LouieChee - Posted - 04/16/2026:  12:38:58

Was Ralph’s famous RB-5 a 40 hole or no hole?

Which type of ring produces the sound you would associate with the “Stanley tone”.

If you were building an arch top today would you use a 40 hole or no -hole ring?

Emiel - Posted - 04/16/2026:  13:07:06

To get the Stanley tone, you mostly need an archtop banjo with an extremely tight head and play close to the bridge. Don't know if the RB-5 in question was/is 40-hole or no-hole.



I would like for me a 40-hole archtop ring, because I refer to Dock Boggs's 1928 (or 1929?) archtop RB-3, which had (hopefully still has) the 40-hole ring.

Bawheid - Posted - 04/16/2026:  13:29:54

He had two style 5s, both 40 hole. Ive heard his first had actually had a mahogany neck not walnut.

Stanley sound up to early 60s was his ball bearing RB4 that sounds a little softer than later years.

Second distinct sound to me is when he got his style 5 and third sound is his latter years with Stanleytone banjos that seem mostly/all maple and he started using slick 5 star/ludwig heads.

His sound seems to get brighter over the years but having owned all the banjo models mentioned i believe he had a rock hard head tension even from the beginning. Like B/C on tap note (94-96) on drum dial. Sound difference to me is mixture of the banjos themselves and recording equipment.

Otherwise as mentioned above, high tailpiece pressure and play over the bridge.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 04/16/2026:  16:54:26

And the recorded sound we generally refer to necessarily changed over the years as recording and microphone technologies changed.

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 04/16/2026:  17:36:18

quote:

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Originally posted by LouieChee

Was Ralph’s famous RB-5 a 40 hole or no hole?



Which type of ring produces the sound you would associate with the “Stanley tone”.



If you were building an arch top today would you use a 40 hole or no -hole ring?

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You could try contacting Ralph II, Steve Sparkman, Frank or Ricky Neat or Larry Sparks as they would know better than us.

But from most accounts his style 5s were of the 40 hole variety.

I had found pictures on Getty Images years ago which revealed partial FON on one of Ralph's Style 5s...I'll try to dig it up

GStump - Posted - 04/16/2026:  19:53:45

Time to Chime (IN!) I could be mistaken, but I suspect and think BOTH the style 5's were actually NOT RB 5's. They were originally TB 5's that had new five string necks put on them. Also, I have heard that both were 40 hole archtop rings. Lest we forget - At one time way back when, Ralph also played an ORIGINAL RB 2. I'm sure there were other banjos he played at times over the years.... but the RB 4 (it definitely is/was an RB 4, ball bearing banjo, original five string) the two style 5's, the RB 2, the Stanleytone, - no doubt there were others.

Cap - Posted - 04/17/2026:  05:57:39

Ralph's Banjo does not have a really tight head. The tone is in the Hands, the Bridge is where to look. Just set the head in the normal range. The 40 hole archtop  is the Stanley Sound.

Edited by - Cap on 04/17/2026 06:01:27

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/17/2026:  07:24:24

Ralph did at least one recording session with "that old flat head" Style 6, around 1960.

Listen to the records, it sounds different. (Re-cut of Little Maggie for instance). I guess Ralph didn't care for it, he traded it away.

I have a 40 hole TB 5 with walnut 5 string neck and it produces a variety of tones. Move your right hand up about one fingertip beyond "Earl's hand placement" and it sounds quite plummy! Put your ring finger on the end of the bridge and your pinkie BEHIND the bridge and you get the Stanley sound all day long. Roughly the sweetness of a Hilti nail gun. It's so addicting (!) that I have to force myself to remember to get my ring finger OFF that bridge end for a nicer tone.

Additionally remember that Ralph played the style 5s mostly with plastic heads, where the old RB 4 used a skin head.

