Dollars to donuts that banjo was a long-neck. The long-neck players back during the Great Folk Music Scare of the late 1950s - early 1960s had a penchant for attaching their straps that way.

"Folk singer" is the key, he is likely emulating Pete Seeger who did the same upon discovery that his long neck banjo was neck heavy.

Yep, complete with capo permanently clamped on the third fret.

Jens Kruger plays very expensive custom Deering banjos, yet on his latest cooking show he stopped picking, set his banjo perched precariously on a kitchen chair, and went and stirred the noodles. I almost died.

I had one of these Vega Seeger banjos purchased new in the 60's (w/o screw eye) & eventually traded it back to it's original seller for a new D28 which I wish I had kept .

Jens Kruger has a cooking show ?

I think the obsession with keeping things "all original and mint condition", and the focus on "resale value", is a fairly modern one driven by collectors rather than musicians.

If I have a dirt driveway and mud gets on my porsche fenders, I'm gonna put mud flaps on it.

quote:

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Originally posted by gbisignani

Jens Kruger has a cooking show ?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCVLdtIZ4fU

quote:

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Originally posted by gbisignani

Jens Kruger has a cooking show ?

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Jens and Uwe do a one hour music show Friday and Saturday nights at 7 eastern, and the cooking show is Sundays, I think 1 eastern.  On Youtube, and the older ones are all on there as well.  Very entertaining.  Those guys are a hoot.

I mostly agree with you about instrument abuse, Bob, but the guys above are correct about the screw eye. It's a traditional modification; and if Pete did it, it's perfectly acceptable for the rest of us to follow.

quote:Originally posted by KCJonesI think the obsession with keeping things "all original and mint condition", and the focus on "resale value", is a fairly modern one driven by collectors rather than musicians.

If I have a dirt driveway and mud gets on my porsche fenders, I'm gonna put mud flaps on it.

There's a lot of truth in this.

As a repair person, I think I can safely say that any fretted instrument that is played will need new frets sooner or later. All Martin guitars will eventually need a new bridge, because the original will split, sooner or later. We all know about "zinc pest" and cracked flanges on the old Mastertones. And every year, more celluloid pickguards on old Gibson mandolins give up the ghost.

And I actually remember a time, very long ago, when an expertly refinished instrument would bring more than a similar one with an original finish in really bad condition. I don't think we'll see that again, though.

I believe in doing the necessary work to keep an instrument playable, while still maintaining originality as much as is reasonably possible. A lot of that is up to the owner. An instrument that is well cared for will need less work than one that is treated casually.

And I cringe at "mojo," which to me is a code word for instrument abuse and neglect.

I just did $700 worth of work, discounted, on a couple of modern era Gibson instruments- one a 25 year old mandolin, the other a 20 year old acoustic guitar. I told the owner that most of the instruments I see that are 3 or 4 times older are in better shape, and that he would eventually have to replace his instruments if he didn't take better care of them. You can only patch them back together so many times before they ultimately give up the ghost.

And yes, it is a joy to see a fine old instrument that is in truly excellent condition, and maintains most of its original parts. And I think these now rather rare birds should command a premium price. But that doesn't mean that a well cared for instrument that has moderate wear and has had a new nut, bridge, or frets installed should be looked at with a lot of criticism. "If you were that old, you'd show some signs of wear and tear too."

And a long-neck banjo is a challenge to balance with a standard neck strap. But perhaps someone can eventually come up with a better way to make it work than a screw eye.

Happy picking, y'all.

thanks...I just looked at one...they seem to know what they're doing in the kitchen as well as on stage !

quote:

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Originally posted by rcc56

quote:Originally posted by KCJonesI think the obsession with keeping things "all original and mint condition", and the focus on "resale value", is a fairly modern one driven by collectors rather than musicians.

If I have a dirt driveway and mud gets on my porsche fenders, I'm gonna put mud flaps on it.

 

There's a lot of truth in this.

As a repair person, I think I can safely say that any fretted instrument that is played will need new frets sooner or later. All Martin guitars will eventually need a new bridge, because the original will split, sooner or later. We all know about "zinc pest" and cracked flanges on the old Mastertones. And every year, more celluloid pickguards on old Gibson mandolins give up the ghost.

And I actually remember a time, very long ago, when an expertly refinished instrument would bring more than a similar one with an original finish in really bad condition. I don't think we'll see that again, though.

I believe in doing the necessary work to keep an instrument playable, while still maintaining originality as much as is reasonably possible. A lot of that is up to the owner. An instrument that is well cared for will need less work than one that is treated casually.

And I cringe at "mojo," which to me is a code word for instrument abuse and neglect.

