The Old Timer - Posted - 11/20/2016:  11:28:39

I played in an indoor jam session last night with a big bunch of bluegrass friends on my reissue RB 75 with a white Blach calfskin head.

For my part, since it doesn't have those jangly "high" overtones any more (as all my banjos have with plastic heads), as the player, I found it a bit hard to hear.  ( My 63 year old ears aren't the best after a career in paper mills.)  I found myself overplaying a bit, trying to hear myself.   But all that did was cause distortion and tuning problems, so I eased back and let my fingers do the "hearing".

Everyone there commented how nice it sounded, "soothing" instead of "overbearing".

Nice dry air, so the head was good and tight, around "A".

Just something to "get used to", I guess.   When I pick it alone, it sure sounds classy with that skin head.  I'll keep playing this banjo/head this winter and see if I can get more comfortable in jams.

revellfa - Posted - 11/20/2016:  12:07:49

I love hide heads. They are very authentic. As I've often said --everybody wants that pre war sound but nobody wants to use ribbon Mics, two inch reel to reel, and hide heads.

bartmcneil - Posted - 11/20/2016:  12:51:52

Glad to hear you are enjoying your hide head. I switched to all hide heads for my banjos and am enjoying the tonality of hide. I do not generally play with others so volume is not an issue with me and my wife enjoys my playing quietly . I rather enjoy a sound as close as possible as to what early 20th century banjo players heard. I switched one banjo to Nylgut strings with hide head.

I rather enjoy re-adjusting the head tension for humidity changes.

Edited by - bartmcneil on 11/20/2016 13:08:19

5stringJim - Posted - 11/21/2016:  00:38:54

Put an old hide head onto my no-hole raised head TB3 conversion about 2 months ago. Love the sound, but may have to nip it up a tad, as G sharp still seems to have a few overtones. It's not predictable enough yet to use as my main stage banjo.

dpgetman - Posted - 11/21/2016:  07:10:47

It does take some getting used to, especially if you are playing Scruggs style.  That said, I put a calf skin head on my Deering Hartford, my Scruggs style banjo, as an experiment and have kept it on for over a year now.  

DPG 

mijknahs - Posted - 11/24/2016:  23:11:07

I'm currently using an old Rogers 3-star on my TB-1 conversion (with JLS#4 no-hole ring). I'd say it sounds better and has more power. I have it tightened up to Bb though. It comes alive at A or Bb. G# is too low. Maybe it's just my banjo though. 

mijknahs - Posted - 11/24/2016:  23:20:02

quote

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Originally posted by 5stringJim

 

Put an old hide head onto my no-hole raised head TB3 conversion about 2 months ago. Love the sound, but may have to nip it up a tad, as G sharp still seems to have a few overtones. It's not predictable enough yet to use as my main stage banjo.

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Seems like G# would be way too low for a raised head (archtop) ring. G# is the lowest I'd go with a flathead tone ring. An archtop would be even higher pitched due to the smaller surface area. I think I'd try a tap tone of Bb or B with an archtop:

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