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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.

380 Members, Created 3/28/2011 -

Administrators: jbalch (owner)

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From BlowingRockNC on 6/4/2014 7:54:05 AM

I've read all the various view on checking head tension. I just want to be sure that I stay away from the danger zone for tearing the head. I'm flexible on the tone issue. My Snark tuner does a fine job of showing the Key tone when I tap at various places on the head. If I stay below G#, will I be safe all the time or at least most all the time? Or is G a better spot to shoot for. This is easy as pie for me to check, but I don't know the danger zone. Can anyone help? Thanks.

6 Comments
	carlb says: 6/4/2014 9:52:46 AM Personally, I set head tension so that the strings don't buzz when I use my highest bridge (11/16") in the dampest most humid conditions. When the weather gets drier, I switch to a lower bridge. The present slunk head has been on my Bacon Professional #3 since July, 2004. Last year, on a particularly damp day, I had to tighten the head slightly for the first time in 9 years. I never tighten and loosen the head, only change bridges.
	gottasmilealot says: 6/4/2014 10:21:55 AM I never had a problem going up to an "A note on an 11" head, but I have no need to go higher.
	BlowingRockNC says: 6/4/2014 10:55:48 AM Thanks. I forgot to mention that I have a 12" head. Does that make a difference?
	carlb says: 6/5/2014 4:39:18 AM If you set it to a note, you'll have check the humidity settings in which you do it and remember that the note will change when the humidity changes.
	BlowingRockNC says: 6/5/2014 5:48:01 AM Carl, thanks for the comment. I obviously have openback banjos with hide heads. I've read so much lately on this subject that I've forgotten the source for many of the comments, but there's one suggestion that I would like your opinion on (and anyone else who wants to jump in). One source I read indicated that the best way to know that a hide head is not too tight is to go to the reverse side and determine whether you can feel an indentation where the bridge is being pushed down into the hide head. If you feel an indentation, then your hide head is not too tight, plus it might actually be too loose. Anyway, what do you think of this comment? Thanks. Bill.
	carlb says: 6/5/2014 1:44:55 PM The indentation is probably an OK, but I don't think you can ever get it tight enough to eliminate the indentation. You should think about the height of your action and adjust to that. The bolts on my 11" banjo are barely past finger tight. The only experience I've had with a too tight head (it didn't break nor did I leave in that condition for long) is one practice before a performance in an extremely hot kitchen where the sound of my banjo just got very strange and choked. As soon as I got it to a cooler place it was OK. As I said above, I do set my skin tension with my highest bridge (11/16") so the strings don't buzz under very humid conditions. Even when I went to Colorado, my banjo sounded fine, but I only used my lowest bridge (1/2") when I was there.
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