I just did $700 worth of work, discounted, on a couple of modern era Gibson instruments- one a 25 year old mandolin, the other a 20 year old acoustic guitar. I told the owner that most of the instruments I see that are 3 or 4 times older are in better shape, and that he would eventually have to replace his instruments if he didn't take better care of them. You can only patch them back together so many times before they ultimately give up the ghost.

And yes, it is a joy to see a fine old instrument that is in truly excellent condition, and maintains most of its original parts. And I think these now rather rare birds should command a premium price. But that doesn't mean that a well cared for instrument that has moderate wear and has had a new nut, bridge, or frets installed should be looked at with a lot of criticism. "If you were that old, you'd show some signs of wear and tear too."

And a long-neck banjo is a challenge to balance with a standard neck strap. But perhaps someone can eventually come up with a better way to make it work than a screw eye.

Happy picking, y'all.

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Sophia Loren, for example:

I remember a fellow in Roanoke, Virginia who would sand the finish off every new mandolin he got and refinish it. Poorly, too, I might add. But he swore that it made them sound better. To me it made them sound worse. But maybe I don't know anything about mandolins.

Mike,

Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, and Raquel Wlech are three women that have aged as gracefully as anyone I have ever seen.

Yep, Pete did the eyebolt on several longnecks, dating back to at least the early Fifties and the modified Orpheum No. 1 he played then as a member of The Weavers.

Steve

quote:

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Originally posted by Culloden

I remember a fellow in Roanoke, Virginia who would sand the finish off every new mandolin he got and refinish it. Poorly, too, I might add. But he swore that it made them sound better. To me it made them sound worse. But maybe I don't know anything about mandolins.

Mike,

Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, and Raquel Wlech are three women that have aged as gracefully as anyone I have ever seen.

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Well Mark, if they were Gibson mandolins made during certain periods, it might not have hurt if he had done a better job.  Some of them had enough lacquer on them for 3 or 4 instruments.

And I agree about the ladies, even if they had a little help along the way.

And unless something has recently changed, Emmylou is still a knockout also.

At least he did'nt drill holes in the peg head, to rig up those levers that raise and lower the string pitch.

quote:

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Originally posted by Culloden

I remember a fellow in Roanoke, Virginia who would sand the finish off every new mandolin he got and refinish it. Poorly, too, I might add. But he swore that it made them sound better. To me it made them sound worse. But maybe I don't know anything about mandolins. 

Mike,

Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, and Raquel Wlech are three women that have aged as gracefully as anyone I have ever seen.

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There are , I believe true stories about things Frank Wakefield did to his Loar F5 such as baking it in an oven to dry out the wood but not quite hot enough to loosen the glue and also painting it red w/ a brush which I saw at a fest many years ago . Don't know if the bake was before or after the red paint ? He played at a local fest in Lodi NY abut 3 yrs ago & in his mandolin workshop the Loar still sounded incredible (refinished).  Frank was in his day , a highly respected mandolin player who do anything Monroe played & just as well ! I believe he currently resides in upstate NY .

And Sophia Loren , I remember her climbimg out of the water into a boat w/ her wet blouse --- yikes O mighty !!

I'm forever grateful to now know of the Krueger Brothers cooking show. Watching Food Notes now!

I heard Pete Seeger admit in an interview that he didn't take good care of his instruments. In addition to the eyebolt, he also glued down his bridge, and kept it on the banjo even after it wore through the drum.

I replace parts on instruments. But I keep them and sell original parts when I sell the instruments. That includes cases. Some individuals buy instruments as investments and don't even play them. Being difficult to obtain or classic old instruments seems to make them more desirable and more expensive.

I like a lot of the high quality instruments small shops are making. They make them to the buyers specifications. Type wood, dimensions, and more. This applies to more than banjos.

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Originally posted by jan dupree

At least he did'nt drill holes in the peg head, to rig up those levers that raise and lower the string pitch.

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Ummm...

I have to confess. I've done that.

Oops.

I think even Earl drilled holes in his Peghead at some point, in addition to thinning the neck profile on his original Granada neck which warped afterward, even though Gibson advised him not to do it. I have probably committed a crime also by replacing the almost new original  neck, which was on my Huber Kalamazoo, with a wider one made by an independent Luthier, which says Gibson on the peghead. In addition to replacing the metal armrest with a wooden one, and changing the Huber bridge, with a wider spaced Snuffy Smith bridge. Judge not, less Ye be Judged. 

Monroe himself defaced the peghead of his F5 w/ his jackknife when he was upset w/ the Gibson company .

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Originally posted by heavy5

Monroe himself defaced the peghead of his F5 w/ his jackknife when he was upset w/ the Gibson company .

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And it looked incredibly cool.