banjo neck gap

Pickguards for Banjos Banjo Resonators. In the case of the neck-tension hoop gap, there's probably consensus that there should be a gap. At the heel end of the neck, use the protractor to mark a line at 87 degrees perpendicular to the surface that will be the fingerboard. Now that the neck is straight, you need to introduce some "relief" into the neck. Banjo Necks/Neck Hardware. I have had many people compliment me on how good this banjo sounds and the improvement was 10 fold. If the neck does not fit firmly against the rim, the loose joint will either absorb or reflect the sound that passes through it, and the tone of the instrument will suffer.  ARCHIVED TOPIC: neck gap? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The relief serves to prevent and eliminate buzzing. Banjo, guitar, bass, orchestral, folks and ethnic instruments. Draw a straight line to mark the backside of the neck. Banjo Setup File #1 One of the most crucial adjustments to your banjo is the correct fit of the pieces. Learn how your comment data is processed. I add a 1/2 inch to the heel of the pattern for necks intended to go with 11 inch rims. 3 hrs, 'Bart Reiter 11” Bacophone Plus, Whyte Laydie & Bacon tone ring & HSC' 3 hrs, 'Excellent Whyte Laydie reproduction' 3 hrs, 'B & D Sultana 1 Silver Bell Tenor' 4 hrs. read about scale length considerations here, June Apple and other Favorites by Bob Browder, How to Make a Banjo Neck Pattern – Side Profile. I think Roger Siminoff is among the leading proponents of the neck making solid contact with the tension hoop. If the neck is pushing on the tension hoop, removing the head means first removing the neck. Blackjaxe47 - Posted - 07/03/2017:  15:14:41. I think the contact would have to be extreme to inhibit the movement. On many Gibsons, the heelpiece to rim fit is such that there is a very fine gap between the heelpiece and the rim. The peghead should be between 6 and 7 inches in length. As others have already said, size of gap doesn't matter. Nuts! Edited by - 1xsculler on 07/03/2017 14:52:35, Dan Drabek - Posted - 07/03/2017:  15:07:42. I'm glad that folks don't take this for gospel just because of the source. You can fill this gap with either a Fretted Insert or a Fretless Insert, allowing you to play the lower section of the neck with or without frets. Hide these Google ads: join the Players Union!  Banjo Building, Setup, and Repair After the pattern is complete, use it to mark the side profile of the neck on the workpiece. Unless you want to do "banjo surgery," just leave it alone, and don't worry about it. I am probably in the minority, but Having played a number of banjos over the years, some with neck to tension hoop contact and some without, I can't say as how I've noticed any difference at all. I think that tight fit between the tone ring and the rim is far more restrictive of the sound than contact between the tension hoop and heel. How to Play Banjo Up the Neck, Cumberland Gap Question Hi Ross, I have a question about playing the Cumberland Gap up the neck break. It is okay if the peghead is a little thick as it will still have to be sanded flat. I could be wrong, but I think the belief in no gap is in the minority. You will automatically be entered for a chance to win BanjoCraft Giveaways! World's largest string selection! It seems that (most) players are in agreement that the tone is somewhere between unchanged and dramatically improved. If you do not intend to use an overlay, the thickness of the peghead can be the same as the measurement from the tuner. I hope it helps. Size of gap doesn't matter. Old Hickory - Posted - 07/03/2017:  13:14:28. I have just one side profile pattern that I use for banjo necks. The neck blank’s moisture content is also subject to change. And while that opinion may be near-universal, it's not quite there. A gap allows the tension hoop to move up and down freely when you adjust head tension. I generally set it up with light contact and I have never detected any binding of the hoop when tightening. The scale length of the instrument determines how long the neck should be. http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/332230, 'Boil the Cabbage Down bluegrass banjo lesson by Chris Quinn. Jan 18, 2016 - This is a how to video showing how to adjust the gap between the banjo neck and tension hoop. If there is a gap at the 9th fret, the neck is bowed forward. In the summertime I often cure neck blanks in a hot car for a few days to cook out any moisture. I'm having trouble with … Save the extra pieces that were cut out from