This is not a wind up....i have a cheaper banjo with a resonator and compared to the last three banjo's of friends of mine...it is very very very very quiet. is there anything i can do? given i've been playing banjo's way above what mine is including a scruggs edition and that just made mine not even audible. i play clawgrass.....i play very fast and play bluegrass mainly....is there anything to get more volume out of my cheap banjo? also i need to know what mic would be good for live shows as most times we don't use a condensor and can't seem to get much volume out of a dynamic either...just tuned my head up a bit and it has gotten a bit better volume but still nothing compared to other banjos....this is not because of where i'm standing....other banjo players have told me my banjo is very very quiet. please help as i'm needing this for live venues and can't afford a more expensive banjo right now..
again....clawhammer on a resonator banjo...way too quiet and i know i'm loud compared to other clawhammer players.
Take the resonator off and look to see if your banjo has a metal tone ring between the wooden rim and the head. If not, that would be one factor causing your banjo to be quieter than most.
Regardless, some ways to increase the volume of your banjo are to:
- install a taller bridge (within reason--raising the bridge increases the tension the strings apply to the head, in turn increasing the volume. But it may also raise your string action (height over the fingerboard) to the point that it becomes awkward to play or plays out of tune.)
- Tighten the head. If it's a mylar (plastic) head, you can tighten it till it pings, to the point where there's *no* slack or give in the head at all. That will make the banjo louder. If it's a skin head, you have to be more careful, but you can still increase the volume by raising the head tension. If in doubt, take it to a reputable shop and have them do it.
- Install heavy gauge strings.
- Grow out your fingernails and use them on the strings.
- Make sure all the pieces are snug: tailpiece, neck-to-pot, neck adjuster rods, resonator-to-flange, and hoop-tensioning hooks.
FWIW:
I am no luthier, and know little about banjos. I am recommending nothing here.
However, at a quick glance, I found quite a number of Youtube bits on banjo maintenance and repair, including: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXJaokMXBqI&feature=related
There are many more postings concerning banjo care.
I hope this might add to the solid advice Will has already posted.
Good Luck.
What Will said about the bridge height. The neck angle can be adjusted to compensate with a shim (wood or thin cellulose or metal etc) between the end of the fingerboard and the hoop. But don't expect a miracle whatever you do, if the solution isn't obvious.
What kind of tailpiece do you have?
More volume can be obtained by using a tailpiece that puts direct pressure onto the strings between the pins and the bridge. If its adjustable all the better.
Oh, a quiet banjo. If only more tenor banjos were like yours.......
......not that I'm prejudiced.
Of course, there is a need to be able to make the banjo project strongly in bluegrass, where each instrument gets a solo.
"also i need to know what mic would be good for live shows as most times we don't use a condensor and can't seem to get much volume out of a dynamic either"
Have you considered some kind of transducer? Granted, there are not many that can match the fidelity of a good mic, but once fitted, they are a lot less trouble to use, allowing you freedom of movement and letting you push the volume up without risk of feedback. I use a Schatten transducer on my tenor banjo, with good results. Some other names at the higher end of the market are Fishman, McIntyre (which I have on my mandolin), Pick-up the World (never used one but have heard good things about them), Shadow, K&K - they all make transducers of various designs tailor made for banjo. If you are on a tight budget, there a many cheaper general purpose instrument transducers that will give satisfactory results (although you may need to buy a separate preamp to get a high enough signal level).
Another option (not cheap) is Microvox - a small condenser mic that is mounted on the instrument. This gives you the quality of a mic without compromising your mobility while playing.
I use an instrument mic on my tenor banjo (Paramount Leader). It's like a cheap version of the Shure SM 57, but it works just as well (it cost €50 w lead in Music Maker, Dublin).
I tape it inside the banjo, on the dowel, and replace the resonator. If the lead is short enough, u can leave it plugged w the mic and just wrap it round the banjo for non-miced playing.
If ur settings r right on the pa, it will replicate perfectly the sound of ur banjo. U can adjust to reduce feedback, which is the only snag in this operation.
