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134 Members, Created 2/1/2011 - 
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From bohemianbanjo on 9/20/2011 12:21:49 AM
At the Oregon Bluegrass Association's Picker's Festival this last weekend, not only did I jam 'til after 4AM each night, but early Sunday morning (about 11 AM) Ian Joel fixed me up with the latest prototype of his goatskin banjo head. That's right! A Stelling with a goatskin head!
Two words: I think it's fantastic! Ian's new company is the Oregon Banjo Head Company, and he's also working on some new bridge designs. The goatskin is thinner than split calfskin, but is NOT split - so it is stronger and can be cranked up to a higher pitch. Mine is between 7 and 9 thousandths of an inch across the head, and he's got a method of placing the different thicknesses for best advantage. He also has some proprietary treatment to make it nearly impervious to moisture, so it is nearly as stable as plastic.
I've been picking all day, working on special requests for a recording session, new band tunes, some tab requests from students, and new jam tunes for the Tygh Valley Bluegrass Festival this coming weekend. Lovin' it so far!
BohemianBanjo
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