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| Moderated by: Richard Hefner |
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| New 5-string banjo question - Introduce Yourself - General - ezFolk Forums | |||||||||||||||
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Robert Baker Approved
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Hello, as you can tell, I'm new to the forum, but wanted to jump in and get my feet wet. My name is Robert, and I live in Torrance, California. Just bought a beautiful banjo, and it came with an adjustable strap. I can easily attach it to the bottom end of the banjo where there is a metal clip for the strap. But, how do you attach the strap at the top end of the banjo? Nothing there to clip it on. Any suggestions?
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Will Approved 
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Robert Baker wrote: Hello, as you can tell, I'm new to the forum, but wanted to jump in and get my feet wet. My name is Robert, and I live in Torrance, California. Just bought a beautiful banjo, and it came with an adjustable strap. I can easily attach it to the bottom end of the banjo where there is a metal clip for the strap. But, how do you attach the strap at the top end of the banjo? Nothing there to clip it on. Any suggestions? You should attach the other hook of your banjo strap to one of the metal brackets that holds the banjo drum head on. Use the one closest to where the neck attaches to the banjo head (use the bracket that faces you, not the bracket below the neck). I have found that the clip at the end of the banjo (usually triangular in shape) is made of rather soft wire, and it will, in time, get bend out of shape, and will no longer hold the banjo strap clip. If that happens, just reclip the strap to a metal bracket closest to that spot. Last edited on Thu Jun 26th, 2008 06:45 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ |
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Robert Baker Approved
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Thank you for your answer as how to attach the other end of my banjo strap. On my guitar and tenor ukulele, I use a loop made of a leather shoestring up near the tuning pegs and hook the strap to that, but for the banjo this seems a much better way to connect it. Thanks again for the help. I'll give it a try today. Robert
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banjo brad Super Moderator 
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You may need to play with the placement of the strap to get the balance right. Contrary to what Will said, I usually attach one end of my strap to the 2nd or 3rd tension hook above the tailpiece and to the 2nd or 3rd tension hook below the neck. This helps hold the neck at the angle I like for ease of playing. Of course, I hold my banjo with the neck at about a 45ยบ angle from the horizontal - others hold it more like a guitar. I have the strap adjusted so the banjo is at the same height as when I play with the banjo in my lap. That is when I use the strap. Since I play clawhammer style Appalachian OT music, I usually sit while I play, so I have put the strap in my case and seldom use it. By the way, welcome to ezFolk! Brad
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Robert Baker Approved
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Brad, Your suggestion as to where you clip the strap is well taken. I notice from pictures that most folks that play the 5-string banjo do hold it at a 45 degree angle, and your placement of the straps sounds like the right way to go. I did try to attach it to one of the tension hooks and found that it just popped off. I don't know why it came off so easily. Maybe it was not tightened correctly when it left the store. I believe I would have to remove the resonator to tension the hooks, but I'm not sure just how tight to make them. I believe you would want all of them to be tensioned correctly. Any suggestions? Oh, yes, thanks for your help as to the placement of the strap. Robert
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Will Approved
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Robert Baker wrote: Brad, I also hold my tenor banjo at a 45 degree angle when I play, whether standing up or sitting down. I just attach the strap to the supplied hook at the bottom of the banjo head, and the other end to a tension hook that I can see rather than one below the neck where I can't see it. I don't know why your tension hook popped off. My banjos are inexpensive Asian imports, and the tension hooks were never that loose.  Last edited on Fri Jun 27th, 2008 04:17 pm by Will ____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ |
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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If your tension hook popped off, either the nut was very loose or the hook at the tension ring was not hooked enough to maintain a grasp. I would take the banjo back to the shop for head tensioning. You are correct in assuming that the tension hooks should be approximately the same tightness to keep the tension ring from warping. The shop shouldn't charge anything, as I would suspect that they didn't check the set-up before letting you have the instrument. Another thought might be to look into a "cradle strap." These run between the tension hooks and the rim all the way around the bottom of the banjo, and can be threaded out to the part that goes over your shoulder at any point that works for you. I didn't realize that you were using a resonator banjo - most clawhammerers play openbacks. Not all, and a lot of the old timers played resonator banjos, so don't think I'm coming down on the resonator banjo. Brad
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Robert Baker Approved
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Brad, Thank you very much for the info. Actually, I purchased the banjo on line from the Banjo Hut (Knoxville, KY) and except for the loose clamps, everything seems to be in fine working order. That cradel strap sounds like something I would like to try, but never heard of it. Where can one be purchased? What do they look like? I guess the 5-string banjo could be used for bluegrass as well as clawhammer type playing. If I try to learn the clawhammer style, maybe I could just remove the resonator. Haven't had any experience with doing that, wonder if that would be a work around solution. You are very helpful, and your comments and suggestions are certainly appreciated. I kind of wish you were here so I could see how an accomplished banjo player makes one of these things sing! Thanks again.
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banjo brad Super Moderator
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Here's a description of how to attach a cradle strap, but there isn't a picture (even though they say there is one): http://tinyurl.com/4ouah7 Here is one picture of such a strap: http://tinyurl.com/4ywvss Okay, so what you need to do is to tighten the loose hook until it feels about as tight as the rest of the hooks. After bringing it to some tension, tighten it no more that 1/8 - 1/4 turn at a time until it feels as tight as the others. The head should be tight enough that the bridge leaves a slight depression where it makes contact. If you don't have a music shop that has a good luthier (used to banjos), I would suggest that you find a book about set-up and/or maintenance of the banjo. I have "Complete Banjo Repair" by Larry Sandberg, but Roger Siminoff has an excellent set-up book, too. Brad
____________________ ezFolk Help Brad Prickly Pear Music Banjo Brad's ezFolk page TOTMC |
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Will Approved
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Robert Baker wrote: Brad, I bought a 6-string banjitar from Banjo Hut, and I haven't had any problems with any loose hooks or slack tension on the banjo head. They advertise that they set up every instrument that they sell. This is the $10 leather strap that I use for my banjos: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Perris-212-Leather-Banjo-Strap?sku=364712  They also have a gold embossed one for the same price: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Perris-212-Leather-Bluegrass-Banjo-Strap?sku=364711 
____________________ Will http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/297/ Loose Change & Friends http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/245/ http://loosechangeandfriends.com The Earth Tones http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/337/ |
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BanjoLeeds Approved
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In response to the strap. I've had difficulty too as the catch made for attacthing the top end of my strap fell off my banjo. Not too big of a deal cos i could never get used to its position anyway. my advice would be to do your best, whatever is comfiest and holds the banjo in the right position for you, is whats best. have un experimenting.
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McLovin Approved
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I've never liked the idea of attaching the strap to a tension hook. One of my banjos is very, very heavy, and while it may never damage the hook, the idea of all that weight hanging from two little tension hooks makes me apprehensive. I've also found it east to loop a nylon strap through a hole in the flange and attach my strap to that. For banjos with out a flange or resonator, I use guitar strap locks, one placed on the heel of the neck, the other about 180 degrees away on the rim.
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| ezFolk Forums > General > Introduce Yourself > New 5-string banjo question | |
