Who plays long-neck five string banjo to

Subject: Who plays long-neck fivestring banjo to
From: Stringsinger
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 02:38 PM

It's interesting to me that with all the influence Pete Seeger had on the banjo by revolutionizing the instrument, there are not more long-neck five-string banjo players today.
Does anyone know of any who are in the Pete/Peggy Seeger style of song accompaniment?

Here are all I can think of:


Pete Seeger,
Erik Darling,
Bob Gibson,
Dave Sears,
Sandy Bull (early)
Mark Dvorak
David Bernz (With Work of the Weavers)
Peggy Seeger
George Grove (with the Kingston Trio)

Can you add to this list?

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: GUEST,wiggy
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 02:47 PM

I play lonng neck banjo have built one also
Frank

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 02:53 PM

I used to play one very badly. Sold it years ago and improved the standard of folk music considerably.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 02:54 PM

I did for some few years.

Art

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Stringsinger
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 03:01 PM

Wiggy, are you on YouTube? Which make of long neck do you like the best?

Vega Tuba-fone is the one many used with a widened bridge to accommodate
spacing for finger style.

What picks do you use? I've been using (I think they're called) True Tone or something like that.

Pete's bridge was built for him by Stu Jamieson years ago.

Usually resonators are not used with them. I put one on my Gibson RB 175 and it works O.K. Wish I could afford a Vega though but not the new ones but the older ones prior to Deering. They cost a fortune.

Pete uses a lignum vitae wood (a very hard wood) for his Vega neck.

I find that the long neck five is not great for fancy clawhammer stuff or Scruggs.
It's best as a song accompaniment instrument.

One of the best examples of its usage as an accompaniment for song is Pete Seeger's early ten inch recording called "Darling Corey".

Erik Darling has a couple of great cuts on his "True Religion" album.

Ode banjos were long necks until Ogsbury started the Ome Company.

Merlin long-neck Seeger style Banjos were made in the Sixties.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 03:10 PM

I had a Framus long neck back in the mid 70s. Found it a bit awkward

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Mark Ross
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 03:29 PM

After years of playing a 1925 Gibson Mastertone, my sweetie helped me get a Gold Tone White Lady long neck this year. I love it! A banjo-building friend made me a Stu Jamison bridge, which improved the volume. I think the key factor to consider when using the long neck is to increase the diameter of the strings. When I played one for a while 35 years ago, a Vega Folklore, there was a distinct lack of tone. Gold Tone recommends using a heavier gauge than was available back then, 12/14/16/25/12. The only string maker that makes loop end strings that are long enough is GHS.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: GUEST,Lavengro
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 03:46 PM

Gotta be honest stringsinger, never really thought about it but you are right,the influence versus well known long neck players is very disproportionate.

Having said that there is obviously a big market for the long necks? Took a look on my favoured banjo supplier (no personal connection) and he stocks quite a few. Never personally played a long neck but I can tell you that his Grafton 5 strings are fantastic for the money. Like I said no connection.

http://www.andybanjo.com/trolleyed/4/35/index.htm

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Elmore
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 07:51 PM

Dave Sear ( if he's still alive) plays the long neck banjo.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: PHJim
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 12:32 AM

The late Karen Dalton played a long neck.
John Coleman and John Bange are a couple of BHO members who play long necks.
Ken Whitely plays a long neck.
The late Rick Fielding's banjo had the fifth string peg emerging at the 7th or 8th fret, although I believe the neck was standard length.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 03:21 AM

The brilliant English musician Pete Coe plays a long neck. [ among other instruments ]

Dave H

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 04:42 AM

These musicians in the Scottish and Irish traditions all sing / sang accompanying themselves with 5-string banjos - whether or not they were "long-neck" banjos, I'm not 100% sure, and stand to be corrected on that :

Ireland -
Al O'Donnell, from Dublin - see cover of his 2nd LP, if I remember correctly.
Luke Kelly of the "Dubliners" [ maybe not "long-neck" ]
Tommy Makem - and also his nephew, of the same name.

Scotland -
Iain MacIntosh
Danny Couper - still playing at our sessions in Aberdeen [ although he's defected slightly to the mandola ].
Ian Walker
John McDermott - "The Laggan"

England -
John Dunkerley - "Ian Campbell Folk Group"

Apologies in advance for my ignorance about 5-string banjo neck length, but I'm always willing to learn !

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: David C. Carter
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 04:50 AM

I used to "play"one,but the blood used to run out of my left arm,plus it was full off bullet holes(the banjo)that is!

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: banjoman
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 09:57 AM

Then there is me - I have a couple of these instruments and make good use of them to accompany songs.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Elmore
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 02:06 PM

I believe Billy Faier, Alex Hassilev, and the late John Stewart all played the long neck banjo.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: fretless
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 02:16 PM

Tommy Makem played one, too.

I've got one at home--a 1960s Gibson--but I almost never play it. It's not all that suitable for OT fiddle tunes.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 02:24 PM

The basic advantage of a long-neck 5-string is that it lets you "capo down" to keys like Bb and F. I can't think of any other advantage it provides over shorter-neck 5-strings.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: topical tom
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 05:11 PM

I think that Hedy West did as well.

Subject: RE: Who plays long-neck five string banjo to
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Mar 13 - 05:38 PM

I had a long-necked Vega "Seeger Model" back in the late fifties/early sixties. But I walked with a pair of aluminum forearm crutches, and packing a guitar by myself was about all I could manage (wrapping a hand around both the grip of the crutch and the handle on the guitar case). The banjo, especially in its case, weighed a ton. Unless I had someone along to lug the banjo for me, I just took my guitar.

I taught myself out of Seeger's "How to Play the 5-String Banjo" manual and record and I got fairly good on the thing (no Scruggs style or the fancy stuff), but I'm a much better guitarist, so I didn't use the banjo all that much.

Darn nice instrument and it should have been played. So I sold it in the early sixties to a guy who was tickled pink to get it.

Don Firth