A bridge is probably the easiest and potentially lowest cost change you can make in the sound of a banjo. I say potentially, because quality bridges run from about $10 for a Sullivan Roasted Maple to $40 or so  for others - including the Deering Smile bridge that might have come on your banjo.

With its 3-ply rim, your banjo can probably take a tone ring. But in addition to the cost of the ring will be the labor charge for someone to permanently alter your rim to accept it. I think a Sullivan Pyramid ring would be interesting. Not telling you to get one. Deering makes a steel tone ring for the "Special" models of Goodtime. That would also involve luthier work and cost. Not a drop-in part.

The Goodtime series has a good tailpiece.

The other good thing you can do is free: adjust the head for best sound.

Ken’s right about the bridge. Try several of various weights. One reason such banjos sound like they do is to keep the price down. Why buy a cheaper banjo if you’re going to raise its cost ennough to have bought a better one ready-to-go?

I'm pretty far down on the totem pole ... in fact I lean more toward "good enough" than "greatest sounding."  [I don't hear an appreciable diff between a $6 bridge and a $12 one ... so I'm leery about doubling/tripling the cost and possibly getting the same result.  Defer to "good enough"??  Apparently, YMMV.]

To me, the stuff you're contemplating sounds like a  l-o-t .... but, then again, it's not me that'll be listening to it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I’ve owned four Goodtimes and have tinkered with them endlessly over the last 20 years. The biggest thing is head tension. Find the sweet spot, and it will wake up. Mine liked 88-89. If the head hasn’t been tightened since new, thats why it sounds like crap. The frosted head it comes with is the best. A tone ring isn’t worth the cost or hassle. Mine also didn’t like medium strings. Counterintuitive, but lights vibrated better. Make sure the tailpiece isn’t too high, they like to be down on the tension hoop. Nut won’t change a thing. The 5th string spikes won't make any difference as long as they work and don't cut you. The 5th string spiked at the 5th fret is fine, and even better than a pip for tuning and intonation. The bridge also won’t change much, especially if it’s a stock Deering smile bridge, those are great. I hate gig bags. If you do some serious traveling, get a good case. And last but not least, Goodtimes love to get the s*** played out of them, and they get better with age.
 

Also, the Goodtimes are terrible for soft wood rim crush, and everything loosens up over time. Go over it with a wrench and screwdriver and tighten up all the shoes, as well as the tuners. And if you are competent with the tail piece and co-rod, check the tightness of the neck attachment and co rod nuts. Loose stuff can dull a banjos sound. 

And the armrest won’t change a thing… except you might mess up the head tension a bit, when you loosen and retighten the j-hooks.

First off, switch back to light strings. I would say, the lighter the better. 10-20w-12-11-10. GHS PF140 is a good set. Not only will it sound better, but the Goodtime isn't designed to handle the tension of medium gage strings and you run the risk of bowing the neck over time. 

Check that the neck and rim are fastened tight. 

Adjust head tension to a G# tap tone. If you have access to a drum dial, make sure it's consistent (typically around 88-90). 

Then get a Sullivan roasted maple bridge. Best bang for your buck. 

Just my opinion, but fiberskyn heads sound terrible. If you must, swap to a Renaissance head. 

If you really want to spend money to make your banjo sound better, spend it on lessons from an actual banjo teacher (note: not a guitar teacher that also "teaches" banjo. An actual banjo teacher). Tone comes from the player. A good player will make a Goodtime sound amazing. I bad player will make a prewar Whyte Laydie sound bad.  

You just acquired a new instrument, & you're already thinking of 13+ changes to make it sound better ? I would suggest that you play it for a certain period of time to learn how to bring out it's best voice & response, & manipulate what you already have.

What does "better sound" mean to you? Cheap =/= bad sound, nor does expensive mean good. Fine musicians have recorded/gigged with low-end banjos; if it suits the need of the player then it's just as worthwhile as any other. More specifically, what is it about the sound that you're dissatisfied with?

One immediate change - if you prefer a more plunky, mellow sound - would be to string it straight from the hooks of the tailpiece to the bridge, without passing them under the business end of the tailpiece. Using it like a no-knot would decrease pressure on the bridge and round off the high notes. The stock tuners are plenty good. There's no point changing them beyond aesthetics. A Fiberskyn would be real iffy on a woodie like this. Could kill the tone & you'd probably want it cranked down near to busting, but this would make the shoes dig up into the rim and might bend the hooks.

Try a sock under the head to change the tone. It’s cheap and simple way to get a tone you might be looking for. Bubble Wrap works great too. That deering head will work a lot better than a fiber skin head. Btw thats a nice looking goodtime you have there. I've got the older nature lighter colored maple one that has done darkened up from time. I like that dark stain on yours. It's a keeper.

