Man i wish I could play up the neck like you do lol, I dont even understand how you make the banjo strum sound slower and I've been playing for three years!
Just got it today, Clif! Such a pleasure to play...feels much heavier on my soul to play an instrument with so much history. And it means a ton to me to have received it from you. Cheers, my friend.
You mentioned look for Fiberskyn 2 heads, and I immediately jumped up to go check what it says on my banjer. Turns out it doesn't say anything, no Remo logo or nothing. Now I gotta go ask my luthier if he remembers what he put on there. If you ever wanted to make a video on various head materials, I'd watch the heck out of it. Thanks for another cool video!
I have an SS Stewart just like that one - #52393. A really nice banjo. The original skin head broke and try as my luthier tried, we could not fit on a new one. So it now has a fibreskyn # 2 head. But so nice to play.
I'm curious when steal strings made an appearance. I assumed mine had them because there was remnant of them when I found it in that old studio attic. but I suspect after a few of your videos (and a little research it's an older buckbee) mine would have had gut strings but I put light gauge steel.. I like the sound but do see they tend to warp the neck up slightly, not enough to matter much but it's been that way for a good 20 years now and has not gotten any worse and I'm not sure I would like the sound or feel of nylon. I'm thinking of tuning down to F like you do to put less strain on the neck and I like how it sounds on your banjos. (but im thinking that's nylon though too) I'm lernin! might be better nylon as you suggested as steal can really ruin these. luckily I never played it much till now that I'm getting more into banjo playing.
Chuck, steel strings did not become standard until after WW2. Gibson and Kay began designing banjos around steel strings during the 1930s; it was not until Earl Scruggs emerged as the preeminent banjoist after 1945 that everyone switched to steel. I wouldn't worry about your Buckbee neck "warping" up. As long as it hasn't gone _too_ far up past flat (90-degrees to the rim) then you're good to go! _All_ 5-string banjos before 1930 came from the factory with flat-trajectory necks; i.e. they were purposely built with zero neck angle. If you decide to keep steel strings on it and want to play down in F as I do, then I recommend going up to medium gauge strings--so long as you keep her tuned low! Light gauge steel down in F really doesn't sound like much to me. As always, I strongly encourage you to experiment with nylon strings and a solid, rock maple bridge from Joel Hooks, available at www.BanjoThimble.com La Bella No. 17 nylon strings are the best for tuning up to standard pitch; if you wish to tune low then I recommend Aquila Nylgut light or medium gauge.
@@CliftonHicksbanjo yes i remember you recommended those La Bella strings and i'm going to try that or the nylgut. i might just like the way it sounds.. wont know unless i try. And i like the idea of a traditional bridge too.. Thanks again i really get alot out of your videos and thanks for commenting back its really appreciated... Best to you and yours.
Hi Clifton . I have a Stewart very similar to this one . Stamped as a 'Monogram' , serial number 9359 . It was my Grandfather's and was left to me years ago . I'm just now working on it to get it up and running . Fixed the crack in the peg head . It has violin style pegs so anyway now I can tune it . Next job is to carve a couple of wedges for the neck brace .... Any tricks to that ? Anyway , Thanks for the great video , Very informative for me ...... Oh , Mine has the Fleur De Lys inlay on the head stock too ..... but no laquer on the neck and dowel ..... other than that , the neck looks exactly the same , Same inlays and the pip looks identical ......
Jon, carving the wedges is difficult at first. They need to be flat along one side, and slightly tapered along the other, so that the flat lays against the rim and the tapered lays against the metal neck attachment piece. Depending on the style of attachment piece, you may also need to nock off the outside shoulder of each wedge to make it fit properly. The more accurate your fitting, the better the banjo will sound.
Hi Clifton , I hope you don't mind but I have another quick question for you . It appears that the drum head is original and is in good shape though super dried out . I was wondering if I should do anything with it to try to perserve it .... Thanks
does the neck angle affect the intonation and where the string contacts the frets? especially in the upper frets? it took me 3 days to adjust neck angle and bridge to scale length and make the high notes play in tune on frets 12 and up on my 1970s bottleneck banjo
The uneven surface on a Fiberskyn head makes it impossible for the legs of your bridge to fully contact the sound table--thus muffling the banjo. I avoid Fiberskyn whenever possible, just use a regular old frosted Remo instead.
Awesome video and history lesson. I’m sure it gets old hearing this, but how can I buy one of these from you? It seems like they get swooped up fast; even on the Patreon page!
Email me at clifhicks@gmail.com with your price range and preferences. Inventory is kind of low right now, but I do expect to have 2 or three more antique banjos come in this fall/winter.
Very nice banjo
THANKYOU! ✌🏻👩🏼🎨👍🏻❤
Man i wish I could play up the neck like you do lol, I dont even understand how you make the banjo strum sound slower and I've been playing for three years!
Nice
Just got it today, Clif! Such a pleasure to play...feels much heavier on my soul to play an instrument with so much history. And it means a ton to me to have received it from you. Cheers, my friend.
That’s some of the best east Virginia I’ve ever heard
You mentioned look for Fiberskyn 2 heads, and I immediately jumped up to go check what it says on my banjer. Turns out it doesn't say anything, no Remo logo or nothing. Now I gotta go ask my luthier if he remembers what he put on there. If you ever wanted to make a video on various head materials, I'd watch the heck out of it. Thanks for another cool video!