I've also used it on my openback 5-string for clawing, but find that the fifth string plucks a bit too loud and clear for my ear.
PS Could it be a case that ur just not a loud picker? I wouldn't be a loud picker at all (tenor-wise).
I've often wondered if it was the banjo, but when others play mine (I'm lefty, so it's rare that they do!), they'd get a much bigger bang out of it.
Was the scruggs u played much louder than urs r have u heard others play urs and the scruggs edition louder than u?
The SM57 isn't cheap enough for you? Amortized over its lifetime, it's free! And you'll hand it down to your grandchildren, and they can use it to hammer nails when the bad times come... and when civilization reinvents sound engineering, their great-grandchildren will be able to plug it in and mic a snare drum with it.
"This is your grandfather's SM57. An elegant weapon for a more civilized time"
Taping a mic inside the head (use a little padding to avoid hard contact): I have found that a small condenser mic (Apex 185, less expensive than an SM57) gives good results. Feedback has not been an issue.
I have this weird vision of the flaccid banjo draped over a rock in a yellow Salvador Dali sunset, next to a floppy clock, an omelette and a dead whale being eaten by ants.
Never was a fan of old Sal. Wonder what the banjo means, but I'm not sure I really want to know.
My banjo is tooooo soft.
My banjo is tooooo soft.
This is not a wind up....i have a cheaper banjo with a resonator and compared to the last three banjo's of friends of mine...it is very very very very quiet. is there anything i can do? given i've been playing banjo's way above what mine is including a scruggs edition and that just made mine not even audible. i play clawgrass.....i play very fast and play bluegrass mainly....is there anything to get more volume out of my cheap banjo? also i need to know what mic would be good for live shows as most times we don't use a condensor and can't seem to get much volume out of a dynamic either...just tuned my head up a bit and it has gotten a bit better volume but still nothing compared to other banjos....this is not because of where i'm standing....other banjo players have told me my banjo is very very quiet. please help as i'm needing this for live venues and can't afford a more expensive banjo right now..
again....clawhammer on a resonator banjo...way too quiet and i know i'm loud compared to other clawhammer players.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by liedja
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Take the resonator off and look to see if your banjo has a metal tone ring between the wooden rim and the head. If not, that would be one factor causing your banjo to be quieter than most.
Regardless, some ways to increase the volume of your banjo are to:
- install a taller bridge (within reason--raising the bridge increases the tension the strings apply to the head, in turn increasing the volume. But it may also raise your string action (height over the fingerboard) to the point that it becomes awkward to play or plays out of tune.)
- Tighten the head. If it's a mylar (plastic) head, you can tighten it till it pings, to the point where there's *no* slack or give in the head at all. That will make the banjo louder. If it's a skin head, you have to be more careful, but you can still increase the volume by raising the head tension. If in doubt, take it to a reputable shop and have them do it.
- Install heavy gauge strings.
- Grow out your fingernails and use them on the strings.
- Make sure all the pieces are snug: tailpiece, neck-to-pot, neck adjuster rods, resonator-to-flange, and hoop-tensioning hooks.
- Start saving for a better quality banjo.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Will Harmon
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
FWIW:
I am no luthier, and know little about banjos. I am recommending nothing here.
However, at a quick glance, I found quite a number of Youtube bits on banjo maintenance and repair, including:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXJaokMXBqI&feature=related
There are many more postings concerning banjo care.
I hope this might add to the solid advice Will has already posted.
Good Luck.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Piece
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
What Will said about the bridge height. The neck angle can be adjusted to compensate with a shim (wood or thin cellulose or metal etc) between the end of the fingerboard and the hoop. But don't expect a miracle whatever you do, if the solution isn't obvious.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by gam
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
shure sm 57s are decent enough for picking up the sound,friends of mine have a a shadow pickup install on the bridge ,good sound
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by gaelic83
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
What kind of tailpiece do you have?
More volume can be obtained by using a tailpiece that puts direct pressure onto the strings between the pins and the bridge. If its adjustable all the better.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by banjoburger
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Oh, a quiet banjo. If only more tenor banjos were like yours.......
