. Anyone else have one of these pots . I sold one years ago not knowing what it was and the buyer was very excited to get it. I don’t know what type of music he played but he said it was very powerful .
OldFrets - Posted - 10/24/2025: 18:46:29
Slingerland used the donut-style tone ring on most of their upper-level banjos and many of their mid-priced models as well. They also used it on the nicer models they made for Lyon & Healy. I've played a bunch and haven't found a disappointing one yet. The brass buttons you're describing sound unusual, though, as the ring normally sits right on the wood.
laguna21dc - Posted - 10/24/2025: 21:41:21
Yes I am aware of the style B slinger lands with the donut style tone rings and the brass buttons for the tone rigs to rest upn buy this model is completely different . The pod is made thinner at the top where the buttons are and the donut style tone ring has an inner skirt that forms the donut and an outer skirt that hangs out over the outside of the pot similar to the paramount and orphium banjos of the period. Maybe I should post pictures after im done buy I have already reassembled it with the new head , maybe someone else has some pictures of this model. I assure you that you will be astounded with the high quality of this pot design . I don't know how to post a picture to this thread sorty
Edited by - laguna21dc on 10/24/2025 21:52:18
laguna21dc - Posted - 10/24/2025: 23:06:52
Just string it up and wow this thing came alive as good as any bluegrasser even without the resonator has a real growl in the lows and very brite and clear , maybe not as clear as a Gibson up the neck just different
DSmoke - Posted - 10/27/2025: 17:26:29
I commented on your other post and want to make sure we are talking about the same tone ring. I will attach pictures of the tone ring that I am used to seeing on the upper end Slingerland banjos. I don't have a name for it, but it is not what I think is called a "donut" tone ring. Some of the mid grade Slingerlands had the donut which is nowhere near as powerful as this design.
pasdimo - Posted - 10/31/2025: 01:52:44
By the way, what tone ring is this one, “donut” or something else ? It’s a May Bell style B. Sorry for the bad pic, I didn’t see the banjo in person.
laguna21dc - Posted - 11/03/2025: 01:04:46
Yes Smoky that is the tone rig I have in my nite hawk banjo . I have only seen 3 of these and bought all of them for conversions. Sold 2 of them to tenor players who knew all about them and advised me how owerful they were . But I never got around to actually converting one until now because the others were so easy to sell I just flipped them. well I stand corrected as this banjo has to be the mist powerful tone ring I have ever played other than a Gibson. Not as loud up the neck as s Gibson but still very clean: what a wast to retire it to a case for another 100 years. Just goes to show that there are some sleepers still out there waiting to be discovered.
Edited by - laguna21dc on 11/03/2025 01:07:13
