If lowering the bridge does not solve the problem, then the neck angle needs to be tilted back 2 to 3 degrees--called a neck set or resetting the neck. Usually a neck set is required if the action cannot be lowered enough with a minimum of a 1/2" tall bridge.

Congratulations on you build, looks like you have a nicely done banjo. Mountain banjos of the Profitt / Hicks styles usually do not have an angled neck, but are built with the neck and head level, as you have done. A shorter bridge is probably your best  option, with out re-construction the whole banjo.

Two things about fretless mountain banjos: A good number of fretless players, especially when using synthetic strings, like the action a little higher than normal.  Also, to accommodate non- adjustable hide heads, they will have bridges of several heights to adjust for tension changes in humid conditions.

As Rob said, a lower bridge will help some. Sliding the bridge toward the tailpiece to get it at about the center of the skin will also help some. While the action you’ve got now does look pretty high even for a fretless, keep in mind that you almost never note a fretless above the nominal fifth fret, i.e. about where the 5th string tuner is. So when you get the action to a reasonable height between the nut and the 5th string tuner, you are good to go.

jduke, interesting to note thank you. Any tips on some resources to get me playing? theres a lot of texts on the fretted banjo but not so much for the fretless. Or is it just a matter of translating the positions to the fretless neck?

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Originally posted by ssduke

As Rob said, a lower bridge will help some. Sliding the bridge toward the tailpiece to get it at about the center of the skin will also help some. While the action you’ve got now does look pretty high even for a fretless, keep in mind that you almost never note a fretless above the nominal fifth fret, i.e. about where the 5th string tuner is. So when you get the action to a reasonable height between the nut and the 5th string tuner, you are good to go.

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Well in that case i believe i'm good to go! I had the bridge at the distance the plans specified from the nut, but do agree it looks a little funny. As is the first string sounds the same as the fifth string where the fifth tuner is , which i believe as you say is generally correct. does moving the bridge back change the placement (intonation?) of the fifth fret?

For fretless banjo learning I would start here: youtu.be/tkjBWcPjcCo

Nice build btw.

Yes, moving the bridge back will change the placement of all fret positions. Once you are satisfied with the bridge placement, you can you can mark the frets in several ways. Lines across the fingerboard known as flush frets, or you can use side dots marking fret locations. If you choose not to actually mark the frets, as you start playing, you will notice the woods natural irregularities and associate those to your fret locations.

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Originally posted by wizman

quote:

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Originally posted by ssduke

As Rob said, a lower bridge will help some. Sliding the bridge toward the tailpiece to get it at about the center of the skin will also help some. While the action you’ve got now does look pretty high even for a fretless, keep in mind that you almost never note a fretless above the nominal fifth fret, i.e. about where the 5th string tuner is. So when you get the action to a reasonable height between the nut and the 5th string tuner, you are good to go.

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Well in that case i believe i'm good to go! I had the bridge at the distance the plans specified from the nut, but do agree it looks a little funny. As is the first string sounds the same as the fifth string where the fifth tuner is , which i believe as you say is generally correct. does moving the bridge back change the placement (intonation?) of the fifth fret?

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The bridge setting specified by the plans does give you a "correct" scale, so that fretting the first string at the position of the tuning peg gives the same note as the correctly tuned 5th string. That, of course, gives a visual clue that helps you figure out the first position fretting positions. Moving the bridge farther from the nut will lengthen the scale, so throws off the visual aid, but you are finding proper intonation by ear, anyway, so you'll get used to it. You could leave everything where the plans specify and play just fine. I happen to prefer the sound of a short-scale fretless when the bridge is at or near the center of the head, and it will lower the action a tad, which was your original concern.

BTW, I failed to mention in my original response what a great job you did. That's a gorgeous banjo. You should be quite proud. Enjoy it.

Thank you all for your infomation and very kind words. The pictures do hide a few flaws, but i was too desperate to start playing to worry a great deal about a perfect finish. I'm going to get started on a clawhammer style of picking and go from there. I'm too inexperienced to worry too much about action, but i've moved the bridge back, and i'll have a go at making a slightly shorter one.

One of the things I like most about a fretless banjo, is the super-smooth slide up the strings.
Bear in mind that Yoyo Ma has no frets on his CELLO, and does all right!

If worse comes to worse, you could get a metric tape measure, measure the distance, bridge to nut, and then go to the Stew-Mac site and ask their Evil Robot to calculate fret positions.
Mark those on a piece of masking tape, and stick it on the fretboard.
(Metric, because their robot gives the answers in decimal tenths, and U.S. rulers are in sixteenths.)

In case nobody else mentioned it, that's a beautiful job you did!

well thank you very much mike gregory. Regards the frets, i'm having no trouble without them. it's come quite naturally actually. The right hand picking on the other hand, thumb lead or clawhammer, that's another story! Don't know why i had it in my head it would be anything like guitar... Ive bought Pete Seegers book, and i'm excited to wrap my head around it. I've Already got some gourd seeds in the mail!