faverite Claw hammer banjos

Subject: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 23 Jan 99 - 11:23 PM

Ok. I'm shore this thead is in the databace but I just could'nt figure out how to get there.I started with a {John?} Grey banjo I found on Portabela Rd. in London {in 1970}. It had a very warped neck but a pritty great sound with a skin head.Then back in New England I got a Baldwin Ode C. for being on stage but not so inspiring for claw Hammer.It was a wanderfull instroment for square dances though .My faverite instroment was a 1905 ?Vega Tubaphone with a new neck by Mike Alison of Providence. I later got a Bacon internal resonator that was magnifisent but Ive had a hard time with it on a mikeraphone. Today I got a 1924 Ball Bearing Mastertone and I don't know if I'll ever put the resonater back on the thing.I'm completly in love.Funny any time I ever tried to play a WHITE LADY it sounded like I was hearting the thing. The way I hit I guess The Tubaphone and this Ball Bearing Gibson have been the closest to home for me. Any other love storeis? Ive heard the Jokes thank

Subject: RE: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Dan Keding
Date: 24 Jan 99 - 02:12 PM

Guy, Sounds like you have some great instruments. I play a Wildwood banjo, copy of a Tubaphone. Its a good sounding banjo and because its newer it travels well. I also have a 1925 Bacon & Day Silver Bell which I was given by one of my wife's aunts when we were married. Its the best banjo I've ever played for frailing and it just sounds great. Dan

Subject: RE: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Guy Wo;lff
Date: 24 Jan 99 - 07:39 PM

Dan ,What a great thing to get The Silver Bell.Wow .Someone has lent me a Bacon And DAy tener that has the Name"Gordon" on the peghead and BAcon and Day Groton Ct. on the back of the resonator .The whole instroment is covered with a bakolite pearl finish.{Plastic mother of toilet seat} but what a sound.He has it set up with nylon strings so I have him playing it in bangolayly mode ala- Bertrum Filberforce Wooster. Its the best"shine on harvest moon" baratone banjolayly one could ever wish for! I tried the Wildwood at Eldely in Michigan a few years ago and if I was flying around I think I would follow your lead. I'd love to get another skin-head parlor instroment but now that I have the 1924 Gibson I might just put skin on the Bacon Profestional. It is an amazing BAnjo.Wanderfull undertones that I wish I could get reproduced in the studio.For the next Cd I think I will stick to the Mastertone.It's just great without the resonator. Cheers

Subject: RE: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Guy Wo;lff
Date: 24 Jan 99 - 08:38 PM

Dan ,What a great thing to get The Silver Bell.Wow .Someone has lent me a Bacon And DAy tener that has the Name"Gordon" on the peghead and BAcon and Day Groton Ct. on the back of the resonator .The whole instroment is covered with a bakolite pearl finish.{Plastic mother of toilet seat} but what a sound.He has it set up with nylon strings so I have him playing it in bangolayly mode ala- Bertrum Filberforce Wooster. Its the best"shine on harvest moon" baratone banjolayly one could ever wish for! I tried the Wildwood at Eldely in Michigan a few years ago and if I was flying around I think I would follow your lead. I'd love to get another skin-head parlor instroment but now that I have the 1924 Gibson I might just put skin on the Bacon Profestional. It is an amazing BAnjo.Wanderfull undertones that I wish I could get reproduced in the studio.For the next Cd I think I will stick to the Mastertone.It's just great without the resonator. Cheers

Subject: RE: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Guy Wo;lff
Date: 24 Jan 99 - 08:52 PM

Dan ,What a great thing to get The Silver Bell.Wow .Someone has lent me a Bacon And DAy tener that has the Name"Gordon" on the peghead and BAcon and Day Groton Ct. on the back of the resonator .The whole instroment is covered with a bakolite pearl finish.{Plastic mother of toilet seat} but what a sound.He has it set up with nylon strings so I have him playing it in bangolayly mode ala- Bertrum Filberforce Wooster. Its the best"shine on harvest moon" baratone banjolayly one could ever wish for! I tried the Wildwood at Eldely in Michigan a few years ago and if I was flying around I think I would follow your lead. I'd love to get another skin-head parlor instroment but now that I have the 1924 Gibson I might just put skin on the Bacon Profestional. It is an amazing BAnjo.Wanderfull undertones that I wish I could get reproduced in the studio.For the next Cd I think I will stick to the Mastertone.It's just great without the resonator. Cheers

Subject: RE: faverite Claw hammer banjos
From: Don Meixner
Date: 24 Jan 99 - 09:05 PM

I have three banjos that I have used over the years. I have a no-name resonator style that I retrieved fron atrash can. This became the first banjo I learned to frail. I had a great old time sound which I have never heard duplicated. As an incentive to work harder on my physical therapy after a table saw misshap, my therapist gave me a Harmony Sovereign 5 String w/ resonator. I played this for 2 years after I joined the band I'm in currently. I will say that Harmony Sovereigns are under appreciated as an instrument. The 5 String I currently use is an Ode Long Neck from Boulder Colorado. Very plain instrument but truly a work horse instrument. The sound is excellent and the neck is straight as a die. Even after 38 years. The only changes I made were in putting in a planetary 5th peg and a shubb 5th string capo. There are many more colorful intruments out there but for playability My Ode works as well as any Deering, Bacon and Day, Paramount, or Mastertone I've ever played.

Don Meixner