Would appreciate suggestions for suppliers/manufacturers of metal bracket bands for an open-back clawhammer banjo.
Some higher end banjos do not have nuts showing inside the rim to hold on bracket shoes. How is this done? Are some shoes fitted with a high end wood screw that is shorter than the thickness of the pot rim? Some other way?
Thanks,
Joe
Bill Rickard sells bracket bands in raw brass and nickel plate. The bracket shoes have to be purchased separately. They have a square cut-out for a dowel stick.http://rickardbanjos.com
Gold Tone sells bracket bands, but they are chrome plated, which is not ideal for an old-time banjo. Still, they are somewhat cheaper than Rickard's, and they include the bracket shoes. http://goldtone.com
Edited by - Culloden on 04/27/2025 09:25:31
quote:
Originally posted by izenSome higher end banjos do not have nuts showing inside the rim to hold on bracket shoes. How is this done? Are some shoes fitted with a high end wood screw that is shorter than the thickness of the pot rim? Some other way?
A bracket band -- or bracket flange as Gold Tone calls theirs -- goes onto the rim the same way as a one-piece flange. The lower outside of the rim (its "skirt") is reduced in outside diameter on a lathe so the bracket band can fit onto the rim. Above the skirt, at the top edge of the band, the rim is a full 11-inch O.D., creating a downward facing edge against which the band presses upwards. The hooks and nuts hold everything together.
Another way to assemble an open back is to use the tube portion of a two-piece flange and do away with hooks altogether. For this, the skirt of the rim is almost a full 11 inches outside diameter. The tube bears upward against a protruding bead of wood.
Besides reducing hardware requirements, this results in a thicker rim, which might contribute to better sound.
Edited by - Old Hickory on 04/27/2025 10:06:47
Following up the above: A rim turned to work with a bracket band won't be straight sided, so the heel will have a more complicated cut to achieve correct fit and neck angle.
I have seen old Vega necks that were cut straight but had the heel cap extended to touch the rim at the bottom.
I’ve got a 1976 RB-100 that I’ve always thought of changing to a OT setup. Will the bracket band replace the one piece bluegrass flange.
Next question with the neck have to be recut for the fit up?
I am not a bluegrasser, but I'll take a crack at your question. I believe the flange is what holds the resonator, so it goes. Then look at the shoes that hold the bracket. The simplest configuration for OT just has shoes that are screwed to the pot. Should look like
stewmac.com/parts-and-hardware...ngBnx_gyZ
If you don't see shoes that look like that, you will probably need to replace what you have.
That said, BG banjoes usually have a heavy, brass tone ring to give the banjo a bight tone. That is wrong for an OT banjo. OT banjos either don't have a tone ring, or a variety of muck lighter weight rings. The 3 most famous OT tone ring types are Whyte Laydie, Tubaphone, and Dobson.
Both Rickard and GoldTone appear only to sell bracket bands for 11" pots. Anyone know a source for a 12" bracket band.
After studying the pictures on their sites, I can answer my other question. There is a recess on the inner side of each hole to accommodate the head of a screw, With a band, the screw doesn't need to penetrate the rim.
The original purpose of using the bracket band was to preserve the integrity of the rim by not requiring holes to be drilled through it. I hope that made sense.
As far as a bracket band for a 12" pot, you might contact Balsam Banjo Works personally and see if one of their luthiers could craft one for you. They don't advertise a bracket band on their site, but it can't hurt to ask. Likewise, you could contact Bill Rickard personally. He might be able to do a one-off.
A few others you could check with are Mark Hickler and Doug Berry. Both are from Arizona and are members here. If they can't help you personally, maybe they would have some ideas or sources that I don't, since they both build Old-Time banjos.
