Drum Dial on hide head for bluegrass

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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 five-string fever on 11/15/2015 8:00:29 PM

Is the tension for hide heads similar to plastic? I am planning to use a Drum Dial on my Sullivan banjo with an 11" Stern tanning head. I usually set it around 90-91 with a Remo type head and finish up by ear with plastic for close to G#.

3 Comments
	Tom Berghan says: 11/15/2015 10:32:41 PM Should be OK. I don't have a drum dial but I keep mine to just about "A". Mine is really tight! Try 89 to start maybe. It will stretch. Then bring it back up to 89. When it stops stretching try taking to 91. But you know use your ears first then use the drum dial to measure the tension where it sounds good. Get the sound first, then take the reading.
	five-string fever says: 11/17/2015 2:38:35 PM Thanks Tom I have had it on the banjo for over 2 months and just set it by ear but I am about to get my Drum Dial back. I thought the material difference might cause a tension difference.
	bhniko says: 1/21/2016 1:15:55 PM Tom, Unfortunately I cannot tell if I have a G or A or any other by tapping along the head. My Kron tuner doesn't pick up my thumping the head so I have relied on the Drum Dial to set up my Goodtime with a John Balch Head and it sounds great. Just purchased a Enoch 12" banjo with goatskin head and am in a quandry as to setting it up. Tightening the tension hooks to the same number of rotations gives me a wide variation of tension numbers along the rim starting at 85 and down to 80. Should I just tighten the tension hooks to get a reading of 89 at some point on the head and let the rest of the readings fall where they may or would you suggest tightening each tension hook to I get a reading of 89 around the whole rim. Kevin says he doesn't understand why I am tightening the head so tight but the banjo does not sound really wonderful the way I have it set. I am just trying to learn on how to set a skin head for maximum tone but have no experience and am confused. I now have a no knot tail piece and plan to change to a Presto and is there an advantage in doing it? Is there a tuner that would pick up the sound from the drum head? Any help. I can be reached directly at rbugdal@bugdal.com. Thanks
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