Hey there, I just got a new project I'm setting up, it's a Bacon Peerless manjo that's had its head replaced with, what looks like a old fiberskin with the wrong crown, the tension hoop sets up 1/8 to 1/4".
It's a good head and sounds great, don't really want to change it if possible, so I have a weak break angle. My question is if y'all know of a tensionable tailpiece for a manjo?
Thanks, Glenn
Manjo? is that a typo??
It's a contraction of mandolin banjo. I don't know of any new 8 string banjo tailpieces being made at all, but I don't know much anymore. Maybe you could use a 4 string tailpiece and double up the strings, if there was enough room for two of them in each spot.
banjolin? tensonable?
quote:
Originally posted by Zachary HoytIt's a contraction of mandolin banjo. I don't know of any new 8 string banjo tailpieces being made at all, but I don't know much anymore. Maybe you could use a 4 string tailpiece and double up the strings, if there was enough room for two of them in each spot.
Yeah, I looked around the web and saw none, I will probably have to modify a Presto or change the head, I really prefer a skin head on the old ones anyway. It's not too bad right now, I'm close, I reset the neck and shaved a bit off the bridge feet so it's around 3/8", the strings stay in the slots fine though, just seem like a little more angle would be better.
Edited by - Wildeman on 07/08/2026 07:35:20
Boy, everything I see would look terrible, I'm leaning towards a new head.
I don't think I've ever seen a tension tailpiece of any sort that would fit that at all, much less look right.
What's on there is functionally about as good as you're going to find, unless you're a creative machinist who can design and make one from scratch.
One vote here for a new (real hide) head.
FYI: Smakula sells custom-sized square brass flesh hoops.
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Originally posted by Dan GellertI don't think I've ever seen a tension tailpiece of any sort that would fit that at all, much less look right.
What's on there is functionally about as good as you're going to find, unless you're a creative machinist who can design and make one from scratch.
One vote here for a new (real hide) head.
FYI: Smakula sells custom-sized square brass flesh hoops.
Thanks, I'm going this direction. It's a 10" head too, just looking around, a 10" high crown Head is a hard to find item.
I'm in a pretty stable environment and don't really drag my old Banjos around much so the skin heads have been doing well, tonally they're my favorite. I may be expecting too much outta these things, I have a Slingerland manjo that's got a high bridge and plenty of brake angle and it's still got a similar tone.
Edited by - Wildeman on 07/08/2026 13:58:02
Aliexpress sells a range of mando tailpieces...
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-mandolin-tailpiece.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0
I stock a few for banjo mando repairs etc. There are no adjustable ones that I can see.
I've found that the trick to getting the right crown on a skin is guessing how much it's going to stretch once it's mounted and in use for a while. I usually mount one (wet) so the tension hoop is 1/8-1/4" higher than I want it to wind up. Once it's dry, it takes a day or two of occasional tightening, and letting it sit and stretch between tightenings, and maybe subjecting it to a couple cycles of humidity (steam?) and dryness, to get it where it's about right. Pre-stretching like that really does seem to make the head less sensitive to humidity changes.
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Originally posted by Dan GellertI've found that the trick to getting the right crown on a skin is guessing how much it's going to stretch once it's mounted and in use for a while. I usually mount one (wet) so the tension hoop is 1/8-1/4" higher than I want it to wind up. Once it's dry, it takes a day or two of occasional tightening, and letting it sit and stretch between tightenings, and maybe subjecting it to a couple cycles of humidity (steam?) and dryness, to get it where it's about right. Pre-stretching like that really does seem to make the head less sensitive to humidity changes.
Right on, most of my banjos have their original skin heads but I've yet to mount one myself. I have a old Stella tenor that I need to do first that I already have the vellum for. I could basically throw a rock into the bay from my deck so dryness is not a problem for my instruments. Thanks for the tips.
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Originally posted by banjonzAliexpress sells a range of mando tailpieces...
https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-mandolin-tailpiece.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0
I stock a few for banjo mando repairs etc. There are no adjustable ones that I can see.
Thanks, I'm gonna try to get the crown right on the head. I think trying to rig some kinda tailpiece wouldn't be doing this beautiful instrument right. If it works out I will make it a new bridge too.
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