I am installing a hide head for the first time, on an old Luscomb banjo. No matter what, I can't seem to get the tension hoop down over the skin, much less fit the brackets on. I am following to the letter the instructions I've read from Elderly Instruments & elsewhere. Should I try a different skin thickness, or soak the skin longer so it'll stretch more, or some other thing? Thanks very much.
12 Comments |
 | carlb says:
5/22/2011 6:25:53 AM
Here's another set of instructions, the classic one:
frets.com/fretspages/Musician/...head.html
PS I had no trouble when I mounted my first head many years ago. Without being there, I cannot really know what your problem is.
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 | crmdgn says:
5/22/2011 7:23:37 AM
Yeah, I've seen that. Looks pretty much like what I've been doing. I understand it's hard to diagnose a problem you can't see. What should I look for in trying to diagnose my own problem?
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| carlb says:
5/23/2011 5:41:46 AM
When I start with the wet head (soaked in cold water for about 20 minutes and them rolled in a towel), I slide the ring down, fold over the excess and put on the tension hoop just so I can bearely get four brackets on as loose as possible. I then get all the excess skin to the inside of the tension hoop some times pulling with a pliers; the skin should be tight against the ring. I then push down in the middle of the skin sort of guessing about how loose to leave it as it will tighten both as it dries and as I tighten and add more brackets (always done evenly around the pot). Don't know what else I can tell you. I then let it dry overnight to see if everything is OK. If not, I take it off and start over; if it's OK, then I cut of the excess skin, put the neck on and play.
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 | vintagewells says:
5/23/2011 8:33:15 AM
When you install a hide head, proceed as described above. It is important that you don't have any wrinkles in the hide. Smooth the hide over the rim so that it drapes evenly off the rim. I think one of the most important parts of installing the head is to get everything distributed evenly - no wrinkles or pinches. To work a wrinkle out, pull out and up on either side of the wrinkle at the same time. this redistributes the excess. Make sure there are no bulges or sagging areas in the top of the head and that everything is even.
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 | Prescott says:
5/24/2011 5:13:39 AM
I have had occasion to install a few recycled old heads on slightly smaller banjos.Perhaps this is not your situation, but this tactic may help you: after wetting the head, center the flesh hoop, and begin tucking the extra material under the tension hoop, fastening as you go with clothes pins. Then, very gently squeeze the assembly down onto the banjo (by hand, or with clamps if necessary) until you can start the hooks. Then tighten as the others have already directed.
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| crmdgn says:
5/24/2011 5:33:09 AM
That second step---squeezing the tension hoop down far enough to get the hooks on---is the problem. I'm going to try longer hooks and possibly a thinner head, and see what happens.
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| carlb says:
5/24/2011 5:52:13 AM
I've heard the some people have longer hooks when starting. I think they only use four.
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| vintagewells says:
5/24/2011 6:59:24 AM
I am installing one to replace a fiberskin. While the tension hoop fit very tightly over the fiberskin head it was too wide to hold the thin skin goat hide. I am in the process of making an insert to go inside the tension hoop. I am making it out of maple veneer. Two layers laminated. It fits over the rim with just a little space so it should work.
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 | thinnestman says:
5/24/2011 8:03:50 AM
Sometimes there isn't enough space between the pot and the stretcher band to get a skin between them. I had that problem with a Resotone banjo, and ended up putting a 10 7/8 Fiberskyn head on it, because there was not way to mount a skin, TOO THICK!
By the way, the Resotone sounds FINE with the Fiberskyn!
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| vintagewells says:
5/25/2011 10:00:43 AM
I got it on with the thin laminated veneer next to the tension hoop. Whew! I sure hope I don't have to do that again! It was a tight fit. I am waiting for it to "dry overnight" - around here that means about 6 hours as it is sooooooo dry.
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| vintagewells says:
5/28/2011 10:58:50 AM
Well, that didn't wowrk as the veneer ring popped out, and I couldn't get the brackets on.
Redid the head, and glued the darned thing on, otherwise it would pull out in time as it is not a tight fit.
Ok, I guess the hide police will be after me. But desperate times call for desperate means. I'm waiting for every thing to settle in.
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| vintagewells says:
5/29/2011 11:51:40 AM
now everything is settled in and what a lovely tone it has. It has always had a nice tone but the hide head has removed some of the overtones and such. clearer. Pretty good for a bunch of wood that was once a lawnchair! LOL
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