Banjo bridge swap, don't watch unless you're a banjo junkie.

[BanjoNut10]

What are you like grocery shopping ? - You and my wife would get on like a house on fire. She spends hours selecting a can of beans.. LOL. Just joking.

Great video hope the new head resolves the buzz.

[boavirett]

Thanks for your honesty, most folks would try for a happy ending video i.e. problem solved at end of video, but not you-great !!!! sharing your banjo problems

[rpeek]

@boavirett  My Dad used to say that every time you do something wrong, you figure out how not to do it next time... hahahaha.

[Hikikomori013]

I tried Scruggs style when I was a tadpole; never did get the hang of it.Now I'm learning Classic Parlor style 3 finger and a little Kentucky 2 finger thumb lead. Much happier now.

For a bright tone, keep the weight down. Have you tried a 2 footed solid maple bridge? No ebony or other ballast; just the maple. I've heard good things about that type of bridge.

[rpeek]

@Hikikomori013 I've made a couple of two foot maple bridges, and I've got a two foot bridge on one of my other banjos, really old.. Don't even know what kind of wood it is, but it plays good..

[etanbenami]

Thanks for the bridge comparisons.

I've settled on a 1/4" heavy-weight Moon bridge for my openback. I've been putting a circular piece of 2" air-conditioner/duct foam between the top control rod and the head all around the rim. It gives it a mellow sound and reduces complaints. I've also been frailing with Dunlop finger pick (0.018 brass) on my index finger due to totally wearing out the nail. That also changes tone and volume quite a bit.

[rpeek]

@etanbenami Yep. I think that's where the term, "Put a sock in it" came from. People stuff socks in the back of the banjo to tone it down for practice.. hahaha..

[acefrehley813]

is it bad if the bridge is making an indent in the head, and if so how do i fix it

[rpeek]

@acefrehley813 tighten the head. Turn the little bolts, just a bit, a little at a time, work your way around, slowly. If you tighten it too tight it'll break the head. You'll hear the sound improve as you go too. It'll sound better when you get it tightened up.

[DXfan20000]

4,699 are banjo junkies

[rpeek]

@DXfan20000 'smazin' how many of 'em there are out there..... They walk among us..

[flyingspacepotatoes]

i liked that little bridge

[tinderhorn]

this was actually really entertaining. i guess that makes me a banjo junkie. plus i'm shopping for new bridges right now.

[rpeek]

@tinderhorn Yea, if you enjoyed that you're definately addicted..

[Rev1981]

Me again... I heard you don't like the three finger style picking. Are you more into the old days like Uncle Dave Macon?

[rpeek]

@Rev1981 I don't dislike 3 finger, just that it's too hard for the average person to do. Before 3 finger everybody played banjo, after Earl Scruggs came along all the old time banjo players felt inferior and hung up their banjos and died off. In the old days it was common as corn for someone to pickup and learn to play an old banjo.. I'd like to see that come back. You don't have to be a genius picker to frail or play clawhammer.

[Rev1981]

Would you say that a banjo with an open back is better for the clawhammer style? Great picker by the way. Watched a buch of video's and loved it!

[rpeek]

@Rev1981 ABSOLUTELY! IF it's got a resonator on it, just take it off and hang it on the wall.  The banjo's already loud. It don't need a hubcap to make it louder, in fact, it's easier to take if you stuff a sock in the back.....

[CoffeeShopification]

Haha, I like watching the video and seeing you go from: I'm gonna try this bridge...OK that wasn't it. Good vid, i enjoyed it. Cheers.

[leifericson923]

i find your videos very interesting. which i find strange, because i love heavy metal music. i wish i knew my way around a bass like you know your way around a banjo.

[Ninja12005]

say, if i may ask, whats the tuning notes (from the lowest to high)? i totaly forgot

[rpeek]

There's a ton of different ways to tune a banjo, but about the most standard is G which is GBGBD, from 5th string (top) to first (bottom)..

[Ninja12005]

i see. thank you very much.

[cannissolis]

this is how I do it, cut a triangular section strip of the desired thickness, cut to height, sand the faces, make sawcuts straight up from the base leaving 1/2" or less for crossbeam 4 to 4 1/2 strings wide and chisel out centre, make the feet 1/2" or so long and saw the ends diagonally (20 degrees or so) to length so that the top is shorter that the bottom, pencil mark string notches, needle file thick string slots sharp knife for thin, sandpaper to finish, sorry if this is teaching egg sucking

[rpeek]

I've tried making bridges and also trying all sorts of different bridges. It's amazing how many different sounds you can get with just a few changes on a banjo. It's like having an old car, always something to adjust..

[cannissolis]

I usually make my bridges out of the same wood they use to make bridges on violins, I don't cap them in ebony, I tried that but it deadened the tone slightly and they seem to work well without. I make them two footed as they usually seem to sound better to me and are easier to make, they seem to work just fine with straight cuts but can be filed into nice feet if your bored, I make them fairly thin usually so that I get the highs. I have made bridges of bone (all the lows disappear)

[bnc98765]

I love all these banjo videos you put up here. Have you ever tried a Moon bridge? I just bought a couple to play with. They are kind of expensive but from the sound samples I've heard they are really impressive. They come in 3 thicknesses for different tone light, medium, and heavy. If your curious you can hear sound samples here on the youtube or over at zepp music's website.

[rpeek]

I've heard of them, but never tried one.  It's amazing how many different sounds you can get out of a banjo, by making little changes... I love to experiment..

[dhswpea]

cool, i've always been curious how that's done. :)

[squirrelslayer24]

can anybody tell me how to place the bridge on a banjo?

[rpeek]

Sure. Measure from the nut to the 12th fret, then from the 12th fret to the bridge. Should be about right. Then, once it's in place you should be able to make a harmonic at the 12th fret, then fret the string at the 12th fret, and it should sound the same. If not, adjust it a bit one way or another till it does. Nothin' to it..

[squirrelslayer24]

well i tried that and the strings touch the fretboard. i am a guitar player and i recently pulled out my moms old banjo to try to learn a few things. i restrung it, and now i cant place the bridge...

any ideas?

[rpeek]

If the strings touch the fret board, then the bridge is too short. Two ways to fix that: get a taller bridge, or cut some very tiny strips from something like an old credit card, and slip them beneath the bridge, to kind of shim it up. Not as good a fix as a taller bridge, but workable till you can get one. Keep the shims small, the bigger they are, the more they'll deaden the sound..

[squirrelslayer24]

thanks ill try it

[edda520]

One of my banjos was rattly. Turned out one of the slots in the nut had wallowed out. Filed it down and that fixed it. The other one got rattly, so I had Grandpappy look at it. I had the neck adjusted too low. You need 3/16" or so clearance between the fretboard and the strings.

[rpeek]

This isn't a string buzz, I think it's probably just a light weight string. I play too hard for those. When my new head gets here I'll change the strings too. Should sound a lot brighter.

[rpeek]

Thanks...

[Bonfiir3]

ever since i subscribed ive been addicted to the banjo i want to learn and ur videos r great keep it up