Brett - Posted - 05/02/2026:  15:31:22

Working on getting action height on new recently purchased project and not paying attention, i got the tension hoop touching the end of the neck. Volume and richness were gone. As a reminder, you really want an air gap between end of your fingerboard and tension hoop for best tone and performance.

Culloden - Posted - 05/02/2026:  16:38:16

Just enough room to slip a piece of paper in.

roydsjr - Posted - 05/02/2026:  18:32:13

I'm not knocking what you are saying about the gap between the fingerboard and the tension hoop. I've never had a problem with it against the hoop and I've made several necks from scratch and fit the neck against it. I have seen the Yates video showing this too. I pick hard so maybe that is why I never have noticed it. The Gibson banjos that I have been around didn't have that gap. Recording King banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap and many other banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap either. Again I'm not disputing the idea at all! Maybe I should try one to see the difference. I'm not too old to learn something new.

randybartlett - Posted - 05/02/2026:  19:22:49

I am a fan of the gap (and the Yates video). I have, however, heard good sounding banjos that had no gap there.

Did restoring a gap there bring back your "volume and richness"?

There's so many factors. Maybe you had a couple of things happening at the same time?

Culloden - Posted - 05/02/2026:  19:44:55

The main reason I always preferred the tiny gap is so that the tension hoop doesn't bind against the fingerboard when tightening the head.

Brett - Posted - 05/03/2026:  07:28:38

quote:

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Originally posted by roydsjr

I'm not knocking what you are saying about the gap between the fingerboard and the tension hoop. I've never had a problem with it against the hoop and I've made several necks from scratch and fit the neck against it. I have seen the Yates video showing this too. I pick hard so maybe that is why I never have noticed it. The Gibson banjos that I have been around didn't have that gap. Recording King banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap and many other banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap either. Again I'm not disputing the idea at all! Maybe I should try one to see the difference. I'm not too old to learn something new.

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ROyd,  You are basically saying you like your fingerboards to touch tension hoop and quality banjos are made that way?  And that the fingerboard tip should bear some tension in the hoop?

Owen - Posted - 05/03/2026:  07:44:55

Re. Maybe I should try one to see the difference.

The fingerboards on both of my modestly priced banjos [GoldTone and Morgan Monroe] were in contact with the hoop.  I sanded enough off the MM fretboard to create a tiny gap. Now I can see the diff, but I sure as hello don't hear it.   Though I've never adjusted head tension on either of 'em, Mark's insight ^^ makes sense to me.   YMMV??

roydsjr - Posted - 05/03/2026:  16:49:26

quote:

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Originally posted by Brett

quote:  As I was saying I have always made my necks with the fingerboard contacting the tension hoop. I never had trouble with tightening the head with it touching. It's a little extra support for the neck the way I see it. I'm not against the idea of the gap. 

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Originally posted by roydsjr

I'm not knocking what you are saying about the gap between the fingerboard and the tension hoop. I've never had a problem with it against the hoop and I've made several necks from scratch and fit the neck against it. I have seen the Yates video showing this too. I pick hard so maybe that is why I never have noticed it. The Gibson banjos that I have been around didn't have that gap. Recording King banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap and many other banjos that I have owned didn't have the gap either. Again I'm not disputing the idea at all! Maybe I should try one to see the difference. I'm not too old to learn something new.

---

ROyd,  You are basically saying you like your fingerboards to touch tension hoop and quality banjos are made that way?  And that the fingerboard tip should bear some tension in the hoop?

 

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Brett - Posted - 05/03/2026:  17:54:44

Royd, maybe it depends on the amount of pressure. I took my project back apart today, got my popsicle stick glued on (where heel upper wasn’t bearing on rim at all), Worked it down and touched up the shim to blend color and it got my fingerboard pressure off tension hoop and blam, it came back alive. All this is same head tension, strings, bridge. And person messing with it. All within couple days of similar weather.

steen - Posted - 05/04/2026:  05:28:19

Just a little gap. Not for tone, but for not stressing the tension hoop out of shape. Steen

Edited by - steen on 05/04/2026 05:29:26