How do I find a decent zither banjo? - Classic-Banjo2024-03-28T14:38:24Zhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A159146&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noFriction tuners on a zither b…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-12-04:2667446:Comment:1592022020-12-04T08:38:12.453ZPär Engstrandhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/PaerEngstrand
<p>Friction tuners on a zither banjo? I have never seen that before. Please post pictures of the banjo.</p>
<p>That repair-work is called "buying-a-new-banjo". Lots of people on here do it all the time! :-)<br></br> <br></br> <cite>ritchie thomson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?id=2667446%3ATopic%3A142491&page=4#2667446Comment159280"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p> It kind of works, but I think it would be…</p>
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<p>Friction tuners on a zither banjo? I have never seen that before. Please post pictures of the banjo.</p>
<p>That repair-work is called "buying-a-new-banjo". Lots of people on here do it all the time! :-)<br/> <br/> <cite>ritchie thomson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?id=2667446%3ATopic%3A142491&page=4#2667446Comment159280"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p> It kind of works, but I think it would be better with a few more changes - e.g new hoop, replacement hardware, new fingerboard and frets, new tuners, maybe the whole neck. Yes then it would be perfect. </p>
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</blockquote> Well first of all it is not a…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-12-04:2667446:Comment:1592812020-12-04T03:34:36.531ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>Well first of all it is not at all weird to have a string instrument with strings of different materials, Every type of guitar is like that for instance. Even instruments having entirely unwound metal strings such as sitar or sarode in India have some strings of steel and some of brass or bronze. </p>
<p>That said, the point is</p>
<p>1) to allow the zither-banjo to play the music that was composed for it. It is a polyphonic instrument with three voices which are brought about or made more…</p>
<p>Well first of all it is not at all weird to have a string instrument with strings of different materials, Every type of guitar is like that for instance. Even instruments having entirely unwound metal strings such as sitar or sarode in India have some strings of steel and some of brass or bronze. </p>
<p>That said, the point is</p>
<p>1) to allow the zither-banjo to play the music that was composed for it. It is a polyphonic instrument with three voices which are brought about or made more distinct by the different string materials.</p>
<p>2) to prevent the instrument from sounding hideous. All nylon and it sounds like a Gibson Mattress-tone. All metal and it sounds a tin can with strings. Really awful. </p>
<p><br/> <br/> <cite>ritchie thomson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A159280&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment159280"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p></p>
<p>What is the point of the different types of strings, sounds a bit weird to me. </p>
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</blockquote> So I have been doing up the d…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-12-04:2667446:Comment:1592802020-12-04T00:29:03.543Zritchie thomsonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/ritchiethomson
<p>So I have been doing up the dodgy no-name ZB - new head, correct strings, dismantled and cleaned everything - even took the tuners (non-original friction tuners) apart. It kind of works, but I think it would be better with a few more changes - e.g new hoop, replacement hardware, new fingerboard and frets, new tuners, maybe the whole neck. Yes then it would be perfect. </p>
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<p>What is the point of the different types of strings, sounds a bit weird to me. </p>
<p>So I have been doing up the dodgy no-name ZB - new head, correct strings, dismantled and cleaned everything - even took the tuners (non-original friction tuners) apart. It kind of works, but I think it would be better with a few more changes - e.g new hoop, replacement hardware, new fingerboard and frets, new tuners, maybe the whole neck. Yes then it would be perfect. </p>
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<p>What is the point of the different types of strings, sounds a bit weird to me. </p> HA! I might be older than yo…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-22:2667446:Comment:1589302020-11-22T15:54:29.329ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>HA! I might be older than you :-) and I don't wanna be in charge of nuttin' neither. I got a "full plate" these days. But does anyone need to be in charge?<br></br> <br></br> <cite>Richard William Ineson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158929&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158929"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">I think that it's an interesting project which has not been…</div>
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<p>HA! I might be older than you :-) and I don't wanna be in charge of nuttin' neither. I got a "full plate" these days. But does anyone need to be in charge?<br/> <br/> <cite>Richard William Ineson said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/how-do-i-find-a-decent-zither-banjo?commentId=2667446%3AComment%3A158929&xg_source=activity#2667446Comment158929"><div><div class="xg_user_generated">I think that it's an interesting project which has not been tackled before, I'm too old to be in charge of anything but if you feel able to coordinate the necessary work I would be glad to weigh my banjos and submit the results for listing.</div>
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</blockquote> I think that it's an interest…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-22:2667446:Comment:1589292020-11-22T15:26:36.617ZRichard William Inesonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/RichardWilliamIneson351
I think that it's an interesting project which has not been tackled before, I'm too old to be in charge of anything but if you feel able to coordinate the necessary work I would be glad to weigh my banjos and submit the results for listing.
