WL-250 modifications

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Gold Tone

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This is a group for all you Gold Tone owners out there, I was looking threw and couldn't find a group needed to fix that!

281 Members, Created 2/8/2011 -

Administrators: IthacaBlackCat (owner)

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From MuddyCreek on 11/17/2012 9:52:29 AM

I am thinking about changing the head on my WL-250 to Fiberskyn from Renaissance. I would love to get input from anybody in the group that has made that change or, for that matter, perhaps went to Renaissance from Fiberskyn. I am wondering what type of sound changes and the degree of difference in tone people may have observed. By the way, I have never changed the head of a banjo before but it doesn't seem like it would be all the tricky using synthetic heads. Am I underestimating the difficulty?

Thanks.

5 Comments
	Scott Barnbilly56 says: 11/17/2012 11:11:46 AM I was going to get the fiberskyn but got talked out of by more than one person . Heard stuff like skin can blister in humid weather ect .Heard sound change is'nt that diffrent stuff like that . I would'nt change the head myself . They have all these speciality tools for checking tension ect and i know that to get it just right makes a world of diffrence in sound quality . I would rather have someone at elderlys in lansing mich do this for me and it's nice when you get some one who's changed lots of them and know the magic tricks to get it sing'in right . Well that's my 2 $ worth . Scott Barn'billy
	David Locky says: 11/17/2012 11:57:20 AM Check out these videos of a high end Paragon tenor played consecutively with Renaissance, Fiberskyn, and Five Star heads. Not a White Ladye and the tunes are trad, but you get the idea. youtube.com/watch?v=q24dc2w1MD...lpp_video youtube.com/watch?v=FFvA9sE-zcY youtube.com/watch?v=tqeKmdl1Sr...re=relmfu To my ear the difference is distinct and likely it's just a matter of preference -- I like the Fiberskyn the best but all are nice. I have a Fiberskyn on my IT-250 White Ladye, and I love the sound. I should say that it is a temporarily 'crippled' IT-250, as it's missing 1/3 of the ring set-up, the scallop ring: bad modification, 'theft' or Monday morning/Friday afternoon at the factory... In any event, a replacement on the way from Gold Tone. For what it's worth, even a Fiberskyn is plastic and I believe thicker than a Renaissance, so likely as durable as any. And at a cost of about $20, plus Youtube and online how-tos, likely worth giving it a shot yourself -- I'd say go for it! Best, David
	David Locky says: 11/17/2012 12:00:01 PM Here's the Fiberskyn link again: youtube.com/watch?v=FFvA9sE-zc...re=relmfu
	AlpacaLips says: 11/17/2012 4:41:42 PM I've been curious about this as well. I have a WL-250 which is a little bright for my current tastes. I've changed heads on my banjos, and though I'm inexperienced it really isn't any big deal. Just make sure that you tighten up the new head correctly (you can find plenty of discussions at BHO on the topic). If you decide to do it please post before/after sound samples since there are numerous other WL-250 owners here who might be curious.
	writerrad says: 1/23/2013 12:11:48 PM I have had a gold tone calfskin head on my Wl 250 since I bought it in 2003 or 4. It creates a great sound a strong thumpy style that I love. I like it particularly for Dock Bogg's style of playing. I actually have played Dock's mastertone a couple times over the years and think my WL 250 with a skin head gets a better tone for that stype of music (at least with me and not Dock playing it). Of course, there is a bit more maintenance in a skin head. Skin heads FEEL better than fiberskyn or plastic. But then again I bought a plastic head banjo after I was at a festival with my skin head WL 250 and a 19th century skin head banjo staying in a tent and it rained and all I had was a soupy head on each banjo
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