I am working on an old Columbia banjo/uke for a friend. It is in really good shape with the exception that the hide head, which seems to be original based on some of the graffiti inscribed on it, and one tuner that needs a ferrel(sp?). I have a spare hide that I can use, but was hoping to find a fiberskin head. The pot is 7 3/8" wide and I can't find premade heads that small. Do any of you know a source? Also, I need one ferrel for a tuner. Again, anybody have one, or know where I can get one, otherwise I will probably just buy a new set of tuners and keep the old ones along with the old head.
I'm also curious about the maker and date for this instrument. My guess is late 1920's as there are a couple of dates, 1928 and 1929, inscribed on the head. I can't find much about the maker, but suspect that it might be Harmony or Kay, based somewhat on the peg head shape. Any thoughts?
I'll post a couple of pictures of the tuners. Check out the artwork on the old head.
Thanks.
Richard
I believe that neck brace was used by Oscar Schmidt.
I expect that you have already checked with Bob Smakula. If he doesn't have a head that size, or know where to get one, it probably doesn't exist. You will likely have to mount the skin.
The features of the uke don't stand out enough for me to make a guess but I think tdennis may have steered you in the right direction.
I see in the picture that the tailpiece is a No-Knot five-string. I have a four-string No-Knot I don't need. If you are interested send me a PM.
tdennis, thanks.
I did some disassembly this morning and discovered that these tuners do not use ferrels, and it appears they just need a good cleaning. All of the parts are there. I also spoke with Elderly about the head and it doesn't look like anyone makes a pre-mounted head in 7 3/8" dia. so I will move forward with a skin head. I think this little banjo will be really nice when repaired.
Still would like to know more about the maker.
I just finished refurbishing an old Ludwig banjo/uke, and it also takes an odd sized head. So like you, I decided to use a goat skin head. Never installed a skin head before so I was a little apprehensive, but it turned out to be not that hard. YouTube has a ton of videos that will guide you through the process. Since the old head was still on, you should have the existing flesh hoop to reuse. The skin I used was bright white and looked out of place on an old instrument, so I soaked it in a warm water/instant coffee solution to stain it a nice light brown color. It looks great now. Good luck with your project!
Whether you decide to tuck a head or buy a pre-tucked head, you should be sure of the measurement. Most banjo ukes were standard 6,7 or 8" heads. (Double check whether you are accurately measuring the dia. of the shell, or if you're including the tension hoop).
In case you might consider a custom made mylar head from REMO, remember that the modern flesh hoop is much larger than the flesh hoops used on old banjo ukulele skin heads. The modern hoops are so large that the hooks will not reach over to connect to the tension hoop without bending them , also the modern hoop will be too large for the pot to connect to the neck heel properly & will leave a large gap.
Edited by - tdennis on 10/01/2024 13:55:33
At the risk of being pedantic, it’s “ferrule”.
lapsteel: Thank you for the spell check. I was pretty sure that I had it wrong, but couldn't figure out what was right. Now I know.
Update on progress. Mounted a new skin head this morning without incident. Looks great. Will definitely save to old one. I found another signature date 1926 on it. So I am convinced it was the original head. Everything else is cleaning up beautifully. The blank to the nut will arrive tomorrow and I should have it all back together in a day or two.
Pics of freshly mounted head (still wet) and the pot showing how nice the finish is and how well the hardware cleaned up.
I have a1920s ish Columbia Parlor guitar, I was also told Oscar Schmidt, NJ made them..
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