A newbies tension question - Minstrel Banjo2024-03-28T17:20:13Zhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?feed=yes&xn_auth=noStrumelia, read Al Baur's let…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-25:2477478:Comment:809332013-01-25T12:39:14.802ZJoel Hookshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/deuceswilde
<p>Strumelia, read Al Baur's letters in the Stewart Banjo and Guitar Journal. He gives a detailed description (and quite humorous) of obtaining and fitting a banjo head.</p>
<p>Converse wrote a "back in the old days" type story about Dave Wambold stealing a dog and killing it for it's skin. It is a cute story but sounds of all the random "old timers" folksy tales that have no doubt been embellished over the years.</p>
<p>"Back in my day blah blah blah..."</p>
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<p>Drum heads were plenty…</p>
<p>Strumelia, read Al Baur's letters in the Stewart Banjo and Guitar Journal. He gives a detailed description (and quite humorous) of obtaining and fitting a banjo head.</p>
<p>Converse wrote a "back in the old days" type story about Dave Wambold stealing a dog and killing it for it's skin. It is a cute story but sounds of all the random "old timers" folksy tales that have no doubt been embellished over the years.</p>
<p>"Back in my day blah blah blah..."</p>
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<p>Drum heads were plenty and those were calf, but if you ask a reenactor they were plastic with a fake fiber coating... it looks close enough.</p> I'm curious- Do they know exa…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-25:2477478:Comment:809432013-01-25T02:55:17.594ZStrumeliahttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/Strumelia
<p>I'm curious- Do they know exactly what kind of hide was used on the oldest large minstrel banjos? Have these old minstrel banjo heads been tested to determine the animal used, or are we just guessing about them?</p>
<p>I know that many of the oldest mountain-made banjos from 1900-1950 seem to have had groundhog skin heads. Dwight Diller tells of the Hammons family using cat skin occasionally in WV. {{shudder}}</p>
<p>I'm curious- Do they know exactly what kind of hide was used on the oldest large minstrel banjos? Have these old minstrel banjo heads been tested to determine the animal used, or are we just guessing about them?</p>
<p>I know that many of the oldest mountain-made banjos from 1900-1950 seem to have had groundhog skin heads. Dwight Diller tells of the Hammons family using cat skin occasionally in WV. {{shudder}}</p> Heheh. No fan of misery here…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-25:2477478:Comment:809312013-01-25T02:06:52.012ZAnthony G Spanglerhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/AnthonyGSpangler
<p>Heheh. No fan of misery here! I'm definitely going the goat or calf route, just curious.</p>
<p>Thanks!<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Bell Banjos said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?commentId=2477478%3AComment%3A80835&xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80835"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>No. Not when you find out what you have to go through. Yes, if you want to de-hair it, soak it, scrape it, then use nasty chemicals or…</p>
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<p>Heheh. No fan of misery here! I'm definitely going the goat or calf route, just curious.</p>
<p>Thanks!<br/> <br/> <cite>Bell Banjos said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?commentId=2477478%3AComment%3A80835&xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80835"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>No. Not when you find out what you have to go through. Yes, if you want to de-hair it, soak it, scrape it, then use nasty chemicals or bury it in the ground and let the microbes do their thing. Goat and calf is worth the 15 bucks. Just tryin' to save you some misery. (my boss gave me some, and the results were bad).</p>
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</blockquote> No. Not when you find out wha…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-24:2477478:Comment:808352013-01-24T23:12:58.983ZBell Banjoshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TerryBell
<p>No. Not when you find out what you have to go through. Yes, if you want to de-hair it, soak it, scrape it, then use nasty chemicals or bury it in the ground and let the microbes do their thing. Goat and calf is worth the 15 bucks. Just tryin' to save you some misery. (my boss gave me some, and the results were bad).</p>
<p>No. Not when you find out what you have to go through. Yes, if you want to de-hair it, soak it, scrape it, then use nasty chemicals or bury it in the ground and let the microbes do their thing. Goat and calf is worth the 15 bucks. Just tryin' to save you some misery. (my boss gave me some, and the results were bad).</p> Interesting responses here, a…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-24:2477478:Comment:806362013-01-24T22:31:13.016ZAnthony G Spanglerhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/AnthonyGSpangler
<p>Interesting responses here, and I've learned more than I knew to ask! One more side question, I'm following the progress of a medieval living history group makin parchment, and a former co-op student of mine is a hunter who would probably provide me with all the deer hides I could ever need, if I asked...</p>
<p>Is deer hide any good for banjo heads?</p>
<p>Interesting responses here, and I've learned more than I knew to ask! One more side question, I'm following the progress of a medieval living history group makin parchment, and a former co-op student of mine is a hunter who would probably provide me with all the deer hides I could ever need, if I asked...</p>
<p>Is deer hide any good for banjo heads?</p> Nonsense indeed. I've been d…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-23:2477478:Comment:807082013-01-23T00:16:32.473ZCarl Andertonhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/CarlAnderton
<p>Nonsense indeed. I've been drying my tackhead over the fire for years, still using the same head. Sounds great, dry.</p>
