I've seen a number of banjo necks that had been broken and repaired and often wondered how the break could have happened. Did someone step on the banjo during a party of something? Did it fall of the stage? Well, I received a banjo from a seller on eBay and it arrived in a hardshell case and it's neck was completely broken off. On examination I could see that the banj was loose in its case and the case was loose in its shipping box. The pot, which was fairly heavy no longer had its original resonator. In the case, the pot was basically being held suspended by the neck. The package as apparently dropped and the weight of the pot and the downward movement snapped the pot off the neck. I have some banjos in cases and they too are not well supported under the pots. I think this is common for many banjos and thus we have a probably cause for so many broken necks.
There's a story (which I originally read on IRTRAD-L) about a banjo player at a gig in California who hit an obnoxious audience member with his banjo. The audience member died - of a heart attack, it turned out later - and the banjo player was charged with murder (I'm not sure about that last bit). There was no mention of any damage to the banjo.
To be fair, this was a Bluegrass concert, and this story does not imply any particular risk from Irish or tenor banjo players. I'd leave the shakey eggs at home thoughl
Is wood really that weak that tuning up a fifth will break a neck!
I had a very good Vega which was put into transit on a RyanAir flight between London and Dublin and the bastards done everything to it but play it!
Necks and banjo's can be replaced, but never the music!
A fiddle neck can break under misuse or accident if the fingerboard isn't glued securely to the neck along its length (I've seen it happen). The fingerboard, which should be made of a tough hardwood, usually ebony, is a very important strengthening part of the construction.
Trevor
Falling over from the vertical breaks banjo necks. Don't leave yer banjo standing on end and leaning against a table in the hope that friction or luck alone will keep it there. One October meself and El Grumpo had a game of conkers in the session, which necessitated a deal of moving about. At the end of the game Chris's banjo fell over and the neck snapped at about the first fret. A bit of araldite soon restored it to as good condition as before the conker season.
A really good banjo has a large, heavy pot (tone ring), and the difference in weight between that and the neck and head, which is very small and light in comparison, is how these things get broken. When a heavy tone ring gets moved violently, it really whips the headstock around. If you travel with your banjo, guitar, or any similar instrument, it's critical to make sure the neck and headstock is supported well, and that the whole instrument isn't able to move around. Tuning a banjo up a fifth isn't good for it, but it shouldn't break the neck by itself.
I had a banjo fall over onstage onto its face. The neck didn't break, but the bridge shattered. It was sitting on a cheap stand, and the weight of the pot unbalanced it. I went out afterwards and bought a really good, heavy stand (an Ultimate stand that can hold three instruments). It's a bit of a beast to haul around, but it's absolutely steady.
I recently got the head of my Kentucky mandolin broken courtesy of Hawaiian airlines. It was packed in a canvas-case with lots of clothes packed snug around it. Hawaiian was sorry, but since my luggage was not damaged they couldn't reimburse me for the broken instrument. So... word to the wise: either carry-on your instrument, or pack it in a (well taped) hard-shell case.
Banjo Broken Necks
Banjo Broken Necks
I've seen a number of banjo necks that had been broken and repaired and often wondered how the break could have happened. Did someone step on the banjo during a party of something? Did it fall of the stage? Well, I received a banjo from a seller on eBay and it arrived in a hardshell case and it's neck was completely broken off. On examination I could see that the banj was loose in its case and the case was loose in its shipping box. The pot, which was fairly heavy no longer had its original resonator. In the case, the pot was basically being held suspended by the neck. The package as apparently dropped and the weight of the pot and the downward movement snapped the pot off the neck. I have some banjos in cases and they too are not well supported under the pots. I think this is common for many banjos and thus we have a probably cause for so many broken necks.
# Posted on December 18th 2004 by oldtymebanjo
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
There's a story (which I originally read on IRTRAD-L) about a banjo player at a gig in California who hit an obnoxious audience member with his banjo. The audience member died - of a heart attack, it turned out later - and the banjo player was charged with murder (I'm not sure about that last bit). There was no mention of any damage to the banjo.
To be fair, this was a Bluegrass concert, and this story does not imply any particular risk from Irish or tenor banjo players. I'd leave the shakey eggs at home thoughl
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by Gzeg
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
I don't know about banjos, but fiddle bows tend to break if you shut them in folding chairs - my son got threw 3 fiddle and 1 cello bow that way.
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by The Cat
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
One way to break a banjo neck is to take one with strings for "original" c-g-d-a tuning and tune it up a 5th to play Irish Traditional Music on it!
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by BarryM
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
I broke the neck in my guitar [and it was subseqently fixed] when it fell forward off a stand. Seemingly the neck can rebound-causing a break!
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by allan21
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
Is wood really that weak that tuning up a fifth will break a neck!
I had a very good Vega which was put into transit on a RyanAir flight between London and Dublin and the bastards done everything to it but play it!
Necks and banjo's can be replaced, but never the music!
Is Trad music banjo not tuned down a fifth?
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by compaqjohn
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
A fiddle neck can break under misuse or accident if the fingerboard isn't glued securely to the neck along its length (I've seen it happen). The fingerboard, which should be made of a tough hardwood, usually ebony, is a very important strengthening part of the construction.
Trevor
# Posted on December 19th 2004 by lazyhound
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
"...c-g-d-a tuning and tune it up a 5th to play Irish Traditional Music..."
Barry - Wouldn't you tune it *down* a 4th? Then again, if you really *want* to break the neck...
# Posted on December 20th 2004 by ragaman
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
Falling over from the vertical breaks banjo necks. Don't leave yer banjo standing on end and leaning against a table in the hope that friction or luck alone will keep it there. One October meself and El Grumpo had a game of conkers in the session, which necessitated a deal of moving about. At the end of the game Chris's banjo fell over and the neck snapped at about the first fret. A bit of araldite soon restored it to as good condition as before the conker season.
# Posted on December 20th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
A really good banjo has a large, heavy pot (tone ring), and the difference in weight between that and the neck and head, which is very small and light in comparison, is how these things get broken. When a heavy tone ring gets moved violently, it really whips the headstock around. If you travel with your banjo, guitar, or any similar instrument, it's critical to make sure the neck and headstock is supported well, and that the whole instrument isn't able to move around. Tuning a banjo up a fifth isn't good for it, but it shouldn't break the neck by itself.
I had a banjo fall over onstage onto its face. The neck didn't break, but the bridge shattered. It was sitting on a cheap stand, and the weight of the pot unbalanced it. I went out afterwards and bought a really good, heavy stand (an Ultimate stand that can hold three instruments). It's a bit of a beast to haul around, but it's absolutely steady.
# Posted on December 20th 2004 by Audeamus
Re: Banjo Broken Necks
I recently got the head of my Kentucky mandolin broken courtesy of Hawaiian airlines. It was packed in a canvas-case with lots of clothes packed snug around it. Hawaiian was sorry, but since my luggage was not damaged they couldn't reimburse me for the broken instrument. So... word to the wise: either carry-on your instrument, or pack it in a (well taped) hard-shell case.
# Posted on December 21st 2004 by capnmike