Quartermaster James - Posted - 11/15/2011:  08:57:32

Tried to put a pre-mounted skin head on a Goodtime.

That thin Goodtime tension hoop just slipped over the edge of one side; it's just ever so slightly too big for the 1/8" flesh hoop and skin head.

Darn near pulled the head off the flesh hoop too! - still not sure it's actually salvageable either.

Don't think I want to invest in a new tension hoop for this banjo.

Any suggestions for other approaches to fix this issue?

dickinnorwich - Posted - 11/15/2011:  09:15:49

I believe it was John Balch who suggested placing another flesh hoop between the tension hoop and the flesh hoop of the head. You can take an old, ripped, plastic head and salvage the hoop from that. I'm using an old, thin,  E2 hoop that came from a ball bearing. It's the same problem you're having and I plan on trying it tonight. 

Bart McNeil - Posted - 11/15/2011:  09:33:12

I would go with a standard unmounted skin, not a pre-mounted skin. That should eliminate or reduce most of the difficulty you are having. Once the skin is wet there should be little difficulty installing the skin. I have not done this on a Goodtime but none of my banjos have given me that kind of trouble with unmounted skin heads. They may take a little more time to install but not much, and the shrinking of the damp head does much of the work for you. I have never used a pre-mounted skin head, but never felt the need for one either.

pastorharry - Posted - 11/15/2011:  11:07:42

I understand the Gold Tone pre-mounted skin heads have a larger flesh hoop, similar to a regular mylar head....you might try one of those.

Quartermaster James - Posted - 11/15/2011:  13:49:25

Thanks for all the tips!

Aye! Bart, I've ne'er had this problem before either. Thought I'd try the pre-mounted head as I was ordering a skin and flesh-hoop at the same time anyway. Thought it might save me some time. It probably would have worked on most other banjos, but the Goodtime hoop is just so thin and loose that it requires that mylar head size hoop. I'd run into the same problem with another skin and this flesh hoop, unless I had a triple-plus thickness skin!

Now, to find an old head to salvage...