ive got a 1929 vega little wonder, which ive been tinkering with for about a year.
these are renowned for having alot of "cut".
when i bought it, i felt it had too much cut, and not enough bottom.
ive messed about with bridges, string types and gauges, action, head tension... i put a fybreskin on it, which pulled the bass up a bit (not loads) , but it softened the treble, and made the banjo sound quite mellow- in fact in became a bit quiet for sessions.....
after much messing around, i still wasnt really happy with the sound, and i also started to wonder about the playability of the banjo -something just didnt feel right.
so i decided to revert to the original head; something frosted and quite thin, i knew this would affect the bass, so i put on the fattest string set i could find (40-13 i think).
now the banjo ***feels*** much better, the frosted head gives me that "crack" which really helps for triplets etc (something i didnt realise i'd lost with the fyberskin head); its louder, but it sounds harsh....again...
this is where i was a year ago.
this banjo (which has tone ring and resonator) is not as heavy as most other tenors ive tried at sessions.
i can only assume the tonering isnt very substantial,which may be part of the issue
anyway, the point i'm getting to is i dont know what else to try.
i know these banjos are well regarded by many players, which suggests there must be some out there that sounds good and feel good to play.
i dont really want to go buying another banjo, but i'm running out of ideas with this one.....
I'm no expert but I have a keen interest in banjo set up, from memory I seem to recall that the little wonder tone ring likes the head to be not to tight. To tight and you loose bottom. There is much info on banjo head tension where tighter is better but that is meant for arch tops and mastertone type pot assemblies, not delicate vintage vega's..........
Try slackening back the head a little. Also don't string it too heavily because you'll loose a little subtlety and warp the neck (maybe). It's a balancing act.
Try Ptarmigan's banjo website for advice as he's just bought a vega and he and others may be able to help, other banjo sites are not really geared for ITM & GDAE tuning and therefore in information isn't that appropriate for what your trying to achieve, a tenor in standard tuning is very much a different beast.
Me, I'm not that bothered about deep bottom as I'm finding that, for me, top means I can keep it down in a crowd and still be heard without p*ssing everybody off, banjo has a bad enough rep as it is. Having said that the little wonder tone ring seems to be capable of a very good tone and in my opinion you'll want to try and maintain that.
Try a clear head... don't be too influenced by people's attempts to describe the tone of a clear head, for $30 or so it's worth a shot - I have had two banjos, a beginner one and now a nice hand made one and a clear head has drastically improved the tone of both (IMHO). Of course, this is a very personal thing but it may be worth a shot - a spare head never goes astray anyway.
The disadvantage of asking for opinions is that you get them! Usually all conflicting. Anyway my opinion is that that to get the sound you want from your Little Wonder (the tone ring is a hoop which has spun metal around it which extends down the side of the rim for an inch or so as a sleeve) is to fit a thick bridge (thick where the strings slots are) a Renasissance head (gives a warmer sound but doesn't reduce cut or volume and use phosphur bronze strings (also give a warmer sound than nickel) Good Luck.
It's amazing the difference in tone you can get by using different picks/plectrums. The difference between a Dunlop nylon .60 and a .73 is quite noticeable the latter being a bit fatter and louder. And the Clayton Acetal .50 ones that Enda Scahill recommends are quite different (thinner/crisper)than either of those. There's a range of tonal colors for a combined cost of under $2.00 US.
i have tried the whole range of head tensions with both heads, and i agree it sounds better with a slightly slacker head, but it doesnt make that much difference unless theres hardly any tension in it the head at all, which causes other issues.
i am not sure a clear head would help,eveything ive read says that a clear head gives a brighter sound, not a bassier sound.
the renaissance head sounds interesting. i'm tempted to try one, and might also buy a chunkier bridge.
i am using new bronze strings, and as they lose their initial sparkle, the banjo is sounding less harsh.
i agree that picks can make alot of difference, but i think that this is a by-product; you should use the pick that feels good to play with. if i used a 73 or an 80 i wound get a different sound to a 60, but it would inhibit my playing.
i'll continue tinkering whilst i save for the Recording Artist.....
little wonder
little wonder
ive got a 1929 vega little wonder, which ive been tinkering with for about a year.
these are renowned for having alot of "cut".
when i bought it, i felt it had too much cut, and not enough bottom.
