Posted by anetc99 on Monday, May 21, 2007
yesterday, i took one more step towards being a banjo player, one more rite of initiation.
are you ready for this?
I... tightened... the drum!
to pick up (no pun intended) where i left off, i had managed to fiddle (no pun intended) with the bridge and continue tuning until i got crafty almost back to normal. i say 'almost' because i could still hear something wasn't quite right. in my last entry, i described it as a shadowy echo at the end of a strum or note. the sustain carried the sound until that last, closing bit.
well yesterday, i noticed i no longer heard it, yet there was a new development. now i noticed that crafty's tone had lost some of its vibrancy. not dead, just not as full, or as loud, as when i first got it back to near-normal.
i finally got around to calling back paul at the banjo hut, and recounted the time line of events since he and i last spoke.
self-disclosure moment: when i feel insecure, embarrased and/or anxious, i tend to get goofy (-er). some of that is because it's usually under funny circumstances, the rest is because i can't stand it when i come across as a dipstick when i don't intend to. so what does this genius do? she makes it worse, that's what!
in any event, paul was just as gracious as he was the first time i called him, and just as helpful and supportive. he explained to me how the drum streches out with time and seeing as i had the banjo about a month now i needed to tighten the bolts around it. we went over the procedure, i asked a few questions, we talked about strings etc, and eventually i felt confident enough to try pedaling on my own again.
as i was thanking him for his help thru all my newbie-drama he assured me how he never did think it was bad, as just taking off the resonator doesn't usually do anything. and then, he just had to ask, "but out of curiousity, why did you take off the resonator in the first place?"
that did it! now i relaunched into how i just HAD to see what it looked like on in the inside-yadayada, how i had blogged about the whole thing on BHO-yadayada, and told him i was going to send him the link so he could read all about it himself, which i did. poor paul, i think yesterday was a day of higher learning for him too. at least where this customer is concerned.
okay, to bring this episode to a close (finally), i tightened the drum a full turn each bolt, in a star-pattern as i was taught to do with a car tire a long time ago, and as paul reinforced yesterday. that made a big difference in the volume, but now the sound feels like it's shortened up, doesn't have the sustain and the fade like it did before.
however this time, i'm not panicking. it's probably the strings as well so as soon as i can, i'm going to stop and get a new set and methodically reapply everything i've learned over the last few days.
hmmmmm. you know what? maybe i should start by putting banjo hut's number on speed dial first.
6 comments on “THIS is why , Part II - Higher Learning...”
Paul Bock Says:
Monday, May 21, 2007 @9:08:35 AM
Annette,. this is excellent! Just bear in mind that when you make changes, like tightening the head, you want to do them a little at a time and check the sound repeatedly to see where you are. New strings will liven it up especially if they've been on for a month, and you might want to take a look at the tailpiece and see if that is adjustable and if the adjustment may have changed. The amount of downward pressure that the strings exert on the bridge will definitely affect the tone, i.e., the more pressure, the brighter the tone quality.
But as with all banjo adjustents it is possible to go too far. Too much downward pressure on the bridge and you start to kill off the tone, too little and the bridge might slip. Tighten the head too much and you'll bust it (been there, done that!).
Bottom line: Be cautious, work slowly, listen carefully - but don't be afraid of it. After all, it's YOUR banjo!
frailin Says:
Monday, May 21, 2007 @10:29:54 AM
Welcome to the wonderful world of banjo obession. That's alright. Many of us here have it. We understand. You're safe here!
Brian G Says:
Monday, May 21, 2007 @6:14:34 PM
Bear in mind if the skin is slack the strings are closer to the fingerboard, ie less volume, so the opposite is the opposite this distance can make a lot of difference to the volume and pitch, & too far off the fingerboard makes it hard to fret, a bit like putting tunes on hangout if one has'nt got the right gear and distance from the mikes (like me) the sound does'nt come over very well as a decent banjo should, every tweak you do should be a bit at a time, and listen to the sound as you go on tweaking, there's no set laws, most banjo's are unique as to set-up...from a non expert, thats found out a bit...
anetc99 Says:
Monday, May 21, 2007 @7:53:39 PM
gentlemen (you too bg), thank you all.
i've got the strings and i believe i'm going to try it tonite. but i need to make a couple of phone calls first. i'll have to see how i feel after that.
oh, and i got a stand while i was at it! crafty looks so good in it. it wasn't expensive, and i couldn't resist.
well, okay, i could have, but, why?
HoosierGal Says:
Monday, May 21, 2007 @11:11:16 PM
The Hut is who has the RK20. I found only one review for it here, so I sent him a note, have yet to hear back. The Gold Tone CCr100 had some good reviews, but some complaints about pieces coming apart, and the tail piece bumping the res. It seems the RK might be better made, and for the same price..more goodies. I dunno. So, are you happy with the Hut and their service?
HoosierGal Says:
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 @12:01:33 AM
Isn't that RK pretty? Much more snazzy than the Gold Tone at Janet Davis. I'm just having a hard time swallowing the $400 payout. I really want it, I'm just not ready to part with my cash.. I want to play so bad though.. geez louise it's driving me nuts.
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