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Please note this is an archived topic, so it is locked and unable to be replied to. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/372924
Knows Picker - Posted - 02/20/2021: 15:45:46
I have this little Slingerland banjo uke. I know that ALL banjo ukes sound like toys but this one especially does. I was thinking about using a piece of calf skin hair side out to replace the original head on it now. Objective is to bring out the bass and have fun with a hairy head. Not worried about losing volume, I use it to play hot jazz at a maniac pace, just banging on it. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery? And no, just using it for kindling isn't an option, Florida is plenty warm even this time of year.
Edited by - Knows Picker on 02/20/2021 15:46:25
davidppp - Posted - 02/20/2021: 17:31:23
Maybe try a thin piece of wood, i.e., 1/16" x 5/8" x (footprint length + 1/4") , under the bridge. I've used a piece cut from a tongue depressor.
I restored a Maybell/Slingerland with a flat resonator back some years ago. It makes a hell of a noise! ;)
tdennis - Posted - 02/20/2021: 17:31:43
Many of the 7" small headed Slingerlands have a fairly bland & weak voice. I would think a hairy head, which tend to be thick, would make your instrument duller. (but it sounds like an interesting project & would be visually unique. I hope it works out for the best).
jbalch - Posted - 02/21/2021: 06:16:35
After I gave a hide head demo at the Nashville Banjo Camp (a few years ago), one of the participants installed a hairy goat hide on his banjo uke. I think he is pleased with it.
Good luck with yours!
G Edward Porgie - Posted - 02/21/2021: 07:35:19
If you do use a hairy head, you can tell everyone that you had to catch and skin Sasquach to get it.
Uncle Freddy - Posted - 02/22/2021: 18:15:22
My favorite thing to do with old banjo-ukes is to tune them in 5ths, GDAE, same pitches as fiddle or mandolin. It's been a while since I put strings on one, so I don't recall offhand what I used; I think for the low G a classical guitar A (5th) string works. You might get some of the regular uke strings to work for the other pitches; I've used mono-filament fishing line of different thicknesses, or classical guitar nylon trebles. If you play mando or fiddle this can be a great tuning for a banjo-uke, and has more bass than the uke tuning. And to my ears sounds much, much better than a steel-strung banjo-mandolin.
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