stanger says:
11/24/2013 8:07:40 PM

Hi, flyer…
All banjos do this to some event. The banjo neck is long, and the connection to the rim is relatively weak in comparison to a guitar or other string instrument.

You have to be careful tightening the coordinator rod parts. They are all made of brass, not steel, so they're brittle and can break if they are torqued too much.

The knurled collars on the co-rods that act as nuts are a particularly weak spot. They are actually the outside fittings of the old-style brass telephone jack plugs and can easily crack if a pair of pliers is used on them.

The first thing to do is check using your fingers only and make sure all the co-rod parts are tight. Tighten any loose parts as snugly as you can using only your fingers.

I do use pliers on those collars. I pad the teeth with some masking tape, and give the collars a gentle tweak with the pliers only to cinch the collar down a tiny bit more snugly so it has less chance of vibrating loose.

The thing about the Odes is when the co-rods are all just snugged well, they aren't needed for an action change as is typical with a Gibson style Mastertone.Odes were built with a lower action than those banjos, so the best way to raise the action is a slightly taller bridge, and a slightly shorter one to lower it. Another, better way of lowering the action is to loosen the top co-rod and slide a thin shim between the outer face of the hoop and the end of the fingerboard. This makes the down angle of the neck steeper, which results in the strings becoming closer to the board.

Your Ode was built to accommodate a 5/8" bridge. Earlier D's were made to accommodate a slightly shorter 9/16" bridge, but the height was changed sometime in mid-production.

If your banjo sounds good and plays good right now, just snug everything finger tight. The neck was still be a little 'wowy' if you push on it, but that's inherent. Earl Scruggs pushed on his Gibson neck intentionally to get the same sound effect until someone told him he could damage his banjo.
regards,
stanger

stanger says:
11/25/2013 1:19:16 AM

You're welcome, Dan.
Stanger only has one R. It's my last name, but lots of folks think it's "stranger" and I didn't spell it right. It's no problem- I'm completely used to it, as all Stangers are.

It's not pronounced like you probably think- it's pronounced like mustanger, a guy who catches mustangs.

Gibson Mastertone RB-800 1980
Linked by june-apple 11 months ago: I have double name Baldwin ode model D!

Jerusalem Ridge on Banjo–Fast & Slow
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Linked by 35planar 7 years ago: Looking for an ODE 5-string neck, pre-Baldwin, dowel stick or no dowel stick, long or standard, tuners or none as long as the truss rod, frets, and wood are decent with no twist. I know, seems futile.

Tablature: Bach prelude to cello suite #1 in G major
Linked by zeemie 8 years ago