I’ve tried to find any mention of Roger’s tannery ever making a Mylar or plastic banjo head, but have had no luck! The reason I’m looking is I recently picked up a very beat up 1923 Vega pot attached to a (1900 + or -) fancy inlaid & carved heel 5 string neck. The pot has an old torn, very thin, Mylar head stamped with a Roger’s brand on it. I have a number of old banjos with old Roger’s heads on them all skin heads. It has made me very curious, so I thought maybe someone here may have some knowledge on the subject.
I've tried several times uploading a photo of the head with the stamp, but it always comes up with some type of an error.
I’ve got one that was on a Van Eps banjo.
I would guess that any Rogers mylar head was made for a drum, & would have the appropriate crown & thickness for percussion.
Edited by - tdennis on 03/18/2026 12:41:50
Here is the banjo with it. I am certain that this was for a banjo. It was very thin and sort of a greyish brown translucent.
quote:
Originally posted by Joel HooksHere is the banjo with it. I am certain that this was for a banjo. It was very thin and sort of a greyish brown translucent.
Yes, that looks just like mine, except mine was torn and needed replacement! Thanks, good to know there are others out there even though AI thinks they only ever made calf skin heads.
Do your Roger's heads have a wide plastic flesh hoop ?
To be clear — the name is Rogers—like mine, though no relation. And no apostrophe.
Edited by - Bill Rogers on 03/18/2026 15:45:36
I have just checked my store of heads because I did have a Rogers Mylar head at some point. I no longer have so must have either sold it or used on a job. I am not even sure how I came to have it. It did think it strange at the time that it existed.
A quick trip through the Rogers drum website shows multiple sales of assets since 2006 and earlier, suggesting that the current version of Rogers Drum Co. retains the name, but little if anything else from either the original company or its most successful and longest-lasting successor.
Folks might be interested in this book (link below). I have not read all of it. But have seen portions regarding their processing of calf skins for drum (and banjo) heads.
I think they got into the drum business only after mylar heads began reducing demand for calf skins. They needed new product categories.
Amazon’s listing shows the book is from 1999, before the company, after a few owners, apparently went under and was sold as assets in 2006. After more owners it was reorganized into what it is now. It’s unclear, from what I could quickly find on the net, exactly who owns the company, and who makes their products. @jbalch
A quick addendum. Yamaha bought the name in 2006; as of 2018, it was owned by Reliant Music, of Taiwan. This is from a quick and dirty net search--so take it fwiw.
Edited by - Bill Rogers on 03/18/2026 18:35:51
Should be Reliance Music in post above. Mo in
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersAmazon’s listing shows the book is from 1999, before the company, after a few owners, apparently went under and was sold as assets in 2006. After more owners it was reorganized into what it is now. It’s unclear, from what I could quickly find on the net, exactly who owns the company, and who makes their products. @jbalch
A quick addendum. Yamaha bought the name in 2006; as of 2018, it was owned by Reliant Music, of Taiwan. This is from a quick and dirty net search--so take it fwiw.
There is a link on the Amazon page where you can read a few pages including several pertaining to the calfskin heads. I find it fascinating that in the very early days they were processing up to 500 hides a day ... and it says each hide could yield as many as 8 heads. They made some other leather goods too. So I know they weren't making 4,000 drum and banjo heads a day. But still it must have been quite a high volume business.
There was a recent thread on this topic within the last week, Rogers began in 1849 making drum heads, they began making drums in the 1930s and rose to be one of the big two in drums by the sixtys. They never made banjo heads, they did and maybe do make drum heads that may fit a banjo.During their cbs ownership days I worked in r and d at Fender as many here know, and Rogers drums were made in the same factory and I got to do a lot of interesting r and d work on prototye drum designs, but to be clear WE DID NOT MAKE DRUM HEADS, they were out sourced just like the raw wood drum shells, Rogers drum heads were made by either Remo or Ludwig, and the source can be known just by looking at the head design
Regarding Bills comments about the state of the company, when cbs sold Fender Rogers and Rhodes in 1985, Rogers went to a Taiwan company if I remember right and since then its changed hands a number of times and is now back in the hands of a Taiwan company, each time it sold since 1985 its business model changed as well, since there is a VERY successful Taiwan banjo head maker, its very easy to think they could have added banjo heads to their lineup, but this will have happened after 1985
For what it's worth I found Roger Mylar heads here. Or at least they claimed to have them. They may have sold already sorry.
Edited by - Bob Buckingham on 03/19/2026 04:55:05
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Originally posted by Bob BuckinghamFor what it's worth I found Roger Mylar heads here. Or at least they claimed to have them. They may have sold already sorry.
Only one is a Rogers calfskin head. One of the Mylar heads is a 1958 weather king which might be of interest to some , the other no name on it.
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersTo be clear — the name is Rogers—like mine, though no relation. And no apostrophe.
I checked on one of my Roger's heads from 1896 and at that time it did have an apostrophe! However the one from the Mylar head does not. So perhaps they removed the apostrophe later. You shared a lot of great info on this thread thanks so much for the interest.
Edited by - TriMD180 on 03/19/2026 08:09:34
quote:
Originally posted by tdennisDo your Roger's heads have a wide plastic flesh hoop ?
No it is plastic wrapped in an aluminum sheath similar to most plastic heads.
quote:
Originally posted by TriMD180quote:
Originally posted by tdennisDo your Roger's heads have a wide plastic flesh hoop ?
No it is plastic wrapped in an aluminum sheath similar to most plastic heads.
That looks more like a drum head than a banjo head, based on that photo. How about a shot of the whole head?
When Rogers was making skin heads they did not specify what instrument it was to be used on. (drum, banjo, marimba etc). The skins were labeled to indicate different quality, & were made in different thicknesses. The player who tucked the skin could decide what the crown might be. When Rogers co. switched to concentrate on drums, all their mylar heads were configured for drums, & there was only one crown size. They began to subcontract mylar heads. The plastic heads did not specify how they were to be used, & so could be put on a banjo if the crown matched the design of the pot.
tdennis absolutely correct on alll points
Rogers heads, the skin heads came in two thicknesses and the third choice was a double skin head, and every thing was drum oriented
...correction, I mentioned a list of instruments using a skin head including a marimba, I really meant timbales.
Edited by - tdennis on 03/19/2026 20:48:02
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