i put a new head on my 1980 bellflower and it sounds nothing like a stelling now, i torked the lugs at 6 inch pounds just like it says on Geoffs web site and i also reset the tail peice. what did i do wrong?
10 Comments |
 | banjoman56 says:
3/28/2013 7:06:20 AM
I am assuming that it sounds tubby now. The head tension may not be even, although you torqued all the nuts on the hooks to the same tension, it may not apply the same tension to the head, because of some obstruction in the threads. IMO, the only way to get a completely even head, is to use a drum dial. I just tweaked the head on my Red Fox last night to 92 on the drum dial and it sounds great. Check the head with Steve Davis's quarter/ ruler method and see if the quarter is a loose fit. if it is you might try tightening the nuts a !/4 turn and see if that helps.
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 | banjogirl1980 says:
3/28/2013 7:26:18 AM
where do i find out how to do the quarter test?
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| banjogirl1980 says:
3/28/2013 7:47:51 AM
im just going to order a new drum dail and be done with it.
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| banjoman56 says:
3/28/2013 10:19:57 AM
Quarter test: Get a ruler that is perfectly straight and cut it off to 10 in. place it on the head against the bridge and slide the quarter under it at the bridge position. If it is a snug fit you should have a good tone from your banjo. You may have to tweak it one way or the other a bit for the optimal tone. Getting a drum dial is still recommended however, because it is easy to get even tension with one.
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| banjogirl1980 says:
3/28/2013 10:25:25 AM
ill try it, i just orders a new drum dail, it is made by Tama, are thay a good dail?
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| banjoman56 says:
3/28/2013 10:40:25 AM
Mine is made by Drum Dial Inc. I'm not familiar Tama, but it will probably be fine.
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| banjogirl1980 says:
3/28/2013 11:02:50 AM
the Drum Dial brand is 59.99 and tha Tama is 69.99. i found a Tama on ebay for 46.00 shiping and all,i cant get one that cheep wholesale, thats why i bought it.
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 | Geoff Stelling says:
3/28/2013 1:34:26 PM
You might check to make sure all the connections are snug, such as the rim rods to neck, and the rim rod nuts. Most likely the head is not tight enough or unevenly tightened. The drum dial will definitely help there. Double check the bridge position, also. It can be out of position by as little as 1/64" and affect your tonal output. When you tighten the strings, the bridge will lean forward a bit and not have a solid footing against the head. Always check that the bridge feet are flat against the head and that the distance from the 12th fret is 13 3/16th inches from fret center to bridge center after tuning. If it's a Snuffy or other straight slot (not v-notched) cut bridge, it would be to the leading edge of the bridge.
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| banjogirl1980 says:
3/28/2013 10:05:36 PM
Geoff, did you ever use any high crown heads on your banjos in the 80s, becouse my bellflower had a high crown head on it, could that be why a cant get the same sound?
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 | grm405 says:
4/6/2013 2:18:15 PM
Did you lube the threads and place SS washers under the nuts? If not that is your problem. Your 6 kg-cm (if you are using a Neary those are the units) is likely 3-4 actual and the rest thread/nut friction. I use a Neary with total success and set my Sunflower at 6.5 kg-cm.
I have done a lot of testing on a lot of banjos, and unless you lube the threads and use SS washers the results will be erratic and lower than your reading. Use 3 in 1 oil on a Q-tip and put a very small amount of oil on the hook threads. SS Washers are available at Home Depot for $2.20 for 50.
Gerry
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