It can absolutely work. Whether you like the sound is subjective. It won’t sound like a Clawgrass, Tubaphone or Whyte Laydie. Playability should be fine.

I've cut down flanges...including a Deering flange I had to make non-resonator versions of this. I like them very much!

Thanks Bill!

With the reso on, it sounds good to me. Not as much ring or overtones as my Nechville Moonshine, but good note separation and clarity which I think might be good in small bluegrass jam situations. I play clawgrass style fiddle tunes & songs.

Guess I should A-B against the Nechville before I take the journey. ??

quote:

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Originally posted by Pigeontown Banjo Co

I've cut down flanges...including a Deering flange I had to make non-resonator versions of this. I like them very much!

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Ooooh, awesome!  Thank you!

Maybe you could try to trade with someone for a pop-off resonator model(?) That is to say, there is a version of the Hartford very much made for claw hammer

Clawhammer was played on resonator banjos up in the hills, the Hartford model would sound awesome!

Exactly. Leaving the reso on is fine. That’s your call. Cathy Barton played a resonator Ode her entire career.

quote:

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Originally posted by aaronoble

Maybe you could try to trade with someone for a pop-off resonator model(?) That is to say, there is a version of the Hartford very much made for claw hammer

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Thanks!  I'm going to ask Deering how much a conversion kit is.  It might be the less $ option.  I got a pretty decent deal on this Hartford (used but like new). ??. If its pricey I will look at a trade.

Rusty and Bill Rogers I’m having a bit of a volume issue in small jams - even playing quietly and with a rag in the pot - a reso is sooo loud for a 4 or 5 player jam in someone’s kitchen ??

I do like reso for larger jams, for sure!

Just for fun, here is a quick A-B comparison Moonshine to Hartford, slower Cherokee Shuffle in G because I forgot to throw a capo on.

Hartford plays the first phrase of the A part and the B part. Moonshine plays the second part.

Moonshine always sounds a bit more nasal in tone to me. Interested what y’all hear tone-wise, other than I need to stop bending my strings so much.  Mahogany guitar on the backup.

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Exactly. Leaving the reso on is fine. That’s your call. Cathy Barton played a resonator Ode her entire career.

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Lynn Morris played an Ode D for her clawhammer tunes like Ol' Rip, Little Black Pony, etc.  Sounded awesome. 

The Hartfords with the pop off resonator are nice.  It was a cool innovation that I'm surprised has not caught on more.

I've been playing an openback Deering Calico with a Hartford tone ring for something like 36 years now. (It came with a pop on resonator, which I've used for maybe two hours in the last 36 years; I use it as a wall hanging.) I've used this banjo for any and all types of playing: clawhammer, bluegrass, melodic, etc. It works fine for all of them. Played hard with picks it can keep up with any Mastertone, Stelling or Huber. Without picks it has a wonderful fat tone for clawhammer. Most recently I've been focusing on melodic style Celtic, English Country Dance, and some wonderful Shetland tunes, which work well with melodic style. The quick decay of each note is a big plus for much of what a Hartford tone ring can do.

N.B. John Hartford would sometimes use a low tuning on his banjos. Two or three halftones down, coupled with a wood tone ring, makes for a wonderful ambience. (Maybe use heavier strings for low tunings!)

No need to have an open back to play  Claw hammer. It is a fiction that began with folk revivalists in the 1970s or 80s that one needs an open back to play Claw hammer.   Uncle Dave Macon did not play an open back and played resonator banjos from the time that they were first available when he was a teenager until some point during WWII where his arthritis made it impossible for him to play an RB, so he had Gibson make him an identical banjo to one of the RB numbers with a dowel stick.  When old time music revivalists in the 1950s and 1960 went into the South, they started telling traditional and show business country banjoists they were supposed to use open backs instead of resonators.  

Almost all of the traditional Black banjo players from the South that old time banjo revivalists came upon in the 60s, 70s, and 80s had resonator banjos, and played clawhammer and 2 finger with them.  Some had Gibson RBs, and others had Japanese Invasion banjos, and some had the cheaper brands,

When Deering offered to donate a banjo to the great Odell Thompson,  he added a Deering to the Gibson RB he played regularly.

