Lou,

Could be all of the above... my guess is the head tension. Did you switch to a new crown height? Can you verify the tension is at the same level as the old head? I would start there before I messed anymore with the neck bow.

-Dan

Thanks Dan. Yeah, the head would seem to be the likely culprit as that's what was changed. It's a Remo P-190 WeatherKing Standard Banjo Head - 11-Inch - High Crown Frosted White Mylar Head. I do not have a drum tuner so I can't confirm that the tension is the same. I am hesitant to tighten too much more, as it feels right to me.

When you disassembled the instrument, the constant force created by string-tension that tends to "bow" the neck was removed. As a result, the neck may have become "back bowed" while the instrument was disassembled.

Another possibility is that the action of your strings is just too low.  That condition could be exacerbated if the head tension is too low, and the head is "sagging".  I would suggest that you temporarily put some type of shim between the head and the bottom of the bridge to raise the string action to see if you can remove the buzz.

My other suggestion is to get a Drum Dial.  If you had taken a Drum Dial reading before you disassembled the instrument, you would be able to adjust the tension in the new head so that it is the same as the tension in the old head.

Probably a high 15th fret. Try tapping it down with a small hammer or similar.

Press the third string at the first fret and the 22nd fret so that it's down against the fingerboard. If you don't have three hands use a capo at fret 1. Then, Use a feeler gauge to measure the space between the 12th fret and the third string. Then come back and tell us what that number is.

Did you check string height at 22nd fret? I like 1/8 inch to bottom of strings, or maybe a little more.
If you loosened co-rods or took neck off there is usually a little play, and just loosening co-rods and sliding neck down slightly can make big difference in string height.

Thanks for the input. I do not have a feeler guage either. The action at the 22nd fret is 1/8inch from top of fret to 3rd string. It's a little higher action than I like, but I can live with it.

Sounds like the neck angle needs some readjustment. The coordinator rod under the head needs to be tighter and the one next to the resonator a bit less to give the neck angle a bit more upbow, which then will result in a higher action, which will remove the buzz. Check out some of the instructional videos on youtube on how to do it properly without damaging the rim.

quote:

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Originally posted by Muskrat Lou

Good morning all,
I have an issue with my banjo and just wanted to get some opinions from the group to see if I can get it resolved before upcoming shows this weekend.
It's a 2012 Gibson RB12. I took it completely apart to change the head and clean it up a few days ago. Now I'm getting some string buzz, the worst being at the 3rd string 14th fret, and you can see that the string is touching the 15th fret when fretted. There is also some buzzing on the 4th string 14th fret, and 1st string frets 15-17.
Any thoughts if this is a head tension, co-rod, or truss rod issue? I've tried adjusting all of them to some degree but no noticeable improvement.
Thanks in advance,
Louis

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You'll need some measurements if you want to get useful advice.  Otherwise, it's just speculation and trial and error from the symptoms.

If the string height is "normal" at the high frets, and the notes are clear at the low frets, but still buzzing at the high frets, that's a sign of too much "relief" or bow in the neck, in the middle.  

But that is subject to verification by measurements.  You have the string height at 1/8" at the 22nd fret, which is a bit on the low side for some.  Measure string height also at the 12th fret and the 7th fret to give a rough idea of how the neck is bowed.

Do you have any measurements from before the banjo was disassembled? 

You can use a dime under a 6" ruler to show a G# or 89-90 dd tension.

Strings tuned to pitch,of course.

Thanks for the input everyone. I ended up messing with the neck angle as Phil and Pfalzgras suggested and that did help significantly. The other issue I have here in my area is that the humidity is jumping from 20 last week to 50 and today we are at 75, so that can make precise measurements difficult. And yes, I know that is not great for instruments but it's very difficult to combat in an older home with now open doorways.

Thanks Steve, that is a cool trick, I will give that a try!