skin heads in Nz?

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

NZ Hangout New Zealand

Join This Group

ARTISTE BANJOS NZ. www.banjos.co.nz Gold Tone & Recording King Stocked. NZsteve

95 Members, Created 7/7/2011 -

Administrators: NZsteve (owner)

< Back to Home

From little-other on 10/17/2012 12:09:57 AM

hello all,

I live in Dunedin, I have been learning clawhammer banjo for the last 6 months, and I am hooked... my first banjo is a (cheap)old perl-gold German banjo... I was told originally that it was 1970s Asian made, but with further research it is earlier and German.

I am ready to replace the head as it has an old frosted mylar head which just feels too bright, I am hoping to replace with a skin head and switch to nygut strings for a mellower clucky sound... I am also gathering materials to build my own minstrel style banjo... I have a few questions that I hope can be enlightened here as I am having real trouble connecting with anyone here (Dunedin) who has any banjo knowledge.

(being laughed at when i suggested to the guy at Twag Town that I will be replacing my own head perhaps with skin) (I have pulled my banjo apart a few times with success and am puzzled as to why people think they are complicated, so I am fairly confident I could stretch a skin... trouble is locating one in NZ???

any help would be much appreciated...

and what would be best.. goat or calf.

I also am wondering if i should just remove the aluminum tone ring? is that making my banjo brighter as well.

one more thing...

I have found this really cool old brass cast ring with roses that is a really snug fit around my maple pot, I was thinking of drilling holes in it and attaching it to the pot as a decorative element, and perhaps it would also add to the sound. obviously it would all need to be TIGHT to eliminate any buzz.... what do you think?

4 Comments
	little-other says: 10/17/2012 12:19:29 AM oh I don not know how to link the pictures of the brass ring in the blog so check my pics , ta.
	banjonz says: 10/17/2012 12:32:37 AM Hi Rachel. I know the Perl-Golds well. Yes, there are East German in origin. They come up for discussion from time to time on the Hangout. If it were me I would choose calf! I have fitted heaps of vellums over the years and goat skin ( especially economy ones) have been problematic. With them it has been a lottery as to what happens to them when they are wetted prior to installing. What may be a better option is to fit either a Fibreskin or Renaissance head. They will mellow out the sound you are getting with the REMO One. However if you have your heart set on a vellum then this link is really helpful... acousticbox.com/head.html. As for the brass ring, if it fits snuggly to the rim then it will add mass to the banjo and will affect the sound. Just how or what sort is the moot point. The only way is to fit and find out. Removing the tone ring may not work. This banjo was made to have a ring so removing it would probably cause the head not to fit properly. If you are interested I have calf skins for sale. I use them when I do banjo restorations and repairs. These are economy heads because the cost of getting good quality ones into NZ is quite expensive. Contact me through the Hangout and we can talk. Cheers Wayne
	little-other says: 10/17/2012 1:10:32 AM Thanks for your thoughts so quickly!... instant advice! I know its a low end banjo so I don't mind mucking around a bit with it to see what happens... before I upgrade. the further into my playing I am getting a better idea of what kinda banjo I want to be playing... I thought about the remo fyberskin heads... but I am also a bit of a do it DIYer and when I start building my banjo I reckon I will be doing a tack head so thanks for the heads up about the calf vs goat. I would sure be interested in purchasing one from you to muck around with. You can email me on rachelracheltaylor@yahoo.com, or I will try to send you a PM. many thanks. R.T.
	wairahi says: 10/17/2012 11:46:23 AM Check out Bell Banjos who make Minstrel Boucher type banjo kits. They are great and Im on my second one.
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

	(untitled) Linked by Emma Gentry 5 years ago
Tablature: Oh Death - Doc Boggs Linked by grantreaburn 6 years ago
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by NZsteve 8 years ago
Tablature: 9 miles from Gundagai Linked by leedav2002kr 9 years ago
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by Terry Trem 10 years ago
Tablature: Red Rocking Chair Linked by little-other 14 years ago
	(untitled) Linked by NZsteve 14 years ago
Blog Entry: Contentious ?, you bet !. Linked by NZsteve 14 years ago: Contentious thoughts
	Melody JQ Linked by primaveranz 15 years ago