Head tension...

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For all things related to the use of SKIN BANJO HEADS. Calf, goat, possum, hairy, shaved, stained, pre-mounted. You name it.

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From Bill on 7/18/2013 10:17:21 AM

This link is to a recent forum topic that you may find of interest. It describes Steve Davis' simple method to adjust head tension. http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/267023

I currently have the head on my banjo set at Steve's 6"/dime height, which he says is a B-flat note. I don't know whether a Bb setting is good or bad, but it's a quantifiable starting point that can be measured cheaply and easily. My Drum Dial registers 85. Not everyone has a Drum Dial, but many of us have a 6" ruler and several coins.

It would interest me to know, using the coin method, what the settings are for your various skin-head banjos.

Any takers? (Yes, I know that you should set the head at what sounds best. I'm curious to know exactly how tight that is for other folks here.) This is a way to compare my own setup to others.

3 Comments
	ToneHz says: 7/18/2013 3:48:29 PM I bought a Drum Dial used on eBay for about $32. What a terrific tool! I love it!
	Tim Zowada says: 7/19/2013 7:14:12 AM Bill, I have found that several tensions work well. I have an 11" bluegrass style banjo. with a Bill Miller Vellum head. I have noticed that the head tension can be a little fussy. So, I have modified Steve's technique a little. Rather than just saying, " a quarter" I also notice where on the quarter the straight edge will rock. Rocking near the bridge foot is quite different than rocking in the center of the quarter. For technique, I usually hold the 10" straight edge down to the head, on the tailpiece end. I then gently tap the other end to see, and hear, when the coin is acting like a little fulcrum. With that said, I have found that I get excellent, bright tone, with good base, at 1/2 diameter across a quarter. I think I get my best tone at 1/3 of the way across a penny. 3/4 diameter across a penny gets "tubby". That is still tighter than a quarter. Once I get the tension down to 1/2 way across a quarter, things get good again. I have yet to find the equivalent of, "tighten it until it breaks, then back of a little". This technique makes it easy to deal with the daily changes in the skin head tension. My thanks to Steve for a wonderful idea. I sold my drum dial. I found, on a hide head, the readings were inconsistent. I hope this helps.
	Bill says: 7/19/2013 9:01:16 AM Thanks Tim. That is just the sort of information I was looking for.
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