I'm about to put a new head on a banjo (which currently has vellum). The distance from the top to the fleshband is just over 5/8", and it needs to be that low to keep the hooks out of the way. The highest Fybreskin heads have a hight of 1/2". Can I expect these to 'pull down' or will I have to use vellum?
Oops yes you're right, not thinking straight - it's a long time since I did fractions. You're talking 11/16". Ask a supplier, because you don't want to get it wrong. I've changed a couple of banjo heads and they were both medium crowns and there were no problems.
The first banjo head I bought came from here: http://www.halshawmusic.co.uk/plastic.html They do Waveryley and Elite fibreskin heads and would doubtless know what would fit
andy banjo is the cheapest of all and a great guy to deal with post is free for banjo heads but check all the sites for yourself, but i think you wont getter better service or value for money anywhere in the u.k.
Yea, so anyway.
You may also want to consider the width of the rim on the new head. When I replaced the head on my old Slingerland, the new heads rim was at least 1/16" bigger and the hooks wouldn't hook. I had to do some creative bending to make it work.
Yikes! There's not way that guy can play banjo like that.
I had to bend the hooks to have a slight curve to get around the rim. Instead of a straight rod with a hook on the end, they look kind of like a really skinny question mark.
Banjo heads
Banjo heads
I'm about to put a new head on a banjo (which currently has vellum). The distance from the top to the fleshband is just over 5/8", and it needs to be that low to keep the hooks out of the way. The highest Fybreskin heads have a hight of 1/2". Can I expect these to 'pull down' or will I have to use vellum?
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by skreech
Re: Banjo heads
Just over 5/8" is probably 7/16" which I think is a standard medium crown head.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by RichardB
Re: Banjo heads
No 5/8 is more than 1/2, 7/16 is less
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by skreech
Re: Banjo heads
Oops yes you're right, not thinking straight - it's a long time since I did fractions. You're talking 11/16". Ask a supplier, because you don't want to get it wrong. I've changed a couple of banjo heads and they were both medium crowns and there were no problems.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by RichardB
Re: Banjo heads
The first banjo head I bought came from here: http://www.halshawmusic.co.uk/plastic.html They do Waveryley and Elite fibreskin heads and would doubtless know what would fit
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by RichardB
Re: Banjo heads
Well I recently fitted 3 different heads to my own Banjo.
http://theirishtenorbanjo.ning.com/group/cliffordessexparagon/forum/topics/my-paragon-with-three-heads
I got my heads from the Eagle Music shop:
http://www.eaglemusicshop.com/products.asp/SubCatID/237/banjo-heads-vellums.htm
Might be worth checking with them, first.
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by Ptarmigan
Re: Banjo heads
Dick, could you possibly do a quick measurement for me?
The dimensions they give are:
High 1/2"
Medium 7/16"
Low 3/8"
Could you tell me if which ever head you used actually came out at the dimension specified once it was tensioned?
And thanks for the link to Eagle - that is where I'll be getting it from, whether its a head or vellum that I need.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by skreech
Re: Banjo heads
Well, on the Eagle site they do say: Low crown: 12mm, Medium Crown: 15mm & High Crown: 18mm
My heads look like 17/18mm alright, which appears to be 5/8" so I'd say they would probably be fine for your Banjo.
Good Luck.
Cheers
Dick
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by Ptarmigan
Re: Banjo heads
Cheers,
I got the dimensions from the Stewmac site, if it is really 18mm that would be acceptable.
I'll buy one and try it.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by skreech
Re: Banjo heads
you could try HALSHAW MUSIC,Sully, or AndyBanjo, both of them are banjo specialists
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Banjo heads
I know where to buy heads, it was a question about how to measure them.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by skreech
Re: Banjo heads
andy banjo is the cheapest of all and a great guy to deal with post is free for banjo heads but check all the sites for yourself, but i think you wont getter better service or value for money anywhere in the u.k.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by myparasgon
Re: Banjo heads
exactly,
my parasgon,
still, Skreech, I am going to give up trying to help you.
you know where to buy heads, good luck to you.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Banjo heads
jeez, yours is the kind of help even the most basic amateur would be well advised to avoid.
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by bogman
Re: Banjo heads
bogman,
my advice was to check out andy banjo or sully [both well respected banjo specialists].
so why would the most basic amateur avoid that advice?
# Posted on July 1st 2010 by Dick Miles
Re: Banjo heads
Yea, so anyway.
You may also want to consider the width of the rim on the new head. When I replaced the head on my old Slingerland, the new heads rim was at least 1/16" bigger and the hooks wouldn't hook. I had to do some creative bending to make it work.
# Posted on July 2nd 2010 by CleverName
Re: Banjo heads
"I had to do some creative bending to make it work." Do you mean something like this?
http://just1marathon.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54edf85428834010536d22a37970c-320wi
# Posted on July 2nd 2010 by Ptarmigan
Re: Banjo heads
Yikes! There's not way that guy can play banjo like that.
I had to bend the hooks to have a slight curve to get around the rim. Instead of a straight rod with a hook on the end, they look kind of like a really skinny question mark.
# Posted on July 2nd 2010 by CleverName