Hey All,
After a few years of tinkering with banjo picking I ended up playing about equal parts clawhammer & 3 finger. Fools errand I know, but does anybody have any recommendations for a resonator banjo that has some clawhammer plunk?
Thanks in advance!
quote:
Originally posted by JeffJoHey All,
I think the Recording King banjos sound pretty good and are priced competitively.
After a few years of tinkering with banjo picking I ended up playing about equal parts clawhammer & 3 finger. Fools errand I know, but does anybody have any recommendations for a resonator banjo that has some clawhammer plunk?
Thanks in advance!
You can find Tubaphone and Whyte Laydie banjos with resonators. That would probably be the #1 option.
There's also the RK-R25 which is a woodie "flathead", I've got one with a renaissance head and it sounds good when played claw hammer.
Clarence Ashley played clawhammer with a 50s Gibson Mastertone Archtop.
Deering John Hartford with the pop-off resonator would be a really good option.
LeVan banjos also have a removable resonator.
Edited by - KCJones on 06/05/2023 07:16:31
Agree with Steven about old Whyte Laydies and Tubaphones (I play both and have a pie-plate resonator that fits on both).
Vega-Martins VIP models (1970s) and Vega Earl Scruggs/Pro models (1960s) are also great crossover banjos. They all have tubaphone tone rings. The VIPs have brackets bolted through the rim, whereas the Earl Scruggs models has a bracket band similar to the Vega Tubaphones of old. There are several posts about these banjos in the forums here. Also, here is an informative website: https://www.banjorehab.com/vega-martin-banjo-info/
They pop up for sale every now and then, and are not expensive, say compared to a Mastertone. My VIP also weighs about 9.5 lbs--a good bit lighter than an Masterstone/Masterclone.
Here are a couple videos of me playing my VIP (clawhammer and 2F):
A Vega Ranger from the sixties makes a good banjo for both styles. They can be found from time to time on Reverb, eBay, and other sources for a reasonable price. A new banjo would probably cost more.
If you're patient you might find a Vega Wonder from the same era for a just a little more money.
Edited by - Culloden on 06/05/2023 09:32:12
I have a tubaphone. It’s an open back, but it’s obnoxiously loud in all the right ways. I don’t really play 3 finger but sometimes I mess around and it sounds good on that banjo. Mine is a Style M, but I would think one of those Vega Tubaphones with the resonator (Professional maybe?) would work well.
One of my favorite dual purpose 5-string banjos is a Gibson Mastertone ball bearing. I also like Bacon & Day Silver Bell banjos.
And as a shameless plug for my inventory, I have a 1925 Gibson PB-4 ball bearing with a 5-string conversion neck.
Bob Smakula
smakula.com
Edited by - Bob Smakula on 06/05/2023 11:18:44
What Bob said. The Gibson ball-bearing is a great two-way banjo.
Plus one for the Gibson ball bearing.
I have a 25 bb, and I play some clawhammer, though not great.
Clawhammer and 3-finger works out nicely.
I have a Tubaphone conversion and a Nechville Moonshine with resonators that I play for both styles. My Moonshine has really become my go-to.
I've got a heavy rosewood bridge I keep in the box, and it gives a plunky tone to any banjo I put it on. Even my Huber with a flathead vintage ring, with that heavy rosewood bridge and adjusting the tailpiece for less downpressure, it mellows right out and has great tone for old timey clawhammer and up picking type stuff. So maybe just try different bridges on the banjo you have.
In general, I'm a believer that setup is the biggest factor when it comes to tone. You can make a well-built banjo sound like anything you want by varying the head, bridge, tailpiece, and strings.
I Have open back banjo's as I am primarily a clawhammer and 2 finger player, I also have a Recording King RK-R36 , which I play those styles on as well as 3 finger. Can't beat it for the price! It sounds really cool tuned down for 2 finger "DEAD" tunings
quote:
Originally posted by KCJonesI've got a heavy rosewood bridge I keep in the box, and it gives a plunky tone to any banjo I put it on. Even my Huber with a flathead vintage ring, with that heavy rosewood bridge and adjusting the tailpiece for less downpressure, it mellows right out and has great tone for old timey clawhammer and up picking type stuff. So maybe just try different bridges on the banjo you have.
In general, I'm a believer that setup is the biggest factor when it comes to tone. You can make a well-built banjo sound like anything you want by varying the head, bridge, tailpiece, and strings.
Amen to that. The ultimate judge of the banjo's suitability will be your ears. Try before you buy.
I have a Masterclone top tension archtop that uses Liberty parts and I've tweaked it for clawhammer. The only drawback I find is the string spacing at the nut. (My Jake Neufeld open back's wider spacing is more forgiving to my clumsy fingers.) But it sounds fine - to my ears.
I've got an Ome Double X that I've always used for both. Always thought the Ome XX was very similar to a Bacon "FF Professional" with the internal resonator, which a friend had that I always liked.
Played my Double XX both with and without the resonator attached.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I’m going to head down to Elderly soon and play claw hammer on a bunch of resonator banjos to help narrow the pool. If they have any you mentioned, I’ll try them first. Thanks again!!
Been a couple of months, but I played a few banjos at Elderly. I really liked the Gold Tone OB-250LW. Had a bit of a warmer sound for clawhammer and not terribly expensive. Still had some bite for Bluegrass too. I'm going to keep hunting as those seem pretty easy to come by. Thanks all!
Some people get a great clawhammer sound playing a Mastertone-flathead type of banjo. This is Kendl Winter with an Ome:
