"It's a gamble every time I play the banjo.
"
Classic Banjo
A Site Dedicated to all enthusiasts of Classic Style Banjo
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Jody Stecher
- 68, Male
- San Francisco, CA
- United States
- Blog Posts (24)
- Discussions (909)
- Events
- Photos (38)
- Photo Albums
- Videos (18)
Jody Stecher's Discussions
It's Perfect
6 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Hal Allert Dec 28, 2014.
SS Stewart
29 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Jody Stecher yesterday.
From My Sister-in-Law
1 Reply
Started this discussion. Last reply by thereallyniceman Nov 19, 2014.
Gifts Received (2)
Jody Stecher's Page
Latest Activity
Hal Allert replied to Jody Stecher's discussion SS Stewart" That is funny.It is sort of a japanese redneck name like Billy Bob. I met a guy once whose birth certificate declared his real name was Hounddog. His daddy was a moonshiner in Kentucky. He made good hootch, I can verify to that.
"
Jody Stecher replied to Jody Stecher's discussion SS Stewart"Yup, "benjo" is the word. I learned about it at age 17 from a well-informed linguist who was poo-poo-ing the notion of his aunt Betty who believed that certain sounds were "universally euphonious". She had named her son (the…"
Trapdoor2 replied to Jody Stecher's discussion SS Stewart"My mother used to say, "don't fish in the benjo ditches". The Navy stationed Dad in Japan in the late 50's and the family went with. I was born there and my eldest brother was a 10yr old. I'm sure she probably had first hand…"
Jody Stecher replied to Jody Stecher's discussion SS Stewart"So many names mean something rude in some other language. Something very like "banjo" means toilet in Japanese. Hold fast, I say. No concession. Banjo forever.
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skip sail replied to Jody Stecher's discussion SS Stewart"Its the reason I changed my name to Skip .
my original named meant something unspeakably rude in Saami, the aboriginal language of Finland and Lapland"
Jody Stecher replied to Trapdoor2's discussion The Wallaby Polka..."Ray, if it's the condition called "focal dystonia" I have heard and read that the mind can be trained to overcome it. Several musicians, including banjoists, are playing again and have reversed the involuntary contraction. The…"
Jody Stecher replied to John Cohen's discussion What is the purpose of the Van Eps tone ring?"This seems a bit anachronistic. There were 12 inch rims and larger long before Van Eps started designing banjos. At the time that he did start 11 inches might not have been standard yet. And there are easier ways of increasing the clarity of a…"
Jody Stecher replied to John Cohen's discussion What is the purpose of the Van Eps tone ring?"That's what I meant about ring and bowl acting together.
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Jody Stecher replied to John Cohen's discussion What is the purpose of the Van Eps tone ring?"If it looks like this (see photo below) then this is not what I'd normally call a tone ring. It's a ring and it affects the tone. But it's not the usual sort of thing at all. It seems to be more like a mute than like a tone ring.
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Jody Stecher replied to John Cohen's discussion What is the purpose of the Van Eps tone ring?" A tone ring normally increases volume, increases overtones, and increases sustain. Sustain, by the way, is not usually helpful for playing classic banjo. And for several other banjo styles a short sustain is also a primary characteristic. I…"
Jody Stecher commented on carrie horgan's video
The Hailstorm Jig
"Yes indeed it sounds good, just not the particular good that is on the page. The timing of the first measure is easy, once one knows what it is. It is simply the same rhythm of what is sometimes (mistakenly) taught as the basic clawhammer/frailing…"
Jody Stecher commented on carrie horgan's videoThe Hailstorm Jig
"Hmm, after thinking it over I wonder if we're all talking about the same thing and seeing the same score. In measure 2 of the score in the library the e does not become natural and move to the second fret of the first string. It's still e…"
Jody Stecher commented on carrie horgan's videoThe Hailstorm Jig
"Not there quite yet, Carrie. The open C string needs to sound literally twice as long as the rest of the notes of the first measure. do it verrrrry slowly and you'll get it.
All the grace notes in this piece are occur right before open fifth…"
Jody Stecher's Photos
Jody Stecher's Videos
Jody Stecher's Blog
Banjo Benches at San Francisco Airport!
I was taking a flight out a new terminal at San Francisco the other day and was surprised and amused to see the shape of some comfortable new benches with a new shape. Off topic because they look like plectrum banjos? No indeed, these are Zither Banjo Benches! I'm afraid my mobile phone takes horrible quality pictures but at least the shape was captured. The wave of the future?
…
ContinuePosted on November 17, 2011 at 4:06 — 5 Comments
Farland Metal banjo head on ebay
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 20:50 — 2 Comments
clear photos of the missing banjo
Note the copper bass string, the red binding around the pot and the inlay "The Cammeyer Vibrante Royal" These are distinctive.…
Continue
Posted on November 28, 2010 at 22:16
Comment Wall (17 comments)
- At 4:06 on April 7, 2009, Trapdoor2 said…
- Jody, regarding the banjo I'm playing in my videos: that's one of Bob Flesher's "Cotillion" (12") models; my main axe for about 6 yrs. Thanks for the kind remarks, I've gone from archtop Stelling "shrill" to "tubby" over the years (in more ways than one!). I have a fiberskyn head on it, Aquila Nylgut strings and one of those Cole 5-footed bridges. I have a small collection of banjos but the Flesher gets all the playing time these days.
- At 1:08 on April 12, 2009,
Paul Hostetter said… - Then I shall cheer your posts.
- At 5:54pm on March 14, 2010, Joel Hooks gave Jody Stecher a gift…
- At 8:11 on August 19, 2010,
Liz McElwain said… - Thanks, Jody. Hope to be able to meet you over the Didmarton weekend.
- At 17:08 on September 11, 2010,
Anthony Peabody said… - I enjoyed meeting you at Backwell, and I am afraid that I assumed that you were a newcomer to Banjo, so please erase from your hard drive any superfluous and quite unnecessary advice. You don't need any encouragement either. I was the bass banjo at the end of the line, filling in the blanks, and wishing I could play better. So you see, you encorage me!
Anthony Peabody
- At 17:48 on December 22, 2010,
Eric STEFANELLI said… Thanks Jody, to add me as a friend, i am deeply honored !
I would be to give you some piece of information about my banjos making, give me please your e-mail, mine is : eric.pat-luths@orange.fr .
About your music, many people in France like bluegrass & old timey music, and play it, there is many bands, many american banjo players come to France every years to teach, and have many pupils, there is summer country festivals...i was myself a pupil of Tony Trishka in 1978 and and Ben Eldrige in 1982/83, but we can speak about it by mail. Classic banjo is unknow or very few people know this kind of banjo music.
Eric
- At 14:09 on August 3, 2011,
Pam Tointon said… Thank you Jody I enjoyed that. Nice to hear an original composition, but well beyond me yet as a beginner I'm afraid.
regards Pam
- At 12:51 on October 18, 2011,
Neil Angus Goodwin said… - Thankyou for the info, that might explain why it is the only Cammeyer I have seen with the metal bands.
- At 23:51 on March 5, 2012,
allan ideson said… thanks jody for your input.ime a guitarist .i have good instruments ...this banjo .has a lot of volume .also the neck and fingerboard are a work of art .after all these years the neck is straight .....no truss rod.when i master the beast ill put some tunes on ....thanks...allan
- At 21:34 on March 8, 2012, skip sail said…
hi Jody,met you on your australian tour,we talked Fred Macdowell and Robert Petway and jammed a bit on some fingerpicked blues at Camperdown. Thanks for the welcome to the forum! Skip
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