A guy name Hartford at time played clawhammer on Deering resonator banjos as well.  I started out with the open back for old time idea about 30 years ago, but resonator banjo and be really sweet for old time claw hammer.  You can use lighter strings and be more delicate.

Most of the old time banjo players who lived into the era where resonator banjos became available including masters of Clawhammer like Clarence Ashlkey got RBs,.   

quote:

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Originally posted by calicoplayer

I've been playing an openback Deering Calico with a Hartford tone ring for something like 36 years now. (It came with a pop on resonator, which I've used for maybe two hours in the last 36 years; I use it as a wall hanging.) I've used this banjo for any and all types of playing: clawhammer, bluegrass, melodic, etc. It works fine for all of them. Played hard with picks it can keep up with any Mastertone, Stelling or Huber. Without picks it has a wonderful fat tone for clawhammer. Most recently I've been focusing on melodic style Celtic, English Country Dance, and some wonderful Shetland tunes, which work well with melodic style. The quick decay of each note is a big plus for much of what a Hartford tone ring can do.

N.B. John Hartford would sometimes use a low tuning on his banjos. Two or three halftones down, coupled with a wood tone ring, makes for a wonderful ambience. (Maybe use heavier strings for low tunings!)

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Thanks!  Interesting setup!  I think the quick decay is what I'm hearing.  It sounds more like a mahogany guitar vs rosewood.  It sounds really sweet on fiddle tunes.  I bet its lovely on the tunes you are playing!

I tried low tuning 'Hartford' strings and they were good down to about Eb, which unfortunately is a little out of my vocal range.  I was hoping they'd get to C# or D but they got pretty wonky. :). I'll probably try them again, though, since I have a backup set in my stash. 

I've seen plenty of cheap resonator banjos in the hands of local old-timers back in my youth...  Sears, Harmonys, Kays, etc. etc. All with resonators

My first banjo was a bakelite Harmony Reso-Tone.  At one point, I got the brilliant idea to remove the resonator.  My Dad (a banjo-player himself) chewed me out and made me put it back on.

Talked to Deering and its not easy at all to convert the Reso Hartford to an open back. They have different pot construction, its not just an easy conversion (like the Eagle II).

So I am going to keep my extra Moonshine and see if I can quiet it down to a good ‘kitchen jam’ volume.

As noted, lynn morris used her resonator for claw. Pretty high credentialed, lol. I used her dvds to learn claw.

I have a hartford resonator. I Play 3 finger and claw.

On my vega tubaphone, an open back, i use soft foam (mines a open cell cream color, about the spring of a soft couch cushion between the coordinators and the head. Really tones things down. Much of the sound comes directly from the head.

after such muting, i think you might find the difference between a resonator and open back far less. I do.

Im about 99% certain this would work great on your Hartford.
They have a surprising amount of ‘cut’. If not muted enough for your taste, i suppose you could put something over the resonator back to further reduce projection. Again, i might use some foam and cut it round, possibly large enough to cover the flange openings. Perhaps some old closed cell from an old thinsulate type camping pad or ?// (havent done the resonator thing personally.)

Another option, which may or not be your cuppa, is to wrap a cheapo single strap elastic guitar capo around the bridge. Acts as a mute, but also produces an interesting tone. Very inexpensive experiment.this is shown on frets.com. Under tips for banjos. Very useful information on all sorts of stuff.

Best of luck

quote:

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Originally posted by stevedenver

As noted, lynn morris used her resonator for claw. Pretty highly credentialed, lol. I used her dvds to learn claw. Used to see her in City Limits here in Denver. CC grad, too!.

I have a hartford resonator. I Play 3 finger and claw.

On my deering vega tubaphone, an open back, i use soft foam (mines a open cell cream color, about the spring of a soft couch cushion between the coordinators and the head. Really tones things down. Much of the sound comes directly from the head.

after such muting, i think you might find the difference between a resonator and open back far less. I do.

