Adjusting the head on my Yates RS Mahogany

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From jtadams on 6/22/2011 2:50:53 PM

I was going to test the head on my Yates RS mahogany, since I haven't done anything to it since Warren built it early this year. Does anybody have a recommended drum dial setting and procedure for tightening the head? I've never used a drum dial to do this and just bought one the other day.

6 Comments
	bAJNo says: 6/22/2011 7:40:47 PM I have a mahogany RS and set the drum dial to a fraction above 90. I spent a lot of time monkeying about with head tension. I would increase it to 90.5 where up the neck sounded a bit better. Then I felt it lost some growl so I would go back down. This went on for a while but have now settled on just above 90 where I think it has the right balance. A nice dry, rattley growl on the 4th string and bright enough up the neck.
	Jeff Markham says: 6/29/2011 11:53:27 AM I have a drum dial, but I no longer use it. When I purchased my RS Mahogany, Warren said that he head tension should be at A-flat. I was pretty careful about not getting above that, but the tone was not knocking my socks off. Very good tone, but not GREAT. Eventually, the head would loosen to around G and I'd start noticing that I was having to work too hard to pull tone. One day, for the heck of it I tightened the head to A. BOOM!!!! There was the tone that I'd been missing and the banjo was MUCH easier to play. So, mine generally varies between A and "just south of A". Whenever I notice that I'm working too hard, I check the note and sure enough it's dropped to around A-flat. Your mileage may vary. Oh, and I also lightly lubed the threads of each nut. That made a huge difference in ease and consistency of adjustment.
	jtadams says: 7/3/2011 7:42:20 AM Mark, I appreciate your comment. Luckily, I'm at the Red White and Bluegrass festival right now and Warren has his booth set up. I'm also going to ask him for his recommendation.
	bAJNo says: 7/29/2011 8:30:56 PM So what did he say?
momo says: 8/14/2011 7:39:40 AM Warren always recommends G# for the RS models.Ive had several coversations with Warren about set-up. I get the impression that proper head tension on these Banjos is critical.
momo says: 10/7/2011 3:13:40 PM On a drum Dial 89-90.
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