The bridge is very close to the end of the tailpiece on these. Does this result in a high string break angle over the bridge? I would guess this won't help the tone. Perhaps a different tailpiece? Fiberskin will suck away any tone you have so go for renaissance. I think medium strings will work better although it's not a good idea on these banjos.

quote:

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Originally posted by Anthony S

I should say, it’s a short scale, but with medium strings, perfectly ok to tune in G.

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As others have pointed out, it is only safe to use light gauge strings on a Goodtime. They ship with Deering lights: 10-11-13-21w-10. Use anything heavier at your own risk.

To follow up a point I raised but didn't complete in my previous post: A bridge is only a "potentially" low-cost upgrade if you find the one you like right away. Otherwise, you could realize one day you've spent hundreds of dollars on 10 or more bridges and are still searching! That's money that could have been spent, together with selling the Goodtime, to get a better banjo!

There are plenty of saved discussions about banjo bridges and bridge makers here on the Hangout. Use the search tool in the left navigation column.

Since you have so many questions about the contribution to sound of the various banjo components -- and it would turn this thread in the widest-ranging discussion of all things banjo -- I think it would also be a good ide for you to use the Hangout search, or even Google, to start learning what you can at your own pace.

You might start with Roger Siminoff's Gibson Banjos - A Chronology. Especially the Gibson Construction Evolution and Gibson Rim Evolution  sections. I wish it had more photos to go with the cross-sections to show how banjos are assembled. But this article does begin to explain banjo design.

Note: What everyone else calls a "tone ring" Siminoff calls a "tone chamber." That terminology might make sense for the heavy Mastertone style tone rings he's mostly discussing (and which bluegrass banjo makers have been copying ever since, which is why I point to this). But I don't think tone "chamber" appropriately describes the simplest type of tone rings that are thin brass rods, band, or tubes rolled into hoops and set on top of the rim. Or sometimes set into a rabbet cut into the outside top edge of the rim. 

The Deering Goodtime Special steel tone ring follows the Mastertone flathead concept. It's not just a simple bent piece of metal.

Deering's own website has information on the design and construction of their banjos.

In this not-great Deering Live video, Chad from Deering shows the Goodtime banjo rim with and without the Goodtime Special tone ring, so you can see exactly how it goes on. My link starts at about a minute in to save wasted time.

Good luck.

Quite a few of us know what that banjo is capable of and how to do stuff to make it sound different then what is sounds like now.

You shown pictures of and the things you're considering to "inflict" on that banjo. What you have NOT explained/told us what kind of sound/tone you're hoping to accomplish.

Instead of us guessing what you're looking for, how about you post a sound byte of what it sounds like now PLUS links to folks playing banjos that sound the way you want yours to sound like. Links to the recordings that members of the BHO have posted on their home pages, Youtube, or whatever sources. This way you'll be enjoying your "new" banjo on short order.

Sorry everyone, but he has a Goodtime Parlor, which is setup for medium strings.

I want to suggest a bridge mute and a pair of big socks to stuff the inside of your banjo completely so that people in adjacent rooms next to you, above and below you can get some sleep while you are in hotels and other accomodations.

You have a spec banjo from a factory, good choice, by the way, but do remember those around you.

quote:

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Originally posted by KYSLOWFINGERS

Sorry everyone, but he has a Goodtime Parlor, which is setup for medium strings.

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Learn something new every day. Thanks.

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

quote:

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Originally posted by KYSLOWFINGERS

Sorry everyone, but he has a Goodtime Parlor, which is setup for medium strings.

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Learn something new every day. Thanks.

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Ken, I can assure you that I have gained a ton of knowledge from you over the years.  So thank you!

Parlor discussion link:  https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/332114

Goodtime Parlor link:  https://www.deeringbanjos.com/products/goodtime-jr-banjo?srsltid=AfmBOorTVGMBd2MVcU44eaZIYXeNoXyySwlmlgKe1xlVSlU29tqf08Vz

quote:

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Originally posted by KYSLOWFINGERS
Ken, I can assure you that I have gained a ton of knowledge from you over the years.  So thank you!

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And some of it might even have been right!

But thank you, too.

OK. I’m the original creator of this thread.

Someone has asked me to describe what the sound of this parlor banjo is. I would say…twangy, tin-ny, metallic-y…hard for me to describe…but i want to say like a toy…i have to admit, at times i like the sound, it’s kind of like low-fi, makes me think of playing drum kit made out of tin cans and pots…so, yes, when I’m hitting the notes right, i can get some nice sounds, sounds that sound alright, definitely a backwoods maybe even swampy kind of sound, so the sound can be alright…it’s probably, maybe, a very authentic old-time sound?

…I’ve also posted a video, of me playing it, or getting sounds out of it, upon request of one commentator…

…i will note that my right hand thumb is all in a band-aid, so definitely not a real good or accurate sound as far as that 5th string goes…sorry.