Im about 99% certain this would work great on your Hartford.
They have a surprising amount of ‘cut’. If not muted enough for your taste, i suppose you could put something over the resonator back to further reduce projection. Again, i might use some foam and cut it round, possibly large enough to cover the flange openings. Perhaps some old closed cell from an old thinsulate type camping pad or ?// (havent done the resonator thing personally.)

Another option, which may or not be your cuppa, is to wrap a cheapo single strap elastic guitar capo around the bridge. Acts as a mute, but also produces an interesting tone. Very inexpensive experiment.this is shown on frets.com. Under tips for banjos. Very useful information on all sorts of stuff.

Best of luck

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You can place small neoprene o-rings between the strings and bridge slots.

There used to be something called a "Dead-Ringer" that drummers would use to cut out excessive ringiness.  They adhere to the backside of the drumhead.

I've found Fiberskyn heads to mute and dull my banjoes to some degree.

>>> I believe our own Mary Z. Cox owns a Hartford.  You might PM her through BHO and see what her experience has been.<<<

quote:

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Originally posted by stevedenver

As noted, lynn morris used her resonator for claw. Pretty high credentialed, lol. I used her dvds to learn claw.

I have a hartford resonator. I Play 3 finger and claw.

On my vega tubaphone, an open back, i use soft foam (mines a open cell cream color, about the spring of a soft couch cushion between the coordinators and the head. Really tones things down. Much of the sound comes directly from the head.

after such muting, i think you might find the difference between a resonator and open back far less. I do.

Im about 99% certain this would work great on your Hartford.
They have a surprising amount of ‘cut’. If not muted enough for your taste, i suppose you could put something over the resonator back to further reduce projection. Again, i might use some foam and cut it round, possibly large enough to cover the flange openings. Perhaps some old closed cell from an old thinsulate type camping pad or ?// (havent done the resonator thing personally.)

Another option, which may or not be your cuppa, is to wrap a cheapo single strap elastic guitar capo around the bridge. Acts as a mute, but also produces an interesting tone. Very inexpensive experiment.this is shown on frets.com. Under tips for banjos. Very useful information on all sorts of stuff.

Best of luck

---

Thanks, I do have a banjo bolster in the pot. Cutting power is a good way to describe the Hartford sound.  

I did string up a different banjo with light strings and put on a fiberskyn head and that had a better volume level for playing in a mandolin duet yesterday.  I kinda hate the fiberskyn sound on its own but maybe it will grow on me.

Honestly, I'm starting to think maybe I just never learned to settle down and play quietly. 

Hey sopris
I too have, as of late, been trying to play much more quietly.
Its more difficult than I thought. Especially when combined with any ‘enthusiasm’, or speed.

Best of luck. I imagine Durango is pretty warm …..in laws used to have a spread in Ignacio….
By chance, your mando partner isnt named Joni, Durango, us forest service? I met a pretty talented woman up at the ghost ranch bg
Cheers

quote:

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Originally posted by stevedenver

Hey sopris
I too have, as of late, been trying to play much more quietly.
Its more difficult than I thought. Especially when combined with any ‘enthusiasm’, or speed.

Best of luck. I imagine Durango is pretty warm …..in laws used to have a spread in Ignacio….
By chance, your mando partner isnt named Joni, Durango, us forest service? I met a pretty talented woman up at the ghost ranch bg
Cheers

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OMG!  Yes, I played and worked on harmonies with Joanie yesterday!  Her voice is so beautiful!

IDK if we are much warmer than Denver area.  I've been to Rockygrass camp a couple of times and it was sooooo hot!

Small world!

Small world. Indeed, lol.
I was the gray haired banjo dude who sang bad moon rising at our ‘big show’.
Tell her hi. Hope she’s still with USFS.

It pretty much comes down to setup. I have a top tension resonator banjo with an arch top tone ring. The reason it doesn't get as much action as my open backs is the weight. But, with the current setup, it sounds very much like a fine banjo for clawhammer, a fairly deep, "throaty" tone. I messed with head tension and tailpiece ( clamshell) angle to dial in the sound. YMMV.