Results 1 to 10 of Thread: What makes a removable resonator less ideal than a flange design. Thread Tools Show Printable Version. Apr, pm 1. What makes a removable resonator less ideal than a flange design I've been playing banjo a little while now, but banjo construction and design eludes me. I've noticed that there are banjos with removable resonators, but they are not very popular especially with the higher end models.
I'm noticing this while looking at tenor banjos, but it applies to all banjos. What's the difference between a banjo with a removable resonator and one with a flange? Of course the ones with the flange are removable too, but it doesn't seem to be as good a solution for someone who wants one banjo that they can play old time open back and bluegrass resonator on for instance.
Apr, pm 2. Re: What makes a removable resonator less ideal than a flange des I'll poke at this A flange adds mass, it's also decorative. The mass will brighten the tone, and obviously the decoration is nice to look at. There's more to the switch from old-time to bluegrass than adding a resonator too. A good old-time banjo just isn't going to be a good bluegrass banjo by adding a resonator; nor is a good bluegrass banjo going to become a good old-time banjo by merit of removing the resonator.
Now, yes, one can play either style on any sort of banjo, but the in the "real world" there are fairly popular ideas of what each type of banjo should sound like. If you take the resonator off of a well set up banjo for bluegrass with a tone ring and flange it's just going to sound like a bluegrass banjo without the resonator - that's not what I would want for old time.
Same goes for a well set up old time banjo I'm not willing to sacrifice tone for the convenience of popping of a resonator -- something I'd probably never do anyways. Playing live on stage can become a battle to be heard, competing with fiddles, mandolins, guitars, tubas, xylophones, whatever. The resonator, and especially the "heavily tone rung" resonators, allow you to hold your own against guitar players, and that alone is worth it.
It may seem counterintuitive, but the insistence on openback banjos and openback banjos only for clawhammer is a modern myth. The real old timers, that is, the guys born in the late 19th-early 20th centuries, would buy the best banjo they could afford, which often included "fancy" resonator banjos. You're in good company. Some of the finest clawhammer and old-time banjoists, from yesteryear to today, choose to play resonator banjos at least some of the time.
Let's say you're totally new to the banjo, and you read this, and buy yourself a beautiful Deering resonator model. You think you want to go down the dark road of clawhammer, but after a little while you decide you'd rather play Scruggs style. No problem! A resonator covers you either way.
It's easier to get a good clawhammer tone on a resonator than it is to get a good bluegrass tone on an openback. Also, if you ever decided you'd like an openback, you can take your resonator off and voila!
Search Blog Post. Read More. In 5-string models, generally speaking, the two are used for different forms of music. The two main forms of music that use 5-string banjos are bluegrass and old time. In comparison, old time was being played even prior to the U.
Civil War. Old time modeled its playing style largely on Irish music. In old time, the fiddle is generally leading the melody and this melody goes around and around. In bluegrass, the form is modeled very much after jazz. Welcome, dribear. I'm a converted fingerstyle guitar player also. I think you'll enjoy the transition to clawhammer. I've found having that right thumb with a mind of its own is an advantage that should allow you to move quickly into double thumbing.
In addition to removing the resonator, changing out the head or tailpiece or strings, or just stuffing the pot may also be to your liking. Banjos are very tweak-able compared to guitars. You can take the resonator off, but it will not be a true open back banjo. It would make it sound more like an open back, and be much more quiet. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just play the banjo with the resonator on, whatever style you want.
When you start getting experienced at clawhammer or banjo in general, then maybe you should get another banjo that is more suitable to the sound you are looking for.
Take it off or leave it on. There have been tons of great players picking on open backs and frailing resonators for years or more. Play with it and see what you like. That is the best part about being a banjo player. Hey Tweak, Actually, there are resonator banjos that can be changed over easily to a true openback.
They have bracket shoe construction with a flange. Remove resonator and flange and you have a true openback. Same as what Chip said except I also have an OME Monarch resonator which, since it has bracket shoes is easily converted. It's been engineered over many decades to respond to a very different technique.
Sure there are exceptions in player preferance, but they are exactly that.. I'd say it's very important what kind of tonering your banjo has. Tonerings have a huge impact on sound. Nevertheless, I've experimented on about 6 banjos with different heads.
I think a fibreskin, or at least a Renn head will give you a much plunkier, CH sound, whatever banjo you have. And they cost about Ya can't really trade in the wifes Christmas present just yet now, can ya??! You only need two tools in life - WD and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use WD If it shouldn't move and does, use duct tape.
Thanks everyone for some excellent advice.
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