Ian, in my experience the unmarked ones are typically standard Fiberskyn.
Love the tone you produce. Keep them coming.. Love from NC
Beautiful...and history in your very hands!
I have an SS Stewart just like that one - #52393. A really nice banjo. The original skin head broke and try as my luthier tried, we could not fit on a new one. So it now has a fibreskyn # 2 head. But so nice to play.
This is awesome I love your style
Keeper coming bub doin a wicked pissah of a job!!! 👍👍👍
Do you know were i could find some good Antique Fiddels?
I don't know much about a fiddle. George Gibson has a few he's wanting to sell. If I ever get any of those you'll be on my short list.
I'm curious when steal strings made an appearance. I assumed mine had them because there was remnant of them when I found it in that old studio attic. but I suspect after a few of your videos (and a little research it's an older buckbee) mine would have had gut strings but I put light gauge steel.. I like the sound but do see they tend to warp the neck up slightly, not enough to matter much but it's been that way for a good 20 years now and has not gotten any worse and I'm not sure I would like the sound or feel of nylon. I'm thinking of tuning down to F like you do to put less strain on the neck and I like how it sounds on your banjos. (but im thinking that's nylon though too) I'm lernin! might be better nylon as you suggested as steal can really ruin these. luckily I never played it much till now that I'm getting more into banjo playing.
Chuck, steel strings did not become standard until after WW2. Gibson and Kay began designing banjos around steel strings during the 1930s; it was not until Earl Scruggs emerged as the preeminent banjoist after 1945 that everyone switched to steel.
I wouldn't worry about your Buckbee neck "warping" up. As long as it hasn't gone _too_ far up past flat (90-degrees to the rim) then you're good to go! _All_ 5-string banjos before 1930 came from the factory with flat-trajectory necks; i.e. they were purposely built with zero neck angle. If you decide to keep steel strings on it and want to play down in F as I do, then I recommend going up to medium gauge strings--so long as you keep her tuned low! Light gauge steel down in F really doesn't sound like much to me.
As always, I strongly encourage you to experiment with nylon strings and a solid, rock maple bridge from Joel Hooks, available at www.BanjoThimble.com
La Bella No. 17 nylon strings are the best for tuning up to standard pitch; if you wish to tune low then I recommend Aquila Nylgut light or medium gauge.
@@CliftonHicksbanjo yes i remember you recommended those La Bella strings and i'm going to try that or the nylgut. i might just like the way it sounds.. wont know unless i try. And i like the idea of a traditional bridge too.. Thanks again i really get alot out of your videos and thanks for commenting back its really appreciated... Best to you and yours.
👍👍
Hi Clifton . I have a Stewart very similar to this one . Stamped as a 'Monogram' , serial number 9359 . It was my Grandfather's and was left to me years ago . I'm just now working on it to get it up and running . Fixed the crack in the peg head . It has violin style pegs so anyway now I can tune it . Next job is to carve a couple of wedges for the neck brace .... Any tricks to that ? Anyway , Thanks for the great video , Very informative for me ...... Oh , Mine has the Fleur De Lys inlay on the head stock too ..... but no laquer on the neck and dowel ..... other than that , the neck looks exactly the same , Same inlays and the pip looks identical ......
Jon, carving the wedges is difficult at first. They need to be flat along one side, and slightly tapered along the other, so that the flat lays against the rim and the tapered lays against the metal neck attachment piece. Depending on the style of attachment piece, you may also need to nock off the outside shoulder of each wedge to make it fit properly. The more accurate your fitting, the better the banjo will sound.
@@CliftonHicksbanjo Good info !!!! Thanks ... :D
Hi Clifton , I hope you don't mind but I have another quick question for you . It appears that the drum head is original and is in good shape though super dried out . I was wondering if I should do anything with it to try to perserve it .... Thanks
What was that last tune. You own it
Thanks. That's called "East Virginia" ~ gDGCD.
does the neck angle affect the intonation and where the string contacts the frets? especially in the upper frets? it took me 3 days to adjust neck angle and bridge to scale length and make the high notes play in tune on frets 12 and up on my 1970s bottleneck banjo
I'm sure it does. This banjo is blessed in that it was never altered by a modern luthier, so it still has a flat zero-degree neck with no angle to it.
Hi Clifton! What was that you said about a muffled bridge on a fiberskin... sounded like you said something about cracking?
The uneven surface on a Fiberskyn head makes it impossible for the legs of your bridge to fully contact the sound table--thus muffling the banjo. I avoid Fiberskyn whenever possible, just use a regular old frosted Remo instead.
Awesome video and history lesson. I’m sure it gets old hearing this, but how can I buy one of these from you? It seems like they get swooped up fast; even on the Patreon page!
Email me at clifhicks@gmail.com with your price range and preferences. Inventory is kind of low right now, but I do expect to have 2 or three more antique banjos come in this fall/winter.
At the moment I have just a couple of fretless banjos that I can sell, the rest are basically heaps of parts that I need to restore.
👏👏👏👌👍
cela est un peu rapide , si non cela ressemble à la musique traditionnelle laotienne !! bravo !!
Merci! Je ne pense pas avoir jamais entendu de musique traditionnelle laotienne auparavant, mais je vais la chercher maintenant.