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<p><br></br> <cite>Ol' Dan Tucker said:</cite></p>
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<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?commentId=2477478%3AComment%3A80696&xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80878"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Nonsense. <br></br> <br></br> <cite>Dan'l said: (edited for clarity, brevity, and…</cite></p>
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<p>Nonsense indeed. I've been drying my tackhead over the fire for years, still using the same head. Sounds great, dry.</p>
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<p><br/> <cite>Ol' Dan Tucker said:</cite></p>
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<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?commentId=2477478%3AComment%3A80696&xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80878"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Nonsense. <br/> <br/> <cite>Dan'l said: (edited for clarity, brevity, and levity)<br/></cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80696"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"> tightening a banjo over a fire; ...will shorten the life of the skin head, leading to brittleness and changing the sound over the remaining life of the head. </div>
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</blockquote> Great Story Rob. So many less…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-22:2477478:Comment:808032013-01-22T23:18:50.923ZIan Bellhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/IanBell
<p>Great Story Rob. So many lessons to be learned!</p>
<p>Great Story Rob. So many lessons to be learned!</p> Re: Preheating of banjo head…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-22:2477478:Comment:807042013-01-22T17:33:44.749ZRob Morrisonhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/RobertRMorrison
<p>Re: Preheating of banjo heads-- One of my favorite memories of Bob Flesher was during a little concert he gave at the Augusta Workshop in the mid 90's. He was in full costume, top hat and all, and with a great flourish, he brandished a Bic lighter under his banjo head (an original 1860's banjo) to demonstrate how fearless he was about drying out the soggy head. As he kept his eyes trained on the audience, a warm orange glow appeared on his banjo as the handkerchief he had stuffed in the…</p>
<p>Re: Preheating of banjo heads-- One of my favorite memories of Bob Flesher was during a little concert he gave at the Augusta Workshop in the mid 90's. He was in full costume, top hat and all, and with a great flourish, he brandished a Bic lighter under his banjo head (an original 1860's banjo) to demonstrate how fearless he was about drying out the soggy head. As he kept his eyes trained on the audience, a warm orange glow appeared on his banjo as the handkerchief he had stuffed in the back caught fire. We all laughed our butts off as Bob jumped about three feet in the air and frantically extinguished the fire. So, it's OK to use fire on your instrument, but don't try to show off at the same time. The results may be less than satisfactory. Sorry Bob, I couldn't resist.</p> As with anything, life-spam c…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-22:2477478:Comment:808812013-01-22T16:53:52.421ZMatthew Mickletzhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/MatthewMickletz
<p>As with anything, life-spam can be a result of surroundings and activities. I don't doubt for a second that with the fire method it may indeed dry out the head a tad, done over and over, but that's what these natural skin heads do anyhow; they react to their environment, moisture coming and going. As I sit here and my banjo is at home I know it's changing as the day goes by: heat kicks on and off, the air circulates, warms and cools, the cat knocks it over (one time so far...damn cat). …</p>
<p>As with anything, life-spam can be a result of surroundings and activities. I don't doubt for a second that with the fire method it may indeed dry out the head a tad, done over and over, but that's what these natural skin heads do anyhow; they react to their environment, moisture coming and going. As I sit here and my banjo is at home I know it's changing as the day goes by: heat kicks on and off, the air circulates, warms and cools, the cat knocks it over (one time so far...damn cat). I'd like to get another bridge or two, but right now alls I got is one, on my one banjo, a tackhead, and at two 19th century reenacting events, fire. At home, yeah, different story, all the comforts. I'd just say to be loyal to history and stick with a skin head for the truer minstrel banjo experience. Enjoy!</p> Nonsense. I've been roasting…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2013-01-22:2477478:Comment:808782013-01-22T13:28:46.555ZDave Culganhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/OlDanTucker
<p>Nonsense. I've been roasting banjo heads for 20 years. Wood fire, charcoal fire, little electric light bulbs. The only thing that killed them was that place under right arm where they tend to rot out. At least that's been my experience. Age will dull them, after a couple of generations. Dave<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Dan'l said: (edited for clarity, brevity, and levity)…<br></br></cite></p>
<p>Nonsense. I've been roasting banjo heads for 20 years. Wood fire, charcoal fire, little electric light bulbs. The only thing that killed them was that place under right arm where they tend to rot out. At least that's been my experience. Age will dull them, after a couple of generations. Dave<br/> <br/> <cite>Dan'l said: (edited for clarity, brevity, and levity)<br/></cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/a-newbies-tension-question?xg_source=activity#2477478Comment80696"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"> tightening a banjo over a fire; ...will shorten the life of the skin head, leading to brittleness and changing the sound over the remaining life of the head. </div>
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