I received my new (well, second hand) Doc's banjo today. Beautiful, and fabulous sound!
Pictures on my BHO page... I know we (at least i, I know) should be doing something better with our skills but... this banjo was built by a doctor, bought by another doctor, and now in my hands (I'm a physician too, but certainly not today, having too much fun with my new instrument!)
6 Comments |
David Moore says:
6/6/2015 6:09:19 PM
Congrats, I love my Doc's and have one #52 strung with nylon and #75 with medium light steel strings. #75 has a natural skin head which I think came from Doc and the other has an unmarked frosted. Doc Huff has a feel about woods and how they should be put together and what sounds they produce. Visually art as well as acoustically. The more you play yours the more you will love it I bet.
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 | deVisee says:
6/9/2015 11:56:40 PM
I've been having fun with this banjo for a couple of days now. Such a great tone! I'm loving the scalloped fretboard too.
Just one question for you experienced Doc's banjo players out there. The banjo currently is strung with the 'old' medium nylguts (4th wound), but the notes above the 6/7th fret sound rather dull, without sustain, on the second and third strings (it's better on the first). Now I know that these strings are supposed to sound plunky, but this is a bit too much.
Any advice? I'm ready to experiment (have light bronze strings, and the new nylguts arriving any time now, both light, medium and the red ones), but I'd like to hear your opinion.
Oh, and I have a higher spare cathedral bridge too, any comments on what I could expect from changing the bridge? Thanks!
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David Moore says:
6/10/2015 5:32:37 AM
I have on #52 with a plastic head, Adagio Guitar strings with the 5th a medium light steel. I don't know what gauge these strings are as my micrometer has a dead battery and I don't really care yet. They are certainly not new and I play it almost every day and have no reason to change them....yet. I have no issues up the neck but I did tighten the head just a bit with a drum dial as a couple of clamp nuts were loose. I may back off the tension a bit as it became a bit brighter.
The other banjo still has medium light steel strings and one of Doc's cathedral bridge while the nylon banjo has what appears to be a mahogany 3 leg bridge. I suspect Doc made that one also as it was relatively early in his banjo making career.
I purchased a set of harp strings for a long neck I am assembling and you might go over to the "Polymer String" group for some discussion on those. There are several discussions about nylgut both positive and negative. If you change the bridge to higher one you may like the higher set up depending on your style of playing. Easy enough to swap back and forth.
All that said, first thing I would do is check head tension. You didn't say what kind of head but I have found that uniformity of tension and careful tightening is important. Then I would trash the strings and keep with nylon ones. I personally like nylon on Docs and tend to play mine with nylon more than the steel strung one. But my ears don't like the brighter high tones such as on a BG banjo. Have fun fooling around with it and let us know what you decide.
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| deVisee says:
6/10/2015 6:20:57 AM
Thanks, David!
The banjo has a skin head, tension looks fine.
I suspect it's just me and the stiff nylgut strings; don't know how old they are, but on my lutes they do deteriorate over time. Intonation, action, etc are all perfectly fine up the neck, it's just that I'd like a (tiny) little bit more sustain and brightness there. I guess I'll start trying the red or light nylguts first and go from there.
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| deVisee says:
6/10/2015 1:34:38 PM
Ok I think I'm already there... I tightened the head just a little bit (it is warmer and more humid after all): no difference, or perhaps just a little.
Then the strings arrived, and I first put on the new red nylguts and, bingo: there are the nice distinct notes up the neck on the all the strings. Still plunky, but not muddled anymore. Tuned up to A=406, don't want to break them to soon and it just works, I'll just stay that low for a while.
BUT: now I can't see the strings anymore ;-) (dark red hide and brownish fingerboard....
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David Moore says:
6/10/2015 1:47:51 PM
I am confused, you are supposed to look at the strings? I thought the fingers did that. Very big grin.
Sounds like you have the rascal whipped now. Have fun with the new strings and your Docs.
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