I haven't used the conversion ring in years, but my memory is that you can leave the balls and springs in. However, I also remember that I wasn't impressed with the tone (it's a First Quality ring). I found once I learned how to set up the pot, the tone and volume of the ball bearings was preferrable to the ring.

I wouldn’t convert it—see above. BBs are scarce and getting scarcer; they are unique. If you go ahead and convert it, carefully remove and save the none ring, springs bearings and washers. That complete setup has some value, as a competent banjo mechanic can easily convert a 70s Japanese 2-piece flange masterclone into a ball-bearing if they have a full set of parts and tone ring.

I plan on being able to put it back to original have the tenor neck and rogers head

I used a Sullivan Ball Bearing to flathead conversion ring in a 25 tb3. It was a great banjo. I took the bearing, springs and washers out and kept them in case I wanted to put it back original. That ring would have sat too high if they were left in.

Thanks

Steve Huber custom machined an HR30 ring for my '26 style 5. Full 3 lb ring that fits the uncut rim. Banjo is a killer now! Ron Block has a '25 Granada with the same combination.
Save the ball bearings, washers and original ring in case someone wants to return it to the original configuration.

I have a 1925 BB to flathead conversion with a no-cut Sullivan ring. Works great and can be converted back of desired.

Rick

I believe one reason that most owners remove the ball bearings and associated gear when they install a flat head ring is, the angled or pitched face on the inside of the ring "might" not obscure the holes in the rim. If the holes aren't obscured by something, the washers, ball bearings and springs "might" fall out of the holes when the banjo is tipped or held upside down, and then you'd have all those little parts rolling and tumbling around inside the peaked roof that the tone ring makes over the rim. Great source for "rattle" and who knows what else. Then when you pull the conversion ring off to see what's loose all those parts roll all over your floor, carpet, desktop, etc.

I have a 1926 Granada and back in the early 80s I asked Jimmy Cox to make a flat head ring for it that wouldn't alter the underlying banjo's originality. He chose to put a standard Cox tone ring on top of a tiny strip of "filler" maple banding to grow the rim out to the same diameter as a standard flat head ring. He took and entire new rim down to the tenth of an inch thick band on his lathe, which we hand pressed on over the existing rim. No glue. It worked great. However it made my assembled pot one tenth of an inch taller than a standard flat head pot. Required adjusting the lag bolt holes that secure the neck to the rim. to get the fingerboard surface raised up a tenth of an inch. It worked GREAT. We removed and saved all the ball bearing hardware.

I played it this way for some 20+ years. Finally when I got plenty of reissue flat head Mastertones, I switched the old Granada back to ball bearings.

I found that my Granada was loud as heck with the flat head ring. Some people say you ought to plug up the holes in the rim to get best tone/volume. Maybe. But then to "go back" to original you'd have to drill out those holes. That wasn't for me. The "tone" of my converted banjo was Deep, Deep, Deep. But full volume. Like the banjo was being played down into a well. Like the tolling of a death bell... It was not a pleasing tone to play indoors in a living room jam. Spooky sounding. Good for stage work though.

Good (very good!) reissue flat heads are plentiful now. Don't permanently alter a pre-war banjo "just" to get a flat head out of it.

Using Sullivan conversion ring would never alter the original
Was wondering if that stuff would be rolling around in there
Thanks