Q&A: Neck Angle on Mountain Banjos & "Nylons on a Goodtime?"
Added 2018-03-11 22:08:49 +0000 UTCJustin asks me all about the concept of "neck angle" as it pertains to traditional banjo building and Will asks about converting his Goodtime to nylon strings: Pros vs. Cons and Considerations!
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Comments
We are hoping to do more like that in the future.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-14 16:00:38 +0000 UTCHey clifton, just had an idea watching this one. Have you thought about filming your build process? It would take more editing piecing it all together of course, or maybe a multipart video series. Ive seen a lot of your process on instagram and whatever but think a video showing a complete build would be neat
Mike Gager
2018-03-14 14:22:20 +0000 UTCSounds like a good move, cool.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-13 20:04:16 +0000 UTCI switched my Goodtime to nylon strings last year. The nut wasn't a problem but I had to get a new bridge with wider slots. I'm happy with the sound: quieter and mellower.
Mark Handford
2018-03-13 20:02:54 +0000 UTCI'd say you could use glue anywhere between the neck, the top hoop and the center hoop--dont glue the back on cause you'll want to easily remove it for head replacement, etc.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-13 08:12:03 +0000 UTCHello Mountain Banjo builders.... Is it appropriate to use wood glue for the neck-to-pot connection (ie: the sandwich between the top and bottom hoop and the neck tendon)...? Or are wood screws top and bottom enough?
Justin Hoffmann
2018-03-12 23:45:14 +0000 UTCI think it's a matter of achieving optimal action height, optimal tension and, yes, to my ear when a banjo comes off the bench after a successful neck re-set it sounds bigger and better for some reason...
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-12 14:20:55 +0000 UTCI thought the neck angle only effects the string action. So if the neck is perfectly flat with the pot it gets really hard to play past the 5th fret.
Timofey Tverdiukov
2018-03-12 07:56:53 +0000 UTCYes, I've heard from several people that 3 degrees is ideal. As long as it looks angled to the eye you have "achieved neck angle." It don't take much.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-12 01:22:31 +0000 UTCI have built two banjos. My first was flat and essentially my bridge is very low. The good thing is the sound and volume is actually very good (especially in F tuning) but I would prefer more tension on the bridge to keep it from sliding from a heavy hand. The second one was built with a friend who put his own angle lines on it and I think we went 5 degrees or more. The pressure is quite high and we can see the head tension change with the weather...so my take home message is, the angle doesn't have to be much. Two or three would be my next build choice.
Richard Cockerham
2018-03-12 00:56:28 +0000 UTCLOL the other thing the guy who made the banjo with the bad angle did not know is the nut for a nylon strung banjo needed to be wider than on a steel strung banjo or guitar with similar gauge strings killed 2 birds with one stone here
Tony Thomas
2018-03-11 23:42:10 +0000 UTCNot realizing there is a neck angle is one of the more frequent mistake enthusiastic banjo makers without anyone to help them mnake. Got a banjo only good for hanging over the fire place cause its maker didint know that
Tony Thomas
2018-03-11 23:27:57 +0000 UTCI should note that there are other ways to achieve the same angle on a mountain banjo that I have seen used but not tried--these involve a different type of neck joint than what I have been making.
Clifton Hicks
2018-03-11 23:24:27 +0000 UTCthanks very much Clifton. Well that clears up a great mystery.... I suspected something like this but it is great to get it explained in detail about how to actually do it , very clear , thanks again for sharing this, Justin
justin tighe
2018-03-11 22:42:18 +0000 UTCThank you so much for getting to my question. I had an extra bridge so I went ahead and changed them. Also gave me the opportunity to learn the bowline knot. The nut, from not being changed in over 10 yrs, was worn and touch the nylons well. I did take a nail file (a very fine finishing) and clean the slots and top. Everything went well. My antique stays tuned down, so it was scary tuning all the way up to G with the nylons. I thought at any moment they were going to break. But it’s been about an hour or so and they are setting some. I do agree and think I will eventually put the steel strings back on the Goodtime, but will keep it for a bit. Another question regarding my antique - and if you have covered in another vid, I am sorry- the one you are playing in your vids has geared tuners. The one I have has friction tuners. Any advice as to changing them out to geared. And if that should be done?
Will Coppage
2018-03-11 22:31:44 +0000 UTC