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/17/2026:  07:35:32

I also have, or have had, other 40 hole pre wars. Mahogany style 4 TPF: did NOT sound like Ralph's banjos. I put a no cut Huber conversion flat head in it out of curiosity. Now sounds like Bill Emerson playing his Fender Artist. Style 6: does not sound like Ralph -- big bold round but "hard" sound. A no hole Style 3: sounded a little like Ralph but with a different tone - hard to describe. Ball bearing Granada: a bit like Ralph but quieter/softer. Last summer I had a fit, and traded for a 1927 TB Bella Voce with walnut res and 5 string neck. Without doing a single thing to it for set up I tried it out and it was/is a dead ringer for my style 5 with all the same sound attributes! Stanley sound all the way! I don't think I've even changed the strings yet. 1927 PB Granada: oh what a lovely banjo! Doesn't sound like Ralph at all. Very rich round tone if you resist the temptation to overdrive it.

Emiel - Posted - 04/17/2026:  09:05:50

quote:

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Originally posted by Cap

Ralph's Banjo does not have a really tight head. The tone is in the Hands, the Bridge is where to look. Just set the head in the normal range. The 40 hole archtop  is the Stanley Sound.

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Long, long time ago, when Ralph was still alive, we had someone posting here on the BHO (I've forgotten who that was) who had done some maintenance work on Ralph's banjo. He reported how extremely tight the head on that banjo was. Might have been a tightness that Remo heads cannot cope with, only Ludwig/Five Star heads could.

J.Albert - Posted - 04/17/2026:  15:32:37

"He had two style 5s, both 40 hole"

I believe this is not correct.

At least one of Ralph's Style 5's was a 1927 with NO holes.

The other may have been, as well.

I don't know what Frank Neat used later on in the Stanleytone banjos.

ChunoTheDog - Posted - 04/17/2026:  15:39:03

quote:

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Originally posted by J.Albert

"He had two style 5s, both 40 hole"

I believe this is not correct.

At least one of Ralph's Style 5's was a 1927 with NO holes.

The other may have been, as well.

I don't know what Frank Neat used later on in the Stanleytone banjos.

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All the Stanleytone banjos I've seen for sale have had 40 hole rings 

NWBanjo - Posted - 04/17/2026:  18:43:51

quote:

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Originally posted by Emiel

To get the Stanley tone, you mostly need an archtop banjo with an extremely tight head and play close to the bridge. Don't know if the RB-5 in question was/is 40-hole or no-hole.



I would like for me a 40-hole archtop ring, because I refer to Dock Boggs's 1928 (or 1929?) archtop RB-3, which had (hopefully still has) the 40-hole ring.

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Yes, Dock's was a 1928 RB-3 with a 40 hole ring. I'm with you. I have a 1929 with just like it with the original skin head (TB-3 conversion). Amazing banjo.

Ralph Stanley legend - Posted - 04/18/2026:  00:11:12

quote:

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Originally posted by J.Albert

"He had two style 5s, both 40 hole"

I believe this is not correct.

At least one of Ralph's Style 5's was a 1927 with NO holes.

The other may have been, as well.

I don't know what Frank Neat used later on in the Stanleytone banjos.

---

So, my 2004 60th Stanleytone has the solid raised head ring, ala Gibson 1927. I'm not sure of the date when Frank switched to the solid ring from a 40 hole. Unless someone knows different, they were Cox rings along with all the hardwear. In any event, Franks Stanleytones are surely some of the best Raised heads ever built.

Edited by - Ralph Stanley legend on 04/18/2026 00:17:14

The Old Timer - Posted - 04/18/2026:  06:54:09

Re: Dock Boggs RB 3. Entirely by accident I got to play that banjo at Vintage Instruments on Broad St in Philadelphia. Fred Oster invited me to try it out; he was selling part of the Mike Seeger estate instruments. (I went ga ga for an old small body Martin!). Boggs' banjo was (is?) almost a wreck. Very worn. Chunks of the neck and fingerboard around the 5th peg replaced, very slack old skin head on it. DIRTY. Sounded like crap -- obviously it needed serious set up work. It was inspiring to SEE from 6 feet away, but the closer one got the more disappointed you'd be. I wonder if it is good hands now and being played.