I think that it's an interesting project which has not been tackled before, I'm too old to be in charge of anything but if you feel able to coordinate the necessary work I would be glad to weigh my banjos and submit the results for listing. I like the Weigh Your Banjo s…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-22:2667446:Comment:1591502020-11-22T15:06:16.219ZJody Stecherhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/JodyStecher
<p>I like the Weigh Your Banjo suggestion, Richard. My bathroom scale measures only in pounds and fifths of a pound, No ounces and no grams. It's ok like that? For instance my 1909 Bacon Professional FF weighs 6.2 pounds on my scale. If this is a useful number for your proposed project I will weigh and post the weights of my other banjos, Perhaps a new topic and thread is called for?</p>
<p>I like the Weigh Your Banjo suggestion, Richard. My bathroom scale measures only in pounds and fifths of a pound, No ounces and no grams. It's ok like that? For instance my 1909 Bacon Professional FF weighs 6.2 pounds on my scale. If this is a useful number for your proposed project I will weigh and post the weights of my other banjos, Perhaps a new topic and thread is called for?</p> It would be interesting if Ni…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-22:2667446:Comment:1589282020-11-22T08:58:37.473ZRichard William Inesonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/RichardWilliamIneson351
It would be interesting if Ning members compiled a list of the weights of various makes and styles of banjo, I don't think that this has been done before.
It would be interesting if Ning members compiled a list of the weights of various makes and styles of banjo, I don't think that this has been done before. mine is probably half that, y…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-21:2667446:Comment:1590512020-11-21T14:43:31.647Zritchie thomsonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/ritchiethomson
<p>mine is probably half that, yes its a poor example. </p>
<p>mine is probably half that, yes its a poor example. </p> Another aid to identifying a…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-21:2667446:Comment:1590502020-11-21T13:42:57.469ZRichard William Inesonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/RichardWilliamIneson351
Another aid to identifying a decent ZB is weight, my Sidney Young ZB weighs in at 4.5 kilos.
Another aid to identifying a decent ZB is weight, my Sidney Young ZB weighs in at 4.5 kilos. It is in very good condition,…tag:classic-banjo.ning.com,2020-11-20:2667446:Comment:1590482020-11-20T15:55:49.789ZRichard William Inesonhttps://classic-banjo.ning.com/profile/RichardWilliamIneson351
It is in very good condition, plays well and is very loud. Sidney Young built most/all of the Cammeyer Zither Banjos i think, Cammeyer retired in 1938 and Sidney Young carried on making them for Alvey Turner. I wouldn't have thought that there was much demand for Zither Banjos after World War2 but Eli Kaufman told me that they were still selling well into the 1960s. This is my personal and only ZB at present, and it is the only Sidney Young stamped ZB I've come across. The original case which…
It is in very good condition, plays well and is very loud. Sidney Young built most/all of the Cammeyer Zither Banjos i think, Cammeyer retired in 1938 and Sidney Young carried on making them for Alvey Turner. I wouldn't have thought that there was much demand for Zither Banjos after World War2 but Eli Kaufman told me that they were still selling well into the 1960s. This is my personal and only ZB at present, and it is the only Sidney Young stamped ZB I've come across. The original case which was high quality and made from leather, developed a fungal infection which rotted it away so it had to be burnt in the interests of public safety.<br />
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A lot of the early Cammeyer ordinary banjos were imported from the USA, you often see Cole 'Eclipse' banjos with Cammeyer or Essex&Cammeyer marks on them. Cam brought a ZB with him when he came to the UK in 1888, this eventually came into the possession of Len Broomfield and I could have bought it c1990 but I wasn't interested in it at the time and didn't really take a lot of interest in looking at it. I've also only ever seen one example of the small 'Mignonette' model but lots of 'Patents' and a few 'Tropical'<br />
models etc.<br />
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The best Cammeyer ZB, I ever owned, a Vibrante, was made from Amboyna wood.<br />
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As many people have also commented. a lot of/most ZBs are pretty useless/poor quality so in my opinion it is better to stick to the prominent manufacturers, don't go for the ZBs with lots of MOP and not much else. We have saying in the North, which applies to these banjos ( and other things) 'Fur coat and no knickers'.<br />
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Another point about ZBs which Jody Stecher pointed out some time ago, is that the strings on ordinary banjos are supposed to sound alike whereas the strings on ZBs are supposed to sound different to each other.