MB-100 help?

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Epiphone Banjo Pickers

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Where Epiphone players can come and talk about strings, setup and other tweaks to get the best tone/sound from their banjo

72 Members, Created 11/26/2011 -

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From SaltyDawg on 3/30/2013 6:17:32 AM

Hey All,

I bought a used MB-100 off of Craigslist about 6 weeks ago as a travel, backup banjo. I was really impressed with it when I went to play it and bought it. When I got it home I tightened the head a little and was in business. I play it every few days probably, alternating with my main banjo. Picked the MB-100 up last night and she sounded as dead as a brick! From the back it looks like the bridge is depressed into the head a fair amount. Am I safe to just try re-tightening the head? Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Thanks,

Denver

5 Comments
	Klondike Waldo says: 3/30/2013 9:39:22 AM inspect the head first to make sure it's not broken anywhere- slight wrinkles in the head are a tell-tale sign that there's a break. On the other hand, heads do tend to stretch for a while, and if it's a Renaissance head, they stetch out over a longer period than most other heads do.
	SaltyDawg says: 3/30/2013 7:16:06 PM I appreciate the advice. I have the thing apart now and there is a slight crack near the hoop. Must be enough to to do it. It's just a regular ole frosted remo weathering. Do you recommend using a gauge of some sort to tighten heads?
	Klondike Waldo says: 3/31/2013 7:27:24 AM look up Steve Davis' coin-and ruler- head tensioning system. Easy, DIY system. There are several threads on it under the Building/Set-up Forum.
	Rbuhrman says: 5/7/2013 10:56:15 AM I know this posting was orig. in March, but you should see the write-up of Epiphones (100 and 200) in Banjo Newsletter under REVIEW, by Dave Cannon
kitanimboy says: 3/13/2018 2:21:13 PM I generally tighten my heads until I'm getting an 'A' note when dragging the backs of my fingernails across the skin.. I also lightly tap a small screwdriver handle or similar a couple of inches in from the hoop around the circumference of the velum, and if I hear a dead-spot, I'll tighten the hooks in that area until it's bright...
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