I have an old aluminum rim arch top banjo that I worked on awhile back to improve the tone, and am very pleased with the results. However, I am somewhat puzzled by the head tension. I don’t have a drum dial, so I just tuned it the best I could without it. Once I got it tightened a good bit, it seemed it was too tight and the tone was somewhat - muted, I guess is the right word? Kinda sounded stifled. Anyway, I backed off the head tension a bit, and am now extremely pleased with the sound! I reckon some bottlecap banjos have have given aluminum banjos a bad stigma, but I am very pleased with the sound of my aluminum rimmed banjo (not a bottlecap, made by Iida). I borrowed a drum dial just to see what number my tension was at, and surprisingly it was around 83. From what I have understood, normal head tension would be accepted to be from 89-93. Is it possible an aluminum banjo don’t require as much head tension as others?
quote:
Originally posted by Jacob Ralph
Anyway, I backed off the head tension a bit, and am now extremely pleased with the sound! ~ ~ ~ From what I have understood, normal head tension would be accepted to be from 89-93. Is it possible an aluminum banjo don’t require as much head tension as others?
Your ears have spoken, nothing else matters 
quote:
Originally posted by Jacob RalphFrom what I have understood, normal head tension would be accepted to be from 89-93. Is it possible an aluminum banjo don’t require as much head tension as others?
93 on a wood-rimmed banjo is pretty darn tight!
It is the tighter end of things! I believe around 91 is normal
Edited by - Jacob Ralph on 06/28/2022 11:22:18
The old adage .... ?
"Tighten until the head breaks, then back off a 1/4 turn."
quote:
Originally posted by Bart Veermanquote:
Originally posted by Jacob Ralph
Anyway, I backed off the head tension a bit, and am now extremely pleased with the sound! ~ ~ ~ From what I have understood, normal head tension would be accepted to be from 89-93. Is it possible an aluminum banjo don’t require as much head tension as others?
Your ears have spoken, nothing else matters
Couldn't agree more!!
The heck with numbers. The ears have it. 've yet to meet an ear that could read a number.
Edited by - G Edward Porgie on 06/28/2022 14:28:42
quote:
Originally posted by Jacob RalphFrom what I have understood, normal head tension would be accepted to be from 89-93. Is it possible an aluminum banjo don’t require as much head tension as others?
Yours seems not to.
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