Weather is killing my banjo - Minstrel Banjo2024-03-28T13:24:37Zhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/forum/topics/weather-is-killing-my-banjo?id=2477478%3ATopic%3A21033&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI have a humidified room for…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-05-11:2477478:Comment:352412011-05-11T01:48:54.843ZDena Leehttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/DenaLee
I have a humidified room for my instruments that are wood. It us best if they are kept between 45-55%. However, all drums and skin head instruments are band from that room except for practice. Those instruments stay in the rest of the house at 25-35%. So far, so good. I've been doing this for about one year with great success. Most hardware stores have hygrometers. I don't know if this info helps you. But it has been worth the extra work to protect my instruments. <br></br><br></br><cite>Ian Bell…</cite>
I have a humidified room for my instruments that are wood. It us best if they are kept between 45-55%. However, all drums and skin head instruments are band from that room except for practice. Those instruments stay in the rest of the house at 25-35%. So far, so good. I've been doing this for about one year with great success. Most hardware stores have hygrometers. I don't know if this info helps you. But it has been worth the extra work to protect my instruments. <br/><br/><cite>Ian Bell said:</cite><blockquote><div><p>Happy to hear the good news!</p>
<p>I play a lot of lo-tech instruments - they should all come with a "Don't Panic" sticker. Things like this often sort themselves out.</p>
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<p><cite>Steve Jeter said:</cite></p>
<blockquote><div><p> Ok , thanks for the advice,,, I tuned it up last nite & magically it was like new. Im just gonna have to learn to work within the confines </p>
<p> Steve <cite>Tim Twiss said:</cite></p>
<blockquote><div><p>I would agree with Ian. If that is how Jay does it, I would try it. His tackys are pretty darn good in the worst of humidity. My gourd is really stable. I'm sure diameter and thickness really affect it...less area to take on moisture.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you find a local repair shop and have your pegs fit. It is an important step that is not given careful attention in some low end banjos. This procedure could really help. There's more to it than drilling a hole and sticking them in.</p>
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</blockquote> My old violin making buddy, R…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:214472011-02-10T21:46:48.335ZBell Banjoshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TerryBell
My old violin making buddy, Rudy, who taught me all about pegs 30 some years ago said a little non-slip peg dope, and a little non-stick peg dope on Rosewood pegs is the best bet for combatting the weather. It works. Rosewood has its own natural slipperyness. It's always the 'dry socket' ebony ones I battle with. On goatskin, I rub on a lot of mink oil (for shoes) and wipe off the excess the next day. Then only on a horrible hot and rainy day do you notice any sagging, and not much. It's a…
My old violin making buddy, Rudy, who taught me all about pegs 30 some years ago said a little non-slip peg dope, and a little non-stick peg dope on Rosewood pegs is the best bet for combatting the weather. It works. Rosewood has its own natural slipperyness. It's always the 'dry socket' ebony ones I battle with. On goatskin, I rub on a lot of mink oil (for shoes) and wipe off the excess the next day. Then only on a horrible hot and rainy day do you notice any sagging, and not much. It's a great treatment. I put it on both sides once the skin is installed. This is in Michigan where we have all the weather extremes. "I often play in more intimat…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:213532011-02-10T21:14:37.405ZScott Househttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/ScottHouse
<p>"I often play in more intimate settings, with a few people around me. This happens at reenactments, etc. I love being able to tell people that all of the materials in my instrument are accurate to the time period, and that the sound they are hearing is what was heard back then."</p>
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<p>This is what I am driving at.</p>
<p>"I often play in more intimate settings, with a few people around me. This happens at reenactments, etc. I love being able to tell people that all of the materials in my instrument are accurate to the time period, and that the sound they are hearing is what was heard back then."</p>
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<p>This is what I am driving at.</p> I often play in more intimate…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:213502011-02-10T16:19:57.192ZJohn Mascialehttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/JohnMasciale
<p>I often play in more intimate settings, with a few people around me. This happens at reenactments, etc. I love being able to tell people that all of the materials in my instrument are accurate to the time period, and that the sound they are hearing is what was heard back then.</p>
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<p>All that being said, I don't think that splitting hairs over the issue is worthwhile. If Nylgut strings are more cost effective and weather proof, and a plastic head allows you to play when otherwise…</p>
<p>I often play in more intimate settings, with a few people around me. This happens at reenactments, etc. I love being able to tell people that all of the materials in my instrument are accurate to the time period, and that the sound they are hearing is what was heard back then.</p>
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<p>All that being said, I don't think that splitting hairs over the issue is worthwhile. If Nylgut strings are more cost effective and weather proof, and a plastic head allows you to play when otherwise you can't, then I'd much rather see people playing than not. </p>
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<p>As an aside, I've tried Nylgut strings, and as far as I am concerned they are not the same. I like the tactile feel of gut better, and there is a punchy sound to the gut strings that I can't get with nylgut. My test is to play Jim Along Josie in the 5th position. With gut strings there is a nice sound quality. On the same instrument with nylgut the sound turns to mush. All of this comes down to personal taste.</p>
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<p>Happy playing!</p> That was really well said Jay…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:213482011-02-10T15:33:36.413ZTim Twisshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TimTwiss
That was really well said Jay. <br></br><br></br><cite>Moschella Banjos said:</cite>
