In fifty years of mounting good quality calf skin heads I’ve never oiled them. Much prefer the white unvarnished look. Do you always use goat? Do you use gut / nylon or steel strings on your instruments?
I'm renewing a skin head on a 100 year-old Waverly tenor banjo. In addition to the "flesh hoop" and the tension ring there is a heavy ring that sits atop the rim that was inside the old head. I assume it has to be re-installed with the new head to get proper height for the bridge install. Have you seen this before?
Hello tom- that is called a tone ring- yes you should use it. There is no Waverly banjo. Waverly made metal parts, used by almost everyone back rhen. Just because the tailpiece or something says Waverly doesn’t mean that is the brand
While watching your video i placed a new goatskin. DId not get, how much the tension hoop should mount above the skin and how much is will lower after drying and stretching. I don't want the hoop above or below the playing surface. (I chose for about 1.5 mm high.) N.B. i cut the oversize with small, sharp nail scissors) Thanks for the instructions.
Ciao Aaron, I just found an old banjolin in the flea market in Firenze. I want to make it into a soprano banjo uke. It’s missing the tension hoop which I can get made locally but I need to know the thickness of the metal material you use, if you don’t mind. It’s an odd size (8.5” diameter) so I’ll use a skin head. Grazie. Jim
I managed to stretch a new head to my old banjo over the weekend, and it seems to have turned out really well. Your video was instrumental (oh, sorry about that) in helping me understand the process, and I am extremely grateful. I have a banjo again!
Great video thanks so much., I have to re skin a soprano banjolele . This is the most helpful video I've come across . Thank you
What would you say is the optimal difference in diameter between the pot and tension hoop for a hide head?
In fifty years of mounting good quality calf skin heads I’ve never oiled them. Much prefer the white unvarnished look. Do you always use goat? Do you use gut / nylon or steel strings on your instruments?
I also use calfskin sometimes, especially on vintage instruments. I use both types of strings, depending on what the customer wants.
Scraps from the head can be trimmed and employed as Latigo leather stitching.
I'm renewing a skin head on a 100 year-old Waverly tenor banjo. In addition to the "flesh hoop" and the tension ring there is a heavy ring that sits atop the rim that was inside the old head. I assume it has to be re-installed with the new head to get proper height for the bridge install. Have you seen this before?
Hello tom- that is called a tone ring- yes you should use it. There is no Waverly banjo. Waverly made metal parts, used by almost everyone back rhen. Just because the tailpiece or something says Waverly doesn’t mean that is the brand
Thanks for sharing it. I enjoyed watching your video and subscribed as well.
While watching your video i placed a new goatskin. DId not get, how much the tension hoop should mount above the skin and how much is will lower after drying and stretching. I don't want the hoop above or below the playing surface. (I chose for about 1.5 mm high.) N.B. i cut the oversize with small, sharp nail scissors) Thanks for the instructions.
That’s hard to say without seeing it in person. Every skin stretches differently. I think I mainly get there by trial and error. Sorry!
Ciao Aaron, I just found an old banjolin in the flea market in Firenze. I want to make it into a soprano banjo uke. It’s missing the tension hoop which I can get made locally but I need to know the thickness of the metal material you use, if you don’t mind. It’s an odd size (8.5” diameter) so I’ll use a skin head. Grazie. Jim
Hello Jim- I use 3/16” brass for tension hoops, but the old ones are usually thinner. Cheap ones can be as small as 3/32”
@@beansproutmusicalinstruments Grazie. BTW I have really enjoyed your work on the old style Hawaiian ukes
Is there a rule of thumb for how snug around the flesh hoop should be?
As snug as you can but still allow it to be tightened up and down.
I managed to stretch a new head to my old banjo over the weekend, and it seems to have turned out really well. Your video was instrumental (oh, sorry about that) in helping me understand the process, and I am extremely grateful. I have a banjo again!
Thanks for posting - what type of oil was used on the head?
I use arm r seal, a mix of poly and oil.
Thanks.
@@ackeim just curious, semi-gloss? Also you said you use it on your instruments. How many coats do you generally do? Appreciate your time and help.
Nais