......not that I'm prejudiced.
Of course, there is a need to be able to make the banjo project strongly in bluegrass, where each instrument gets a solo.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Guernsey Pete
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
"also i need to know what mic would be good for live shows as most times we don't use a condensor and can't seem to get much volume out of a dynamic either"
Have you considered some kind of transducer? Granted, there are not many that can match the fidelity of a good mic, but once fitted, they are a lot less trouble to use, allowing you freedom of movement and letting you push the volume up without risk of feedback. I use a Schatten transducer on my tenor banjo, with good results. Some other names at the higher end of the market are Fishman, McIntyre (which I have on my mandolin), Pick-up the World (never used one but have heard good things about them), Shadow, K&K - they all make transducers of various designs tailor made for banjo. If you are on a tight budget, there a many cheaper general purpose instrument transducers that will give satisfactory results (although you may need to buy a separate preamp to get a high enough signal level).
Another option (not cheap) is Microvox - a small condenser mic that is mounted on the instrument. This gives you the quality of a mic without compromising your mobility while playing.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
I use an instrument mic on my tenor banjo (Paramount Leader). It's like a cheap version of the Shure SM 57, but it works just as well (it cost €50 w lead in Music Maker, Dublin).
I tape it inside the banjo, on the dowel, and replace the resonator. If the lead is short enough, u can leave it plugged w the mic and just wrap it round the banjo for non-miced playing.
If ur settings r right on the pa, it will replicate perfectly the sound of ur banjo. U can adjust to reduce feedback, which is the only snag in this operation.
I've also used it on my openback 5-string for clawing, but find that the fifth string plucks a bit too loud and clear for my ear.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by copo24
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
PS Could it be a case that ur just not a loud picker? I wouldn't be a loud picker at all (tenor-wise).
I've often wondered if it was the banjo, but when others play mine (I'm lefty, so it's rare that they do!), they'd get a much bigger bang out of it.
Was the scruggs u played much louder than urs r have u heard others play urs and the scruggs edition louder than u?
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by copo24
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Help! My mandolin is too loud at sessions!................just kidding!
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by palethinboy
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
"It's like a cheap version of the Shure SM 57"
The SM57 isn't cheap enough for you? Amortized over its lifetime, it's free! And you'll hand it down to your grandchildren, and they can use it to hammer nails when the bad times come... and when civilization reinvents sound engineering, their great-grandchildren will be able to plug it in and mic a snare drum with it.
"This is your grandfather's SM57. An elegant weapon for a more civilized time"
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Gotta love the SM57!!
Definitely the best purchase I have ever made!
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Mattias Holm
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
" and they can use it to hammer nails when the bad times come"
I find the SM58 better at knocking in 6" clouts. The 57 is kept for precision tasks - picture framing and the like.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Weejie
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Aw, no, you'd damage the wind screen. 57 all the way for all your hammering tasks!
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Thank god Jon and palethinboy stepped up to plate. Nine replies before the first banjo jokes? :-0
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by Michele Sims
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Taping a mic inside the head (use a little padding to avoid hard contact): I have found that a small condenser mic (Apex 185, less expensive than an SM57) gives good results. Feedback has not been an issue.
# Posted on November 30th 2011 by oldstrings
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
I have this weird vision of the flaccid banjo draped over a rock in a yellow Salvador Dali sunset, next to a floppy clock, an omelette and a dead whale being eaten by ants.
Never was a fan of old Sal. Wonder what the banjo means, but I'm not sure I really want to know.
# Posted on December 1st 2011 by nicholas
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
But speaking of being misunderstood, I once mentioned in a session that I thought I needed a stiffer pick, and received sniggers and smirks in reply.
# Posted on December 1st 2011 by oldstrings
Re: My banjo is tooooo soft.
Have you tried those little blue pills ?
Oh, it's hard to hold them and they crack on the strings.......
# Posted on December 2nd 2011 by Guernsey Pete