I’m wondering if anybody knows where to get unplated, brass banjo hardware?
I know Greg Boyd’s has unplated tension hoops, flanges, tail pieces and armrests, but I am looking for hooks/nuts and resonator hardware.
Thank you
Balsam Banjo Works for hooks. Rickard possibly for tension hoop.
Edited by - Old Hickory on 09/18/2024 15:29:48
Thank you, Ken. I’m going to take a look at Balsam now
Alrighty, Balsam and Rickard had brass hooks and nuts. I went with Rickard because they had the 1/4” “Gibson style” nuts.
Thank you Ken.
Now if anyone knows where I might find some unplated brass resonator hardware, I would greatly appreciate it
Would that ultimately develop a greenish and/or patchy sort of patina in areas? I think I’d like that sort of look…
Edited by - TimFoster on 09/18/2024 16:28:53
TimFoster That’s exactly what I’m going for. A friend of mine has a banjo with all brass hardware and it’s starting to get quite a nice patina to it.
I really like the look of it.
If it gets too gnarly, you can just polish it back up
Would love to see a pic
of something like that!
I don’t have any pictures of the banjo I am referencing, but I can share some of mine, once I put it together. May take a few months for it to get a nice patina to it though.
I still need to find some resonator hardware. The guy who my friend got his hardware from isn’t carrying hardware anymore
quote:
Originally posted by CaseyJonesI’m wondering if anybody knows where to get unplated, brass banjo hardware?
I know Greg Boyd’s has unplated tension hoops, flanges, tail pieces and armrests,
Are you sure about the flanges? The unplated Prucha 1-piece flange is pot metal, not brass. The two-piece flange is available on nickel plated.
I think the flange is going to be tough to find. Brass flanges were made at one time, but no more.
In this discussion from 2017, a member says that as of then Steve Ryan was still making brass flanges. You could search the Hangout to try to track him down. I had his number 6 years ago, but it's gone. I called him to identify the source of a probable nickel plated brass flange that I had. The machining marks on the underside were the most unusual I hd ever seen. Since it did not have his initials on it, he said it was probably one from Stew-Mac that he had machined but did not make. At least that's how I remember it.
Yeah, the unplated Prucha flange is pot metal. I was going to have one brass plated.
Unless someone knows where I could find a real brass flange…..
I like the idea of brass plate. Maybe that will weigh less than a solid brass flange. And a flange isn't subject to wear like an armrest, so it should keep its brass look forever.
If brass can be plated onto pot metal, then you have an option right there. If brass can be plated onto chrome or nickel, you go with any new or used flange.
Ironically, I have a brass, over pot metal, flange here at my house, but it’s too small to fit any of my banjos. It does seem a little lighter than the flanges I have tried to swap it with
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