Tim Clark - Posted - 05/23/2014:  15:34:14

I have an old 10 1/2" spun-over 20-hook maple banjolin pot and a turn-of-the-century short-scale cherry 5-string neck with no peghead overlay or fretboard (peghead profile looks like an SS Stewart).  I am planning to join the two in holy matrimony and then apply a fretless ebony fingerboard with an inlayed brass plate to the 7th fret position and a frailing scoop.  Right now the pot has a Fyberskin head on it, but I have a calf skin head that I would like to put on it.  I haven't decided if I want it to be a steel or gut string banjo, and therefore haven't decided on tuners either (geared, friction, or violin pegs?).  I have almost no experience playing fretless banjos.  Does this sound like it would make a nice set up?  I'm interested to hear thoughts on the smaller size neck and pot for such a set-up.  What about Fyberskin vs. calf skin?  I happen to like the aesthetic of calf skin better, but I'm curious to know how this banjo's tone would be affected by one vs. the other.  Steel string or gut?  I am going for a real old-time mountain banjo sound, but I also would like to be heard through other instruments.  Any general thoughts or advice for my project would be much appreciated.    

Mad Jack Gallows - Posted - 05/23/2014:  16:42:13

Sounds to me like junk, you should just send all the parts to me and Ill take care of them for you, free of charge! haha, Nah, I'm far from any kind of expert but I've been recently bitten by the fretless bug myself and am building one now with a cocobolo fingerboard. I would commit unspeakably heinous acts to be able to come across a banjo that age or some turn of the century parts like that. To me it sounds like it'd be a great match. As far as nylgut vs steel, synthetic vs hide, geared vs friction pegs, that's all up to you and what you prefer. If were ME, I'd use Chris Sands heavy nylons, a non tipped bridge, a renaissance head, violin pegs, or just Grover Champion friction pegs if you don't have a fiddle peg shaper and reamer, yer talking like 60 or 80 bucks for the reamer alone, and I'd make a cool old style wood tailpiece out of ebony or cocobolo or any hardwood really, either the kind that straps under the endbolt or bolts to a tailpiece bracket... like I said that's if it were me... and that's how I'm setting mine up lol. Anyway sounds like a great match, especially the smaller overspun pot and short scale neck. I'd love to hear that sucker play once its done too!

mike gregory - Posted - 05/23/2014:  18:12:42

I like Fyberskin, because it doesn't sag when the humidity goes up.
Some folks just run a cigarette lighter (if outside) or a hair dryer (if indoors) to tighten up the calfskin.

As for Mad Jack and his unspeakable hyenas, that's between you and him.

Tim Clark - Posted - 05/23/2014:  19:05:58

Jack, you have interesting ideas, especially the wooden tailpiece!  I did consider buying a peg reamer because I actually have a fretless cigar box banjo that I am almost finished with and I definitely want to put violin pegs and Nylguts on that one, so I thought to myself that if installing violin pegs is not just a one-time thing then maybe the investment would cost less than a few trips to my local luthier.  I'm curious as to why you specified a non-tipped bridge.  Bridges are foreign territory for me, but people seem to think that their design and set-up make worlds of difference.  Mike, I am actually quite familiar with the temperamental nature of natural skin.  In addition to owning other banjos with calf skin heads, I also own and play an Irish bodhran.  I live in a very humid place (and spend lots of time on boats), so over the years I have learned all the ins and outs of keeping head tension where I want it.  Some people like the convienience of space-aged materials and that's fine, but I am generally a stickler for the old ways of doing things and not using any more plastic than I think is necessary (says the guy typing on a computer!).  Like I said, I prefer the sound and general aesthetic of calf skin, but I was primarily wondering what some of you folks who have had more experience with Fyberskin heads think about the tone compared to natural skin.  My biggest concern, though, is whether or not a 10 1/2" pot is going to produce disappointing results.  I would hate to fit that nice neck to the rim diameter and shorten the dowel stick only to find that I dislike the small pot.  Is it worth finding a standard sized pot, or even jump up to a 12"?  I already have the 10 1/2, it's a nice piece, and visually it seems right for the neck length.   

Mad Jack Gallows - Posted - 05/23/2014:  21:24:55

Thanks, trc. I wouldn't worry about the pot size. Check out some of the Vega Little Wonder banjos on youtube! And the reason I specified a bridge without a tip is because with nylgut or nylon, the harder wood like ebony and such on the bridge cap makes the vibration of the strings harder to get through I guess. Joel hooks, whose name is dueceswild I believe, has a very good article on minstrel and old timey bridges for gut and synthetic strings. The hardwood caps came about to keep the steal from cutting into the bridge wood I guess, which isn't a worry with nylon and such. He even recommends other woods such as pine and I forget what else. I wish ai had the link, Its a great write up. I think some of those bridge pics are his actually lol, or maybe from mugwumps. Anyway good luck, and ai still think that smaller pot will sound killer as a nylon fretless with a tone hoop maybe. I'm gonna add you just so I can find out what you end up doing with it!

Tim Clark - Posted - 05/24/2014:  00:40:13

That's really interesting. It makes sense, now that I think about it, that a softer wood would transfer vibration better. I would never have considered that on my own. I will definitely look for Joel's article, and I will be sure to upload some pics and/or video once I get rolling on this project. Thanks again for the input!

Mad Jack Gallows - Posted - 05/24/2014:  07:27:55

here's a page talking a little about Morris uncapped maple minstrel bridges...banjomeetsworld.wordpress.com/...reat-pop/ He refers to Joel Hooks GREAT article of types of bridges to use with nylgut or nylon, its called "Getting the Most Out of Nylon Strings " I believe. The site above attempts to link to Joels article bit its a dead link. HERE is the link to download the article as a .pdf file with pics. If you play with nylon or nylgut I highly suggest you give it a read!

hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...52013.pdf

Tim Clark - Posted - 05/24/2014:  09:38:19

Awesome! I appreciate it.

Tim Clark - Posted - 05/24/2014:  10:34:21

Another question that comes to mind is whether or not it's necessary/desireable to let the brass into the fingerboard so that it is flush with the wood. I have tried to look at photos of banjos from some of the reputable makers, but it is often too difficult to tell how they did it.