<blockquote><div><p>the fact that i'm an iconoclast at heart probably means building these instruments isnt the right field for me to be in. that being said, i love them. at the same time, banjos were built to be played. if plastic heads had been around in the 1850s, they would have played with them. yes, there is something to the idea that we can recapture an identical sound, and that is a noble and fun goal to…</p>
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That was really well said Jay. <br/><br/><cite>Moschella Banjos said:</cite>
<blockquote><div><p>the fact that i'm an iconoclast at heart probably means building these instruments isnt the right field for me to be in. that being said, i love them. at the same time, banjos were built to be played. if plastic heads had been around in the 1850s, they would have played with them. yes, there is something to the idea that we can recapture an identical sound, and that is a noble and fun goal to pursue. but its not the only goal. we're talking about art and aesthetics and historical accuracy and functionality, all of which are expansive domains, and it is difficult to bend each in the exact same direction at all times.</p>
<p>many of the hand made instruments from africa we see today, which come straight from the same blood line as the banjos we try to emulate, are made with materials that we would think of as outrageous in context. fishing line strings, for instance? blasphemy!</p>
<p>the appeal of the banjo, to me, has always been the mixture of ingenuity, modesty, and grace with which theyre made. do with it what thou shalt. (that being said, my next two personal projects are hyper-accurate reproductions. ha!)</p>
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</blockquote> the fact that i'm an iconocla…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:211052011-02-10T03:30:37.000ZMoschella Banjoshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/JamaicaPlainBanjos
<p>the fact that i'm an iconoclast at heart probably means building these instruments isnt the right field for me to be in. that being said, i love them. at the same time, banjos were built to be played. if plastic heads had been around in the 1850s, they would have played with them. yes, there is something to the idea that we can recapture an identical sound, and that is a noble and fun goal to pursue. but its not the only goal. we're talking about art and aesthetics and historical accuracy…</p>
<p>the fact that i'm an iconoclast at heart probably means building these instruments isnt the right field for me to be in. that being said, i love them. at the same time, banjos were built to be played. if plastic heads had been around in the 1850s, they would have played with them. yes, there is something to the idea that we can recapture an identical sound, and that is a noble and fun goal to pursue. but its not the only goal. we're talking about art and aesthetics and historical accuracy and functionality, all of which are expansive domains, and it is difficult to bend each in the exact same direction at all times.</p>
<p>many of the hand made instruments from africa we see today, which come straight from the same blood line as the banjos we try to emulate, are made with materials that we would think of as outrageous in context. fishing line strings, for instance? blasphemy!</p>
<p>the appeal of the banjo, to me, has always been the mixture of ingenuity, modesty, and grace with which theyre made. do with it what thou shalt. (that being said, my next two personal projects are hyper-accurate reproductions. ha!)</p> The sound of the 1850's. Don…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:211002011-02-10T02:10:08.000ZScott Househttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/ScottHouse
<p>The sound of the 1850's. Don't get me wrong. If someone wants to rock nylaguts and fyberskin by all means go ahead. It's just not my thing.</p>
<p>The sound of the 1850's. Don't get me wrong. If someone wants to rock nylaguts and fyberskin by all means go ahead. It's just not my thing.</p> Blasphemy against what?Scott…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:210992011-02-10T01:10:28.000ZTim Twisshttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/TimTwiss
Blasphemy against what?<br/><br/><cite>Scott House said:</cite>
<blockquote><div>I don't care about the weather. Anything besides gut strings and a skin head is blasphemy in my opinion.</div>
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Blasphemy against what?<br/><br/><cite>Scott House said:</cite>
<blockquote><div>I don't care about the weather. Anything besides gut strings and a skin head is blasphemy in my opinion.</div>
</blockquote> I don't care about the weathe…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-10:2477478:Comment:210962011-02-10T00:40:26.000ZScott Househttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/ScottHouse
I don't care about the weather. Anything besides gut strings and a skin head is blasphemy in my opinion.
I don't care about the weather. Anything besides gut strings and a skin head is blasphemy in my opinion. Happy to hear the good news!…tag:minstrelbanjo.ning.com,2011-02-09:2477478:Comment:210862011-02-09T16:41:54.000ZIan Bellhttp://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/profile/IanBell
<p>Happy to hear the good news!</p>
<p>I play a lot of lo-tech instruments - they should all come with a "Don't Panic" sticker. Things like this often sort themselves out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><cite>Steve Jeter said:</cite></p>
<blockquote><div><p> Ok , thanks for the advice,,, I tuned it up last nite & magically it was like new. Im just gonna have to learn to work within the confines </p>
<p> Steve <cite>Tim Twiss…</cite></p>
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<p>Happy to hear the good news!</p>
<p>I play a lot of lo-tech instruments - they should all come with a "Don't Panic" sticker. Things like this often sort themselves out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><cite>Steve Jeter said:</cite></p>
<blockquote><div><p> Ok , thanks for the advice,,, I tuned it up last nite & magically it was like new. Im just gonna have to learn to work within the confines </p>
<p> Steve <cite>Tim Twiss said:</cite></p>
<blockquote><div><p>I would agree with Ian. If that is how Jay does it, I would try it. His tackys are pretty darn good in the worst of humidity. My gourd is really stable. I'm sure diameter and thickness really affect it...less area to take on moisture.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you find a local repair shop and have your pegs fit. It is an important step that is not given careful attention in some low end banjos. This procedure could really help. There's more to it than drilling a hole and sticking them in.</p>
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