Paragon Tenor Banjo: 1 of 3 ~ Renaissance Head!

Dick Glasgow playing his Clifford Essex Paragon Tenor Banjo.

Dick Glasgow:
http://dickglasgow.blogspot.com/

The Irish Tenor Banjo:
http://theirishtenorbanjo.ning.com/

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This is one of three videos, which show the same Paragon Tenor Banjo playing the same tunes, but with three different Heads.
1 - Renaissance
2 - Five Star
3 - Fibreskyn

The tunes are the Jig: Biddy the Bold:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/4785
&
The Reel: The Bunch Of Green Rushes:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/1335

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Dick
• Glasgow
• Music
• Paragon
• Clifford
• Essex
• Renaissance
• Head
• Banjo

[Holm182]

What string gauge do you use on your Paragon? :)

[Ptarmi]

@Holm182 Good point ........ Twelve, Eighteen, Twenty Eight & Thirty Eight Cheers, Dick

[Holm182]

@Ptarmi Thank you! Sounds great! I love your Paragon and your playing! Do you think 12,16,24,36 would be heavy enough for a great sounding G-string? D'addario's J63i strings are that gauge and they're intended for irish tenor banjo, but I've heard from different sources that D'addario's set is too light! Any help would be highly appreciated!

[Ptarmi]

@Holm182 To be honest, there are so many factors involved, so I would suggest that for the sake of a few £s, it is time & money well spent, to experiment a little & try a few guages until you find the ones that really suit your Banjo, you & your style of playing. .............. Otherwise, you are always going to wonder! ;-)

Same goes for Heads, Pics etc etc.

Good Luck. Cheers, Dick

[Holm182]

@Ptarmi Okay I'll do that, thank you!

[fearghailM]

@Ptarmi thats the truth,i was playing with a natural vellum, sitting beside the fire when it went bang..lol the skin tightened up to much with the heat..i think it was the original skin that was still on it.

[Ptarmi]

@fearghailM Aye, there's nothing quite like the sound of natural vellum, but it's not very practical if your going to be using it in hot, sweaty Pub Sessions, unless you don't mind tuning up after every tune.

[fearghailM]

@Ptarmi i put on a frosted head on the old tenor it sounds good but im not sure that it is as good as the natural vellum.it might just take some getting used 2.i must post a video on of these days..

[Ptarmi]

@fearghailM Good Luck Feargail. N. B. This wee experiment was only carried out on one Banjo, so of course results may vary, from Banjo to Banjo.

[fearghailM]

in my opinion,i think this head sounds the nicest,i am pondering on what type head 2put on my 1920's savana short scale banjo.i might go for a frosted head.i like a deep sound in a banjo..