I had a rosewood tonering built for a 5-string banjo a while back. It is an exact replica of a Mastertone style tone ring but all machined from Honduran Rosewood. It rings bright and has good decay, with less metallic overtones, and a little less loud (but ever so slight), but not that noticeable. I'm thinking of having the same installed in a tenor. Anyone play with a wood tone ring or a more subdued ring, as opposed to the traditional Mastertone or other heavy hitters? What do you like about it?
I have a TPS (which stands for "Tony Pass Schaeffer") woodie archtop in one of my banjos and I think it sounds great. It has a lot of power (more than the *actual* 40-hole ring banjo I once had), a great crack in the attack, and it's much lighter than a metal ring. There's nothing subdued about it at all, really. I like it because it's got a nice, rich sound and it isn't heavy. I don't know why they're not more common, really.
The only wood tone rings I've ever played were on old banjos that were too cheap to put a metal tone ring in. The head had to get so tight to have any projection at all, and I would say that "subdued" is a good description of the sound.
I'm intrigued by the idea of a fully formed wood ring, but I'm also a fan of the metallic edge to the sound on the banjo, so I'm not so sure that I would find one that I would like.
Reverend- you would be mightely surprised to hear how bright the wood tone ringed banjos can sound (i.e. the ones deliberately built to the same specs as metal ring). They are surprisingly bright and powerful. I guess subdued as I used it wasn;t what I was going for. The tone is bright and pure with less of the metallic harshness. -And it will make your banjo incredibly light. Not at all the same as a no tone ring pot or even a beveled edge to the rim to look like a tone ring. THese things are hollowed and holed just like a real tone ring.
I am thinking about going down this path. My 5-string is switched out with an FQMS honduren rosewood ring which replaces the Mastertone and it looks like I'm headed that road with the tenor as well.
Oakwood Instruments had a 17 fret, open backed banjo with a cocobolo tone ring for sale at Sidmouth Folk Week. I had a very brief go on it, a nice instrument to look at with a pleasing enough tone, but it struck me that it would get lost in a session.
Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
I had a rosewood tonering built for a 5-string banjo a while back. It is an exact replica of a Mastertone style tone ring but all machined from Honduran Rosewood. It rings bright and has good decay, with less metallic overtones, and a little less loud (but ever so slight), but not that noticeable. I'm thinking of having the same installed in a tenor. Anyone play with a wood tone ring or a more subdued ring, as opposed to the traditional Mastertone or other heavy hitters? What do you like about it?
# Posted on August 17th 2011 by TheBeesKnees
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
I have a TPS (which stands for "Tony Pass Schaeffer") woodie archtop in one of my banjos and I think it sounds great. It has a lot of power (more than the *actual* 40-hole ring banjo I once had), a great crack in the attack, and it's much lighter than a metal ring. There's nothing subdued about it at all, really. I like it because it's got a nice, rich sound and it isn't heavy. I don't know why they're not more common, really.
# Posted on August 17th 2011 by Upsetter
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# Posted on August 17th 2011 by candaryis
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
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# Posted on August 17th 2011 by Ptarmigan
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
The only wood tone rings I've ever played were on old banjos that were too cheap to put a metal tone ring in. The head had to get so tight to have any projection at all, and I would say that "subdued" is a good description of the sound.
I'm intrigued by the idea of a fully formed wood ring, but I'm also a fan of the metallic edge to the sound on the banjo, so I'm not so sure that I would find one that I would like.
# Posted on August 17th 2011 by Reverend
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
Reverend- you would be mightely surprised to hear how bright the wood tone ringed banjos can sound (i.e. the ones deliberately built to the same specs as metal ring). They are surprisingly bright and powerful. I guess subdued as I used it wasn;t what I was going for. The tone is bright and pure with less of the metallic harshness. -And it will make your banjo incredibly light. Not at all the same as a no tone ring pot or even a beveled edge to the rim to look like a tone ring. THese things are hollowed and holed just like a real tone ring.
I am thinking about going down this path. My 5-string is switched out with an FQMS honduren rosewood ring which replaces the Mastertone and it looks like I'm headed that road with the tenor as well.
I like the discussion though!
# Posted on August 17th 2011 by TheBeesKnees
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
Oakwood Instruments had a 17 fret, open backed banjo with a cocobolo tone ring for sale at Sidmouth Folk Week. I had a very brief go on it, a nice instrument to look at with a pleasing enough tone, but it struck me that it would get lost in a session.
# Posted on August 17th 2011 by Andy Sugden
Re: Wood tone ring for Irish Tenor Banjo?
does anybody hav any idea if stromberg voissinet banjos such a this (http://www.ebay.com/itm/120899116919?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
) had a decent tone ring
# Posted on May 21st 2012 by lucho