Assemble the banjo pot and install and adjust a new banjo head!

Today we take a step back from the neck project promised, and instead assemble the banjo pot. This includes installing and adjusting the new banjo head with a method I've developed over many decades of banjo work.

[@flash8051]

Looking good Dave...such painstaking work on this banjo! 👍Nice job!

[@redlinemando]

Great video & thank you for sharing this restoration project!!!!!!! I'm anxious to see & hear the finished & restored banjo!!!!!!!
For all those who don't have any experience in putting on & tensioning a new head, I offer some advice. In my experience, a drum dial is a crucial tool. Every banjo is different & your personal tone preference will determine what number suits you best. For me, I start out by getting all the brackets finger tight & slowly tighten them further until I can feel the head has become more solid & is beginning to become seated in. When it is seated in, you can thump or flip it & you will get a slightly sustained tone. Once that is done, I bring each bracket up to about 85 on the drum dial, going around the head several times to bring them up gradually. This initial process is slow, but it will keep the brackets from being unevenly tensioned.
Once I get all the brackets to 85, I'm ready to put the banjo together except for the resonator, making sure that the neck is centered. Sometimes the rim holes in these old banjo get wallowed out over time or the holes may have been drilled slightly out of line with each other at the factory. It happens. In these cases, you may have to trim or widen the holes & it's usually better to let a professional deal with that sort of issue.
Once the neck is properly aligned & tightened in place, put the other parts on (minus the resonator) string it up & tune it up. With the head tension at 85, the banjo is not going to have that crisp sound that they are so well known for. The strings may even be quite low & buzz a bit. As you bring the head tension up, that will change. Bringing the entire head up by one number at a time, you will hear the tone change, getting brighter with each number & the strings will also tighten up. You will have to retune the banjo several times as you continue. I keep most of my banjos between 88 & 90 on the drum dial, but you may want a higher brighter tone with more "snap". In my experience, flathead banjos most typically respond best between 88 - 90 because they usually have a bit more sustain, but some ppl prefer them tighter head. Archtops are typically tensioned higher for a brighter tone with less sustain. This is all to the preference of the player. Keep in mind that a head can take a lot of tension, but is certainly NOT indestructible. I have seen heads bust from being tightened down too much. When they do bust, the sound can be deafening, often being as loud as a shotgun blast!!!! Happy pickin' & I hope this helps someone out there.

[@mesittinhere]

88-90 on a drum dial with a modern Remo head will give you clunky crappy tone. G# is the note that all great players and luthiers agree gives the "prewar" tone. I've never seen a banjo hit G# at anything less than 91. Stop giving bad set up advice to people who don't know any better.

[@redlinemando]

@@mesittinhere There is no definitive "prewar tone", there is no definite note to set the head tension or definite number on a drum dial that is perfectly right or wrong. There is a range that puts most banjos in the "ballpark". After that, it's down to individual preference. I know for a fact that Bela Fleck, JD Crowe & Ralph Stanley all set their head tension differently from each other. All 3 are known for playing prewar banjos & all 3 fall into different spectrums of banjo tone.
Everything about a banjo effects tone: Playability of the instrument, the individual's playing techniques, type of material & shape of finger picks, hand placement & angle, aggressive or non aggressive attack, wood types, tone ring types, string height, string gauges, bridge height, etc. At the end of the day, what counts the most is what the individual wants to hear from their instrument & what ultimately brings them the most joy.
My advice gives people a guideline for keeping balanced head tension & a starting point with which they can go more or less, if they prefer.
I've got 30 yrs of bluegrass banjo experience. 20 of which have been on & off professional road travel & studio recording. Here are 2 recordings of my banjo setup. The people can decide for themselves whether or not to take my advice.
ruclips.net/video/H5PV7Enmm2M/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/Jm6EGiBVHO8/видео.html