Posted by skoobee on Thursday, March 11, 2010
So I'm ill. With some hideous stomach/intestinal thing which is enough said really.
Just watched my recorded Pens/Bruins game and was bored to tears. So I thought;
What if I take the resonator of my old Matthews Banjo and play it a bit old-timey/Clawhammer - it's been a while since I put on the picks anyway, and I might as well use it as not - lets try.
10 minutes (and a little bit of rude language) later and I've liberated the Banjer from its' prison.
I say that, because the more I think about it, and the more I look at the Banjo itself, the more and more likely it seems that (typically for us English) the resonator was a bit of an afterthought.
I honestly think it's louder, cleaner and crisper, with a nicer tone without the blimmin' thing. I think I'll reserve definitive judgement until I've played it a while. I do know it's about 5 pounds lighter and a lot easier to handle without it!
So ill and playing banjo. Is this illegal? Should it be? There are probably some who would say just playing the banjo in the first place should be... but there will always be people with no taste or soul. I also discovered (in the interests of science) that the acoustics in my bathroom are shocking, and that playing the banjo whilst horizontal is not an ideal playing position.
I wonder what else I can discover today...
8 comments on “Playing Banjo when sick”
Banjo Island Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @4:15:40 AM
5 pounds lighter? What's your resonator made of, cement?????
skoobee Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @5:02:40 AM
Just real wood, lol! Back in the days this thing was made, they used real wood - not laminated fibre board.
banjotef Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @5:06:34 AM
Ahhhhh....banjo therapy. It heals the body, and soothes the soul.
RatLer Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @5:47:32 AM
I've played my banjo while lying down...I usually fall asleep, sometimes when I wake up, I'm still playing!!!
Banjo Island Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @6:03:28 AM
The banjo does look particularly chunky in that photo! Proper English craftsmanship! ?
But 5lb, that's over half the weight of my entire banjo, reso included!
skoobee Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @6:12:32 AM
It's a lump and no mistake! Maybe English pounds are smaller? lol! But seriously, I reckon the weight of the whole Banjo is around 5kg (about 11lbs) and the Reso is one hefty chunk of that! What we lack in finesse, we make up for in sheer solidity and determination! RatLer - I'd settle for being able to play whislt awake - you must be one heck of a player! lol!
RatLer Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @11:33:10 AM
Naw...must not be too good, when woke up I noticed my wife had tied a sock around the neck (banjo) to mute the strings...LOL
skoobee Says:
Thursday, March 11, 2010 @11:35:04 AM
lol! Could have been worse - if she'd tied it around your neck? lol!
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