What is a Banjo Detuner?

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Banjer
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 07:25 PM

I am a banjo de-tuner. I can take a banjo that is in perfect tuning, (as perfect as a banjo can get) and in ten minutes have it so far out of tune no living person would recognize it as a banjo! That is just by standing in the proximity of it. If I attempt to pick the damn thing up it really goes to hell in a handcart....Ask LEJ...He saw it happen!

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: vectis
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 06:09 PM

Best thing I know is a Stanley knife. My husband prefers a pair of tin snips.

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 02:29 PM

Rick, Floor pedals are a new one on me. I saw Buck Trent many years ago at the Hammond, Ind., high school auditorium as a Wagon Master playing behind Porter and Dolly. He was playing electric banjo but I don't remember any foot pedal. I've seen Shelton as well, with Jim & Jessee as I recall, but also missed seening him use the pedal. I'd love to see this, are there films?

I've seen banjo players get the same effect without the pegs. They just reached up to the peghead and grabbed a string with their bare fingers and pulled it to one side while maintaining a roll with their right hand. I never thought that trick was worth learning though.

Alan C., I'm not certain that there were commercial versions of Scruggs original design. I've seen many versions of the design but each was different and hand built by or for the owner. I even made a set myself many years ago. If David actually wants to use them in his playing, I suggest he get the modern Scruggs-Keith type. They're much easier to adjust and far more accurate in use.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 01:11 PM

Why is that not surprising Rick? Buck Trent is a bit strange himself.........A born 'Catter come to think of it.

Spaw

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 11:44 AM

Mark, thanks for getting here on time!

By the way, I've always gotten a kick out of how some of the Bluegrass pioneers started re-writing their OWN history after they realized that all their young adherents were NOT trying to steal their jobs away from them.

Scruggs initially said that the "ugly little tin box" which completely covered his "cam-type" invention , was so that "folks wouldn't see how he'd "butchered" his Mastertone. In a pig's eye. As Mark states, he didn't want the other "pros" seeing how he "got that sound". They figured it out though.

Makes sense though, if you were trying to earn a living in the forties. Monroe would do a song live on the radio Saturday night (from the Opry) and The Stanleys would be singing it in their shows two days later!

Mark, have you heard that both Buck trent AND Allan Shelton had tuners wired to FLOOR PEDALS at one time? I've seen a picture of Buck's set up and it looks VERY strange.

Rick

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Gypsy
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 11:29 AM

De man what tunes de banjos!

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Allan C.
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 10:25 AM

My friend, David C. is very much wanting to locate a set of the original Scruggs tuners. If anyone knows of a source, please let me know.

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: GUEST,Guest - Jim McDonald
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 10:23 AM

How about a flame Thrower !!!

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Mark Clark
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:54 AM

Scruggs tuners—now generally called Scruggs-Keith tuners—are special tuners replacing the normal pegs on the B and G strings. They house built in cams and stops that allow the player to change the tuning of the string between two different notes. Earl Scruggs and his imitators devised instrumental numbers that included the sliding effect of using these special tuners to move between successive notes while playing.

Earl's orignial tuners were an extra set of pegs mounted between the existing pegs with an adjustable arm that pushed against the B and D strings, stretching them to a higher preset note. Bill Keith is credited with designing the pegs with the built-in mechanism so there was no need to add an extra set of pegs.

Old Flatt & Scruggs album covers show Earl with his original tuners covered by a small box so other players couldn't see what what was going on and copy that aspect of his music.

I've heard some people refer to banjo players as "de-tuners" but that's not always accurate. <g>

      - Mark

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:50 AM

Thanks everyone, makes some sense now

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:47 AM

Also, see "Keith peg/tuner" - I assume Bill Keith had a design that was an improvement on the Scruggs idea.

Jon

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: chip a
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:45 AM

That would be "D" tuners. (!?)

Chip A.

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:44 AM

The Scruggs Peg (or Banjo detuner) is a widget which you turn to alter the note of a sting to a different pre-set note. It produces certain novelty effects loved by certain bluegrass banjo players.
The Banjo Tuna, however is a large fish usually found in tins!
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: Brian Hoskin
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:43 AM

Hint: If you do a search on Banjo D-Tuner you might have more luck.

Brian

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:42 AM

I know it's a joke - I just don't understand it...

Subject: RE: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: MMario
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:39 AM

Sound like a joke.

Subject: What is a Banjo Detuner?
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 01 - 09:36 AM

Found on this page, a personal 'hit list'

"6. Earl Scruggs. For inventing banjo detuners. If a thing's broke why break it more?"

I've never heard of one, and neither it appears has google

Any ideas?

Thanks