…kind of surprised that some people seemed to suggest that it doesn’t matter what type of banjo you have or how expensive the banjo is, that it is the player that determines the sound, the player’s skill, technique….i acknowledged and recognized that in my original post…I’m totally sure a great player could make this banjo sound so much better than i ever could….but this suggestion seems a little…a little…contrary? I would think it would be pretty apparent that a better banjo, a more expensive banjo, is going to sound “better” than a cheap one…after all, why do people pay big bucks for some banjos? Because they sound better. I know the sound is subjective but it seems like there has to be a pretty well recognized “nice sound”. Otherwise people would just buy inexpensive banjos. So i didn’t think it was illogical to wonder if there was any minor thing or two i could do to make this inexpensive banjo sound “better.”

Someone else, maybe the same person, asked what type of sound i wanted. I don’t really know. I just know this parlor banjo did not sound as nice as my gold tones, which are a little more expensive. I love the ringing bell-like tone of a banjo, when the notes ripple and shimmer like a crystal waterfall of droplets. The pristine, almost classical music sound, that a banjo sometimes has. Maybe that’s weird b/c i like clawhammer. So it’s hard to say what kind of sound i wanted, i think. I just don’t have enough experience with banjos, mostly.

I’m surprised no one has suggested an A scale banjo, for my travel banjo purposes. (Maybe even an A scale banjo would be longer, and bigger, than this parlor banjo, in which case there would be no reason for me to consider an A scale banjo because this is going to be only a travel banjo pretty much.). I would have thought someone would have said you can get a nice A scale and use that as your travel banjo. I guess the silence on this issue speaks loudly.

This is not just a goodtime banjo…from my understanding it’s a goodtime artisan…i think the artisan is a higher quality goodtime, not a basic good time. (I think they even have a higher grade of artisan.)

I don’t know if I’ll attempt any mods. Still thinking.

I appreciate all the thoughts and comments. Very helpful. As usual.

(Seemed to be a strong feeling i should just get on with it, play the damn thing, enjoy it! I do like these sentiments too!)

AFAIK the Artisan model is just a cosmetic upgrade from the standard Goodtime. Should sound just the same.

23" is what I'd call an "A-scale". Have you tried tuning it up a full step? If you like it tuned in A, you might want to use a slightly lighter string set if you want to keep it tuned there, but even with medium strings, the string tension will not be enough to cause any immediate problems.

I'll second the suggestions of making sure the neck and all the bracket shoes are screwed on good and tight, and getting the head EVENLY tensioned.

quote:

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Originally posted by Anthony S

…I’ve also posted a video, of me playing it, or getting sounds out of it, upon request of one commentator…
 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjArCgdVbb8&t=75s

Sounds a bit rough but I'm not sure how much that is the fault of the band aid. Otherwise I'd be thinking it needs some basic setup work as a start.

Like most have said..make sure all parts are attached correctly, head tension, med light strings (eg 10-12-13-22-10), good quality bridge. After all of that, the banjo is what it is, and ultimately will have the voice that it has. Sometimes, a particular instrument dosn't have the voice you want, and you have to move on. I've been there many times with high end instruments.

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Originally posted by GrahamHawker

quote:

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Originally posted by Anthony S

…I’ve also posted a video, of me playing it, or getting sounds out of it, upon request of one commentator…

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjArCgdVbb8&t=75s

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Hi Anthony,

Your banjo appears to be set-up and to a solid baseline and sounds like it should.  My best banjo investment has been a DrumDial; even and repeatable head tension is good head tension. note: the new 3-ply rim on the Goodtime is good hard maple and is equal to or better than, any domestic 2/3 ply rim.

Remember to tune the second 'B' string a few cents flat and double check bridge position with an electronic tuner by fretting at the twelfth and matching the note to the open string.

Any changes from a good baseline are personal taste.  My tastes on a woodie banjo are:

 - Rennaisance/amber head or clear if you can tolerate the aesthetic, meh.  Large change that increases sustain and sensitivity to input.  Drum Dial = 91/92

 - light/medium strings, 10-12-14-22w-10  or some similar as others have noted.  Any of the lighter sets of tens are great.

 - full length brass tailpiece like a Presto or some equivalent.  Small change that rounds out the tone better than steel

 - compensated bridge.  Small change that sweetens tone.

What is the benefit of tuning a short scale banjo like this to open A instead of G?

I watched and listened to your video, and I agree with pinenut. I don't think there's anything wrong with that banjo. You're just starting. Be patient and keep at it.

As Pete Seeger said in his book "How To Play the 5-String Banjo" (which every banjo player should have, IMO): "What's the secret to that clear, crisp sound? Practice!"

At this point, I'd say leave your banjo just as it is. Your time and money would both be better spent on watching and listening... first of all, to the players whose sound made you want to learn the instrument in the first place. Keep an eye out for any place you can get in-person and up-close with a live picker-- jam sessions, concerts, whatever. A few lessons would be a good idea-- I'd say find 2, 3, maybe more teachers, and take just one or two lessons from each. Every one will be have a different approach. You might find one that you want to study with in more depth, but if you don't, that's fine, too.