I have one of your banjos and tried the renaissance wax. It is terriffic, use it on all the wood surfaces and it makes the neck very easy to traverse up and down. It also gives a nice sheen, not like a glossy wax, but brings out the grain with satin finish. Thanks for the advice and the great banjo !
I came here from your version of "Buzzards". I am not a banjo player, but I think this video is exemplary for its straight-ahead, clear, comprehensive exposition.
I have a wonderful old HC Dobson with a very old calf skin head and it is always fine in all weather.. In fact all my older banjos have 100 plus years on the skin heads and non have movment in our very humid summers.. New heads just need to settle in IMHO ... Ray would love where you have gotten with your work .. He is very missed here in Connecticut .. What beautiful banjos Johannes ! If I ever get back to Copenhagen to see my old friends I will come looking for you ...
my god these banjo's are beautiful. Really having a hard time deciding. I also have a bodhran put easily tunable. Love the sound of real skin, even as a vegitarian. I live on a boat so..well... humidity. Do you still use the wax and does it change the sound. - Kijk net op je site, dacht al ver weg een NL accent te horen.
This is a great video. I am seriously considering switching to a calf skin head and am wondering if there is much difference in stability compared to goat skin. I like the sound of a thin calf skin, but I also want to be able to get through a jam session without needing to mess with my banjo.
Nice looking Banjos! I also favour real skin heads and fit them even on my cheap banjo ukuleles to make them sound like better quality instruments. I use nikwax water based water proofing wax for leather and it makes them immune to humidity with no visible or audible difference and I suspect a bit of added stain resistance.
Where do you get your bridges? Do you make them? They're compensated (at least the one I could see) and very thick. I think that probably helps the tone...
@ Guy, thanks for your nice words! That is pretty amazing there is no movement, mine react a little to the humidity, but I use goat skin heads. Are the heads on your banjos treated in any way like "smoked" from open fires or impregnated because of use?
Hi there johannes,i live in scotland and it's quite damp here most of the year,i make vacuum tube amplifiers and when i make a speaker grill from any cloth material which will be a natural fibre like goat skin,i spray water on to the material,not to soak it but to get it a bit damp,this will make the material expand,so that when i tighten it in the damp state it will tighten even more as it dries out when the material contract due to loss of moisture. I would like to get a more mellow tone from my 5 string banjo the head is a synthetic skin and sounds tinny,do you think this method of dampening with water mist would help the skin stay tighter for longer if you live in a damp climate so the skin might not expand too much,have you tried this method. I hope that if you do try it you might contact me to let me know how it went,though i hope this technique may be use full to you in some way.
hello, Would you help me with a question? I am going to put a goat skin on my dobson b. I have a dehumidifier i keep in my guitar room to dry out my guitars during rainy season. would a dehumidifier harm the goat skin on the banjo? crack it? or do what i hope it will do keep it stable. thanks.
The goat skin will just settle to the humidity of the room, no problem. When the goatskin is new it tends to react more to humidity changes and streches a little in the first month. You will have to tighten the skin a very little and find a tension that sounds good after that you probably won't touch it again, maybe a year later once more... A tip: on my banjos the best sounding tension is when the bridge sinks in about 4mm
Thanks for the video Johannes, I like the banjo on the far right. It seems to have a bright ring to it with superior sustain.
I have one of your banjos and tried the renaissance wax. It is terriffic, use it on all the wood surfaces and it makes the neck very easy to traverse up and down. It also gives a nice sheen, not like a glossy wax, but brings out the grain with satin finish.
Thanks for the advice and the great banjo !
I came here from your version of "Buzzards". I am not a banjo player, but I think this video is exemplary for its straight-ahead, clear, comprehensive exposition.
Paul Connah Thank you!
Rainy days are bassy feeling anyway :)
I have a wonderful old HC Dobson with a very old calf skin head and it is always fine in all weather.. In fact all my older banjos have 100 plus years on the skin heads and non have movment in our very humid summers.. New heads just need to settle in IMHO ... Ray would love where you have gotten with your work .. He is very missed here in Connecticut .. What beautiful banjos Johannes ! If I ever get back to Copenhagen to see my old friends I will come looking for you ...
Ray who? I live in CT also
Oh sorry .I was speaking of the great clawhammer banjoist Ray Alden who is no longer with us ..
Gotcha, thanks!
my god these banjo's are beautiful. Really having a hard time deciding. I also have a bodhran put easily tunable. Love the sound of real skin, even as a vegitarian. I live on a boat so..well... humidity. Do you still use the wax and does it change the sound.
- Kijk net op je site, dacht al ver weg een NL accent te horen.
Great video. Most use calf skin heads, but he did not have time to go into the differences.
Great video. I learned a lot. Please make more videos.
Thank,s very much, its nice to hear your point of view
This is a great video. I am seriously considering switching to a calf skin head and am wondering if there is much difference in stability compared to goat skin. I like the sound of a thin calf skin, but I also want to be able to get through a jam session without needing to mess with my banjo.
An excellent video; thank you! 😀
Great video Thanks 👍👏👏
Nice looking Banjos!
I also favour real skin heads and fit them even on my cheap banjo ukuleles to make them sound like better quality instruments. I use nikwax water based water proofing wax for leather and it makes them immune to humidity with no visible or audible difference and I suspect a bit of added stain resistance.
Great advice. Thanks
Where do you get your bridges? Do you make them? They're compensated (at least the one I could see) and very thick. I think that probably helps the tone...
@ Guy, thanks for your nice words! That is pretty amazing there is no movement, mine react a little to the humidity, but I use goat skin heads. Are the heads on your banjos treated in any way like "smoked" from open fires or impregnated because of use?
SOrry I just saw this .. No the older heads just have years & years & years of stretching out ....
Thanks brother.
malcocreative make a big bed and skin color wite
I ment hed
Johannes the way you say you're Name sound wary danish am i right?
Your camera is very clear my good friend
Nice
Hi there johannes,i live in scotland and it's quite damp here most of the year,i make vacuum tube amplifiers and when i make a speaker grill from any cloth material which will be a natural fibre like goat skin,i spray water on to the material,not to soak it but to get it a bit damp,this will make the material expand,so that when i tighten it in the damp state it will tighten even more as it dries out when the material contract due to loss of moisture.
I would like to get a more mellow tone from my 5 string banjo the head is a synthetic skin and sounds tinny,do you think this method of dampening with water mist would help the skin stay tighter for longer if you live in a damp climate so the skin might not expand too much,have you tried this method.
I hope that if you do try it you might contact me to let me know how it went,though i hope this technique may be use full to you in some way.
Or a car engine 😝
LOVE YOUR BANJOS ,HOW CAN I BUY ONE?
Julio Tirado Contact me by email: banjomaker@gmail.com
hello, Would you help me with a question? I am going to put a goat skin on my dobson b. I have a dehumidifier i keep in my guitar room to dry out my guitars during rainy season. would a dehumidifier harm the goat skin on the banjo? crack it? or do what i hope it will do keep it stable. thanks.
The goat skin will just settle to the humidity of the room, no problem.
When the goatskin is new it tends to react more to humidity changes and streches a little in the first month. You will have to tighten the skin a very little and find a tension that sounds good after that you probably won't touch it again, maybe a year later once more...
A tip: on my banjos the best sounding tension is when the bridge sinks in about 4mm
+Johannes Bonefaas thank you muchly!
You're welcome.
squirrel