ive messed about with bridges, string types and gauges, action, head tension... i put a fybreskin on it, which pulled the bass up a bit (not loads) , but it softened the treble, and made the banjo sound quite mellow- in fact in became a bit quiet for sessions.....
after much messing around, i still wasnt really happy with the sound, and i also started to wonder about the playability of the banjo -something just didnt feel right.
so i decided to revert to the original head; something frosted and quite thin, i knew this would affect the bass, so i put on the fattest string set i could find (40-13 i think).
now the banjo ***feels*** much better, the frosted head gives me that "crack" which really helps for triplets etc (something i didnt realise i'd lost with the fyberskin head); its louder, but it sounds harsh....again...
this is where i was a year ago.
this banjo (which has tone ring and resonator) is not as heavy as most other tenors ive tried at sessions.
i can only assume the tonering isnt very substantial,which may be part of the issue
anyway, the point i'm getting to is i dont know what else to try.
i know these banjos are well regarded by many players, which suggests there must be some out there that sounds good and feel good to play.
i dont really want to go buying another banjo, but i'm running out of ideas with this one.....
# Posted on March 31st 2010 by one nation under chicken
Re: little wonder
I'm no expert but I have a keen interest in banjo set up, from memory I seem to recall that the little wonder tone ring likes the head to be not to tight. To tight and you loose bottom. There is much info on banjo head tension where tighter is better but that is meant for arch tops and mastertone type pot assemblies, not delicate vintage vega's..........
Try slackening back the head a little. Also don't string it too heavily because you'll loose a little subtlety and warp the neck (maybe). It's a balancing act.
Try Ptarmigan's banjo website for advice as he's just bought a vega and he and others may be able to help, other banjo sites are not really geared for ITM & GDAE tuning and therefore in information isn't that appropriate for what your trying to achieve, a tenor in standard tuning is very much a different beast.
http://theirishtenorbanjo.ning.com/
Me, I'm not that bothered about deep bottom as I'm finding that, for me, top means I can keep it down in a crowd and still be heard without p*ssing everybody off, banjo has a bad enough rep as it is. Having said that the little wonder tone ring seems to be capable of a very good tone and in my opinion you'll want to try and maintain that.
Good luck
# Posted on March 31st 2010 by Solidmahog
Re: little wonder
Try a clear head... don't be too influenced by people's attempts to describe the tone of a clear head, for $30 or so it's worth a shot - I have had two banjos, a beginner one and now a nice hand made one and a clear head has drastically improved the tone of both (IMHO). Of course, this is a very personal thing but it may be worth a shot - a spare head never goes astray anyway.
# Posted on March 31st 2010 by camwebby
Re: little wonder
The disadvantage of asking for opinions is that you get them! Usually all conflicting. Anyway my opinion is that that to get the sound you want from your Little Wonder (the tone ring is a hoop which has spun metal around it which extends down the side of the rim for an inch or so as a sleeve) is to fit a thick bridge (thick where the strings slots are) a Renasissance head (gives a warmer sound but doesn't reduce cut or volume and use phosphur bronze strings (also give a warmer sound than nickel) Good Luck.
# Posted on March 31st 2010 by vegamad
Re: little wonder
It's amazing the difference in tone you can get by using different picks/plectrums. The difference between a Dunlop nylon .60 and a .73 is quite noticeable the latter being a bit fatter and louder. And the Clayton Acetal .50 ones that Enda Scahill recommends are quite different (thinner/crisper)than either of those. There's a range of tonal colors for a combined cost of under $2.00 US.
# Posted on March 31st 2010 by Steve L
Re: little wonder
thanks all.
i have tried the whole range of head tensions with both heads, and i agree it sounds better with a slightly slacker head, but it doesnt make that much difference unless theres hardly any tension in it the head at all, which causes other issues.
i am not sure a clear head would help,eveything ive read says that a clear head gives a brighter sound, not a bassier sound.
the renaissance head sounds interesting. i'm tempted to try one, and might also buy a chunkier bridge.
i am using new bronze strings, and as they lose their initial sparkle, the banjo is sounding less harsh.
i agree that picks can make alot of difference, but i think that this is a by-product; you should use the pick that feels good to play with. if i used a 73 or an 80 i wound get a different sound to a 60, but it would inhibit my playing.
i'll continue tinkering whilst i save for the Recording Artist.....
# Posted on April 1st 2010 by one nation under chicken