John. I saw all your set up's videos and I have to say that it was definitely super worth it. You really know how to explain and not leave doubts even when it's just through a video and things can be easily misunderstood or not understood. I just have one question, stupid question by the way. When you decide to tight or loose your truss rod to raise or low de action, do you touch your coordinator rods? or you don't touch it at all? I mean, if you have a banjo with one coordinator rod you can adjust your action moving the nuts close to the tailpiece (in two coordinator rod's banjo you do that in the rod close to the resonator isn't it?) . Do you start moving the truss rod and then if it's neccesary you move the nuts in the coordinator rod? Sorry for de question, I''m learning how to fix and repair my banjo and digging into it because I'm travelling through Europe for long and I'm in Balkan Area now (Croatia, Bosnia) since June and of course it's super difficult to find an expert banjo repair man here. Thanks for take your time to make our life easier! Luciano.
Luciano, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad the videos are helpful! No, you will not need to do anything to the co ordination rods after adjusting the truss rid. This rid is for neck relief only. The co rods should not be used to make anything but a very small change in action. The rim needs to stay as round as possible. Enjoy your travels!
@@JohnBoulding Thanks for answer so fast!! I know you posted this video quite long ago. I just asked because I saw some videos when they loose the nut of the coordinator rod inside of the rim close the tailpiece, and tight a bit the nut outside the rim to lower the action and that made me doubt a bit about what should be the first step to low or raise the action.
Luciano Ponzano , I much prefer the rim stay round and not egg shaped from the co rod on the bottom being used to warp it. If the action just needs a very small change in action, always try slightly taller/smaller bridge first and or truss rod adjustments, your head tension also plays a roll in action. The higher the head tension, the more it pushes upward, and resists string force, the lower head tension shoots the strings to push the bridge down. The tailpiece can also have an impact here too, if it's strong enough to exert downforce/reduce it. All of this is a balancing act
@@JohnBoulding Clear as always. Your words are gold worth it! Now I have to assemble one banjo of mine and I will take care of all this things. Thanks for be kind and take your time to reply to this newbie!
Then, my understanding of the single truss rods usefulness as you describe it, would only be to straighten(by way of convex action)a neck that is being bowed too much in a concave manner by the string tension or a neck that, in it's neutral state, has too much of a concave bow, let alone what string tension might do to it. Correct?
John, With the tap test I was able to bring my head up considerably and the banjo is sounding really good. The issue I'm having now is I am getting some buzzes. Makes the banjo growl. The string clearance is fine. I believe my issue is the bridge as the slight buzz is across most strings. I have adjusted the bridge angle in all ways I can think of. Do you think I need to open the bridge slots up ever so slightly? Maybe take 1000 grade sandpaper, which I have, and just lightly sand slots to get any potential bits out from when it was manufactured. It is a new Gary Sosebee bridge. Thanks!
Ok, since the reply was in this video I assumed you had made an adjustment. If you have another bridge, slide it under the old one and change it out with the one you think might be the issue. If the tone clears up with the other bridge, you'll know. It's rare for a name brand custom made bridge to have buzzing on all strings. If you are using really heavy strings and the notches are cut for much lighter strings, you'll get some muffled tones/buzzes.
Sorry about that. WIth no other means of communication, I just stuck it here. I'll try the bridge change and see. Currently using lights. I did read today that some banjos just growl no matter what you do. I might consider using a thumb pick with a softer plastic as well. That thought came to mind.
I discovered after a lot of reading and looking that my banjo head tension was too high. I mean really too high. Like about a C# or D. How it didn't explode I don't know. This was the way the guy I bought it from set it up. Said it was good. Well, its taken me a while to discover it was ok but not ok. The string vibration and growl I spoke of was, I can only assume because the strings were resonating in a way that created this odd vibration. I have it now down to about an A-A#. Probably tighten it up just a little bit more as it settles back in. The tap test and scrap test didn't work for me. I can't hear the note well. I used the Steve Davis Quarter method. I know part of my thinking that it was ok was because often times I couldn't hear the banjo well. As you know the banjo sound can have a straight out trajectory and so I often couldn't hear it as well. Now at times I definitely can't hear it as well. I decided to record myself and stand way across the room and play. The sound comes out fine and sounds good. So it's just my hearing and the direction the sound carries. But that was the issue. Glad to find it. Thanks for your advice and help.
Thanks for the great details but if someone doesn't know which way clockwise/counter clockwise is the there should be a helicopter with a megaphone hovering over their house saying, "Sir, please step away from the banjo!" Lol
Great instructional video - everything well explained, thanks...
John. I saw all your set up's videos and I have to say that it was definitely super worth it. You really know how to explain and not leave doubts even when it's just through a video and things can be easily misunderstood or not understood.
