Q&A | Antique Tuners & Lefty Banjos
Added 2018-03-13 16:22:21 +0000 UTCWill wants to know more about the friction tuners on his 'new' antique banjo: can/should he upgrade? And Ryan is having one Hell of a time shopping for a left-handed antique banjo.
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Comments
By the way, modern geared tuners are available for the smaller hole old style tuners. And, being left handed like me, you might learn to play right handed! Problem solved!
Butch Strayer
2018-05-14 20:48:02 +0000 UTCI feel like my phone corrected to "may" but it works either way😆
Elliott County Fiddler’s Convention
2018-03-17 10:49:08 +0000 UTC(Around here, "Might could," is commonly said, but I never heard, "May could!"
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-17 01:50:36 +0000 UTCI was going to recommend buying an old pot and hanging a neck built as well, but also, not sure where you are located wanting the left, there is a cool little music shop in Athens Ohio called Blue Eagle Music, and the owner seems to be quite the left hand instrument enthusiast. You may could look him up and reach out to him. He may have,or know of an actual antique lefty
Elliott County Fiddler’s Convention
2018-03-17 00:58:34 +0000 UTCYep, good thing to use for that!
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-15 23:45:54 +0000 UTCI bought one of these for $3 or so off ebay for opening up tuner holes for modern tuners. Well worth a couple bucks. <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Pcs-Bridge-Pin-Hole-Reamer-Tapered-6-Fluted-Guitar-Woodworker-Luthier-Tool-Kit/142380588854?hash=item21268b5f36:g:dxMAAOSwE0JY9zRa" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Pcs-Bridge-Pin-Hole-Reamer-Tapered-6-Fluted-Guitar-Woodworker-Luthier-Tool-Kit/142380588854?hash=item21268b5f36:g:dxMAAOSwE0JY9zRa</a>
Jake Tolbert
2018-03-15 21:51:31 +0000 UTCAlan, that's COOL. I think that neatly patching the old hole wouldn't take away from the character of the banjo. You could use a contrasting wood to keep it noticeable (e.g. if your neck is maple patch it with a piece of walnut or an old ebony tuning peg.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-14 09:03:20 +0000 UTCAha, I shaved my whiskers off too, feeling cool.
Florian Zhang
2018-03-14 03:11:12 +0000 UTCLove that Sally Ann! I have an old eagle bracket fretless someone drilled a second fifth string peg out on the other side of the neck to make it left handed. I set it back up right handed. I was going to fill the hole, but figured its part of its history so left it there. Not suggesting that, lol, but found it interesting someone 100 years ago or more had the same conundrum.
Alan
2018-03-14 02:06:22 +0000 UTCRyan, if you do look at modern banjo builders, you might want to look at Pisgah Banjos. They are handmade just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, from locally sourced woods. I visited the factory in person when I picked up my banjo, and can't say enough good things about them. I'm right handed, but they offer left handed models. They are made by hand, from scratch, so they can build anything you want. As far as I can tell, they are using a process that is very similar to how banjos were built back in the 1800's. You can see more on their web site: <a href="https://www.pisgahbanjos.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.pisgahbanjos.com/</a>
Nathan Rosenquist
2018-03-14 00:26:42 +0000 UTCGood idea on just putting a lefthanded neck on a pot. Antique banjo pots are laying around too plus hardware etc.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-13 17:50:48 +0000 UTCI would travel many a mile to get to a luthier I trusted.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-13 17:49:40 +0000 UTCI think as far as wanting a lefty vintage banjo you may want to buy just a right hand and have a neck built. I believe there are some old style geared tuners available that have a taper shaft for the friction heads. I bought some for a canjo i built but didn't have the tapered reamers to get the hole cut right. They have threads on the shaft to screw into the tapered hole.
OkieRob
2018-03-13 17:47:57 +0000 UTCHitting all the points. I think you hit the nail on the head about stage playing. I would prefer to be able to have that tuning ability. I think that is why my original question with the Goodtime. I can tune it. My antique does have the old style violin style tuners. And it does stay in tune well. You are right also about that 5th string. I think I may hold off until I make my trek up to NC in the summer. Wife is from Eden, NC (Charlie Poole Fest is there). I just know of a luthier i trust there. I do not know of any in MS (does anyone know or have links?). In all seriousness, thank you for answering my questions.
Will Coppage
2018-03-13 17:27:41 +0000 UTC
