I have been looking for a smooth white unfrosted head for my students archtop banjo but i cant find one . What gives?
Edited by - stanleytone on 09/27/2025 04:52:26
Smakula has bottom frosted heads in 11". What crown height do you need, I believe raised top banjos use a low crown head, but I am not sure. Call Bob Smakula at Smakula Fretted Instruments.
The OP probably means the smooth white 5-Star banjo heads. They were produced by Ludwig, but they are not made anymore…
Edited by - Emiel on 09/27/2025 05:31:14
Yes im talking smooth on both sides. 5 Star was the go to for that. Wonder why they stopped making them
Edited by - stanleytone on 09/27/2025 05:53:07
quote:
Originally posted by stanleytoneYes im talking smooth on both sides. 5 Star was the go to for that. Wonder why they stopped making them
Too many quality problems occurred. Ludwig just stopped making banjo heads, the market for banjo heads being so much smaller compared to drum heads… Not worth the trouble…
Edited by - Emiel on 09/27/2025 06:35:36
A former long time product developer from Stewart-MacDonald told me, about 10 years ago, that they stopped doing business with Ludwig as Ludwig "Forgot how to make banjo heads". Though Remo makes crimped heads in Taiwan with USA materials, Stew-Mac was not able to work with Remo USA and Remo Taiwan for a satisfactory product.
Their next step was to try working with D'Addario, the parent company of Evans drum products. D'Addario manufactured banjo head samples for Stew-Mac and even did at least one 5-Star production run that was released to the public. I received 2 samples with D-Addario's Planet Waves logo from Stew-Mac's former product developer, so I know they existed. Unfortunately banjo heads were too much of a pain for D'Addario and the product didn't take off.
My original post about this is buried in the Banjo Hangout archives. I did not dig too deep in my search. I would have liked to have included the link to that forum. Maybe someone else can spend time on the search. I am mostly interested in knowing the date. Maybe that will unearth some other fun facts I am not remembering.
Bob Smakula
smakulafrettedinstruments.com
I do stock what Remo calls "Cloudy" A semi transparent white head. Definitely a different look than the 5-Star white head, but it is available.
Bob Smakula
quote:
Originally posted by Bob SmakulaI would have liked to have included the link to that forum. Maybe someone else can spend time on the search. I am mostly interested in knowing the date. Maybe that will unearth some other fun facts I am not remembering.
edit: found it! 01/05/2017
Edited by - A Drum On A Stick on 09/27/2025 09:10:40
quote:
Originally posted by stanleytoneI have been looking for a smooth white unfrosted head for my students archtop banjo but i cant find one . What gives?
Ask yourself: do banjo heads have tiny keyboards, do they fit in your back pocket, are they blue tooth?
'Nuff said...?
Edited by - Bart Veerman on 09/27/2025 09:24:19
Accordding to Jens Kruger, Deering Banjo heads are American made Remo's that have a crimped ring and not glued.
It is in this Banjo Newsletter interview.
banjonews.com/2014-05/intervie...uger.html
we used to clean the frosting off
quote:
Originally posted by Tractor1we used to clean the frosting off
I lightly sand the top with 600 grit sand paper, just enough to smooth it off.
I asked my Remo sales rep about the crimped heads approximately 6 months ago. He said that the crimped heads are all formed and assembled in Taiwan from American materials. Once formed and assembled, they are shipped to Remo's factory in California where they are frosted (where necessary) and stamped with the Remo logo, or one of the many other logos of companies that use Remo products as OEM equipment on their instruments.
The Jens Kruger interview is more than 10 years old. As changes at Remo come about with no public announcement, we can not be guaranteed that the information supplied in the May 2014 Banjo Newsletter is up to date.
Deering could have a proprietary component in the Remo banjo heads that have their logo, but I can not imagine it being significantly different than the catalog heads Remo offers.
Bob Smakula
quote:
Originally posted by Bob SmakulaI asked my Remo sales rep about the crimped heads approximately 6 months ago. He said that the crimped heads are all formed and assembled in Taiwan from American materials. Once formed and assembled, they are shipped to Remo's factory in California where they are frosted (where necessary) and stamped with the Remo logo, or one of the many other logos of companies that use Remo products as OEM equipment on their instruments.
The Jens Kruger interview is more than 10 years old. As changes at Remo come about with no public announcement, we can not be guaranteed that the information supplied in the May 2014 Banjo Newsletter is up to date.
Deering could have a proprietary component in the Remo banjo heads that have their logo, but I can not imagine it being significantly different than the catalog heads Remo offers.
Bob Smakula
It was my understanding from Deering maybe 3 years ago that their banjo heads are an American made crimped not glued proprietary head from Remo for Deering. I was told they were only available through Deering?
I actually saw the Jens Kruger interview for the first time around 2023 when I was searching for something else and that was after I had the conversation with them about banjo heads. I know there is a YouTube video with Greg Deering saying the same thing about their banjo heads. I only remember he was talking about banjos, lol, but I don't remember the video or how old it was.
Maybe we could get Janet Deering to chime in on the issue?
That way we can get the correct info straight from them.
stanleytone I have a few 5 Star smooth white heads. I'll send you a message.
I want to thank all those who messaged me with offers on the smooth heads. Its really appreciated