I just have one question, stupid question by the way. When you decide to tight or loose your truss rod to raise or low de action, do you touch your coordinator rods? or you don't touch it at all? I mean, if you have a banjo with one coordinator rod you can adjust your action moving the nuts close to the tailpiece (in two coordinator rod's banjo you do that in the rod close to the resonator isn't it?) . Do you start moving the truss rod and then if it's neccesary you move the nuts in the coordinator rod?
Sorry for de question, I''m learning how to fix and repair my banjo and digging into it because I'm travelling through Europe for long and I'm in Balkan Area now (Croatia, Bosnia) since June and of course it's super difficult to find an expert banjo repair man here.
Thanks for take your time to make our life easier!
Luciano.
Luciano, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad the videos are helpful!
No, you will not need to do anything to the co ordination rods after adjusting the truss rid. This rid is for neck relief only. The co rods should not be used to make anything but a very small change in action. The rim needs to stay as round as possible.
Enjoy your travels!
@@JohnBoulding Thanks for answer so fast!! I know you posted this video quite long ago. I just asked because I saw some videos when they loose the nut of the coordinator rod inside of the rim close the tailpiece, and tight a bit the nut outside the rim to lower the action and that made me doubt a bit about what should be the first step to low or raise the action.
Luciano Ponzano , I much prefer the rim stay round and not egg shaped from the co rod on the bottom being used to warp it. If the action just needs a very small change in action, always try slightly taller/smaller bridge first and or truss rod adjustments, your head tension also plays a roll in action. The higher the head tension, the more it pushes upward, and resists string force, the lower head tension shoots the strings to push the bridge down. The tailpiece can also have an impact here too, if it's strong enough to exert downforce/reduce it. All of this is a balancing act
@@JohnBoulding Clear as always. Your words are gold worth it! Now I have to assemble one banjo of mine and I will take care of all this things.
Thanks for be kind and take your time to reply to this newbie!
Good video John and info this is the best one on you tube for truss rod adjustment good work.
Then, my understanding of the single truss rods usefulness as you describe it, would only be to straighten(by way of convex action)a neck that is being bowed too much in a concave manner by the string tension or a neck that, in it's neutral state, has too much of a concave bow, let alone what string tension might do to it. Correct?
Yes a traditional "one way" rod only helps to correct a concave bow. If the neck develops the opposite, convex bow, that rod won't do anything.
John, With the tap test I was able to bring my head up considerably and the banjo is sounding really good. The issue I'm having now is I am getting some buzzes. Makes the banjo growl. The string clearance is fine. I believe my issue is the bridge as the slight buzz is across most strings. I have adjusted the bridge angle in all ways I can think of. Do you think I need to open the bridge slots up ever so slightly? Maybe take 1000 grade sandpaper, which I have, and just lightly sand slots to get any potential bits out from when it was manufactured. It is a new Gary Sosebee bridge. Thanks!
Is the buzz always open or where fretted? Have you adjusted the truss rod after watching the video?
I've not adjusted the rod. By my observation, it doesn't need it. When I capo the growl or buzz is less but still distinctly there.
Ok, since the reply was in this video I assumed you had made an adjustment. If you have another bridge, slide it under the old one and change it out with the one you think might be the issue. If the tone clears up with the other bridge, you'll know. It's rare for a name brand custom made bridge to have buzzing on all strings. If you are using really heavy strings and the notches are cut for much lighter strings, you'll get some muffled tones/buzzes.
Sorry about that. WIth no other means of communication, I just stuck it here. I'll try the bridge change and see. Currently using lights. I did read today that some banjos just growl no matter what you do. I might consider using a thumb pick with a softer plastic as well. That thought came to mind.
I discovered after a lot of reading and looking that my banjo head tension was too high. I mean really too high. Like about a C# or D. How it didn't explode I don't know. This was the way the guy I bought it from set it up. Said it was good. Well, its taken me a while to discover it was ok but not ok. The string vibration and growl I spoke of was, I can only assume because the strings were resonating in a way that created this odd vibration. I have it now down to about an A-A#. Probably tighten it up just a little bit more as it settles back in. The tap test and scrap test didn't work for me. I can't hear the note well. I used the Steve Davis Quarter method.
I know part of my thinking that it was ok was because often times I couldn't hear the banjo well. As you know the banjo sound can have a straight out trajectory and so I often couldn't hear it as well. Now at times I definitely can't hear it as well. I decided to record myself and stand way across the room and play. The sound comes out fine and sounds good. So it's just my hearing and the direction the sound carries.
But that was the issue. Glad to find it. Thanks for your advice and help.
Hey John this is great stuff. Where in NC are you? I have family in Nash county
Thanks Stevens. I'm in western Nc near Mt Airy
Thanks for the great details but if someone doesn't know which way clockwise/counter clockwise is the there should be a helicopter with a megaphone hovering over their house saying, "Sir, please step away from the banjo!" Lol
Then tell them "righty tightly...left loosey" 😎
Well done, John, great insight on an important feature of this instrument.
Thanks, I hope this video is helpful to folks.