Luthier Chris Pariso fitting a Gold Tone Béla neck to a Gibson Mastertone pot.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this video. This was very informative.
Question about the final hole drilling. How does he do that with a hand held drill? Doesn't the angle of that hole need to be precise so the co-rod does not pull the neck out of alignment?
I don’t see the purpose of taking a perfectly good and original Gibson neck and replacing it with an inferior one. I know that Fleck is all the rage now, but replacing the neck will not help anyone play like him. The Scruggs model is a tribute to the man to whom Fleck and many others owe their careers, as well as countless others whose lives have been enriched by the music of Earl Scruggs. If you want the Fleck model, then buy it. It’s cheaper, and from what I’ve seen, it isn’t worth the hype.
quote:
Originally posted by Brian MurphyQuestion about the final hole drilling. How does he do that with a hand held drill? Doesn't the angle of that hole need to be precise so the co-rod does not pull the neck out of alignment?
I just use a hand drill and hold the neck in my hand. I eyeball it at best. I've never had the neck be out of whack. I just mark and use a punch to divot my spots and drill away. As long as the holes are the same distance as the holes in the rim and slightly angled, has always worked for me.
quote:
Originally posted by buckhollerquote:
Originally posted by Brian MurphyQuestion about the final hole drilling. How does he do that with a hand held drill? Doesn't the angle of that hole need to be precise so the co-rod does not pull the neck out of alignment?
I just use a hand drill and hold the neck in my hand. I eyeball it at best. I've never had the neck be out of whack. I just mark and use a punch to divot my spots and drill away. As long as the holes are the same distance as the holes in the rim and slightly angled, has always worked for me.
Let me ask about the "slightly angled" part. I always assumed the 2-3 degree tilt was accomplished by angling where the heel connects to the rim. Shouldn't the rod holes be a zero degrees (i.e. parallel to the heel cap). Or is that what you mean by slightly angled? Thanks.
Thanks for the video! It was a fun watch.
Bronx banjo -- I see where you're coming from, but there are plenty of reasons someone might want a Béla neck on an old Earl Scruggs standard. I'd say that a Béla style neck would help people play more like Béla -- the radiused fretboard helps a lot for single string, and the wider neck/taller bridge help make a sound that leans the player into the Béla vein. If you've ever tried a low-tuned banjo, you might have seen how it changes what you play. Getting a Béla like setup (which can almost only be attained with a Béla-style neck) has a similar affect.
I mean no disrespect (and never would) to Earl, but I think it was reasonable to get the neck if it was what the buyer was looking for.
As for the banjo being a tribute, I think it's kind of nice to show Earls influence on Béla through a mixed banjo.
Just my thoughts,
Geckoberry :)
Edited by - geckoberry on 06/08/2022 11:34:11
I see your point, Geckoberry. I guess it was my initial shock at seeing an original Gibson neck being replaced and it came across meaner than I intended. I hope the Gibson neck will be kept so that the banjo’s originality can be preserved.
quote:
Originally posted by Bronx banjoI don’t see the purpose of taking a perfectly good and original Gibson neck and replacing it with an inferior one. I know that Fleck is all the rage now, but replacing the neck will not help anyone play like him. The Scruggs model is a tribute to the man to whom Fleck and many others owe their careers, as well as countless others whose lives have been enriched by the music of Earl Scruggs. If you want the Fleck model, then buy it. It’s cheaper, and from what I’ve seen, it isn’t worth the hype.
He wanted to go with the extra wide 1-3/8th neck. That Gibson neck probably had the 1-3/16 or 1-1/4 nutwidth which is too narrow, and the 5/8th bridge which many Players are discovering is too low. I replaced the 1-3/16ths neck on my Huber with a 1-5/16ths neck made by Ron Coleman, with a 11/16ths bridge. it has Gibson on the peghead now due to the after market fretboard that was attached. If Goldtone would have had their neck available at the time, I would have done what the owner of the banjo in the video did.
Edited by - jan dupree on 06/08/2022 15:28:37
youtube.com/watch?v=jMZA08P8Qow Fleck opens the show with the Goldtone, and comes back after Intermission with it again.
Bronx banjo
No worries at all! I understand the shock -- those banjos were killer. I too hope the neck was preserved. It's good to see they didn't mess with the pot.
Geckoberry
quote:
Originally posted by Brian MurphyQuestion about the final hole drilling. How does he do that with a hand held drill? Doesn't the angle of that hole need to be precise so the co-rod does not pull the neck out of alignment?
The non-builder in me thinks the same thing.
But the banjo owner in me has seen that instead of the co-rods pulling the neck out of alignment, they can eventually bend the lag bolts into alignment.
Anyone shocked that an owner would put a Gold Tone neck on an Earl Scruggs Standard should not watch this video in which -- at an owner's request -- a repairman replaces the original tone ring in an ESS with something lighter. In this case, a 1970s Kasuga aluminum ring.
Viewing tip: Set playback speed to 125%. The guy talks slow.
quote:
Originally posted by Old HickoryAnyone shocked that an owner would put a Gold Tone neck on an Earl Scruggs Standard should not watch this video in which -- at an owner's request -- a repairman replaces the original tone ring in an ESS with something lighter. In this case, a 1970s Kasuga aluminum ring.
State laws vary, but this is probably bad felony in the Carolinas.
Edited by - Brian Murphy on 06/08/2022 19:37:34
I could not see the point in this exercise either since Goldtone allegedly already build Mastertones, why not just buy a GT Mastertone with the Bela neck already attatched in China or wherever they are being put together these days ?
Newest Posts
'Martin Acoustic Guitar' 52 min
'Tuner buttons' 1 hr
'New South Africa' 3 hrs
'TOTW 19/8/2022' 3 hrs
'Rare bird Local news' 3 hrs