the backside of the neck. I THINK that's what we would all work to avoid. The variety of grain in figured wood makes for beautiful patterns, it may also create unseen tension that can cause a warp. Mark it at the correct length that corresponds to the scale length of your choice. Give the neck blank the time it needs to cure properly. You need a slight gap. Box 2117 Stillwater, MN 55082-3117 (651) 439-9120 www.harpkit.com THE CUMBERLAND GAP We have designed this banjo with a "Cumberland Gap" in the fretboard. Edited by - 1xsculler on 07/03/2017 12:25:28, Jim Britton - Posted - 07/03/2017:  12:15:35. In its most basic representation the banjo neck side profile pattern consists of three rectangles; one for the peghead, one for the neck, and one for the heel. If you haven’t thought about the scale length of your instrument you can read about scale length considerations here. This is a very slight amount of bow. This line can be as long as the workpiece is wide for the present, it represents the angle that the heel of the neck will be cut at. After the side profile has been cut out I call the workpiece a neck blank. I think Roger Siminoff is among the leading proponents of the neck making solid contact with the tension hoop. There are no cracks through the back. I would recommend that the peghead be at least 3/8″ thick after sanding and leveling, in the case that an overlay of 1/8″ thickness will be used. After curing, check the neck blank against the jointer bed to be sure that it is still straight and true. This is a very slight amount of bow. In the case of an 11″ rim I use 19.5″ for the fingerboard length for an instrument that has a 25.5 inch scale length. Let the neck blank “rest” a while. I'll go for the consistency in set up every time. In the case of no overlay, the peghead must be at least 1/2″ thick after sanding and leveling. Is it universally accepted that there should be a slight gap between the fingerboard and the tension hoop when the neck is set up correctly on a Mastertone banjo? ', 'Looking for white keystone tuner knobs. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to. Be mindful of the angle where the peghead surface “breaks” from the fingerboard surface. Before any adjustments are made to change the string action on your banjo neck, the neck should be examined for proper straightness. Now that the neck is straight, you need to introduce some "relief" into the neck. If you have one of the machine tuners you intend to use, measure it carefully, or try fitting it to a piece of scrap wood to get an idea of the total thickness the peghead will need to be. Pic#7 shows the spot where I think the repair was made. That break-point needs to stay consistent at 90 degrees across the width of the neck blank. A twist in the wood that has not been active may become active because the wood that has been removed from the backside of the neck no longer restricts it from moving. I don't think anything about banjo setup is universally accepted! I think I will go for the smallset gap, i. e. maybe a couple of thou" so there is no contact but so the wide surface of the finger board could provide some support if side pressure is put on the neck.Thanks for your input. On the finished banjo the neck will tilt back from the plane of the front of the rim at an angle of 3 degrees. The little gap means the tension hoop and the head can usually be lifted off easily and replaced easily, without removing the neck. All Rights Reserved. Banjo Pickguards. This is not a problem to do, but it is more work and involves re-setting the banjo neck in the proper position. I am now a stern advocate of having the neck gap, it makes changing the head a lot easier that's for sure.I used a strip of sandpaper and kept running it back and forth until I could slip a piece of paper through the gap. If you do intend to use an overlay, the peghead will have to be thinner than the measurement from the tuner in order to accommodate the thickness of the peghead overlay. Curing is double important when working with figured woods! ', 'Bart Reiter 11” Bacophone Plus, Whyte Laydie & Bacon tone ring & HSC'. And while that opinion may be near-universal, it's not quite there. Measure it at the 7th or 8th fret--near the center of the neck. The neck gets thicker as it nears the heel. The plane of the peghead must tilt back from the plane of the fingerboard at about 7 degrees. You may, however, start a new topic and refer to this topic with a link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/332230, 1xsculler - Posted - 07/03/2017:  11:59:15.