Posted by dculgan on Saturday, August 9, 2008
For most of the time I've been playing with the Camptown Shakers I have concentrated on playing minstrel style banjo, or my gourd banjo, and mosty ignored some of the others in my collection. Last weekend I got out my 1920's era Vega "Little Wonder" to tinker with. I find banjos to be a lot like guns, they're fun to take apart and put back together. This Vega was a banjo I picked up in the late 70's from my friend Russ Smith a founding member of Rural Rhythm, at least for a few weeks. We were a two banjo old time band then. Anyway it was a tenor. With my brother's help we made a really nice 5 string neck for it. I played this banjo a lot in Rural Rhythm, mostly at dances, and to look at the ebony fretboard wear and fret wear, I must have a really heavy hand.
Anyway this banjo got turned back into a tenor when I was hopig to learn some Celtic stlye, but it was a 17 fret, and I never could get the string gage to sound right in the Irish style tuning. It mostly sat in its case for 15 years.
Last weekend I put the 5 string neck back on, spruced it up (detail strip), and since I couldn't find a set of five steel strings I sorted through my string stash and strung it up with nylon. A while back I had fitted a renaissance head, and did a mod to the tone ring where you raise it up a slight amount on little brads that supposedly gives it more of a Whyte Laydie sound. With the nylon stings and a nice thin bridge it really had a nice pop. I've been playing the two classic stlye tunes I know, Hot Foot Ike and Red Rover March and they sound great. I've also done a little of the old clawhamer stuff I used to play with Rural Rhythm. I think I'll leave it set up like this for a while. The grooves in the frets and fretboard don't seem to be a problem with the nylon stirngs though I recall they were with steel. Its set up a lot better for classic style than my S.S. Stewart Thoroughbred and it doesn't hurt having geared tuners either.
Be the first to comment on “Ringing the old banjo”
You must sign into your myHangout account before you can post comments.
