Just because it makes me smile!

[thereallyniceman]

 

Composed by George Gershwin in 1919  and played by Fred Van Eps in 1920.

 

SWANEE played in 1920 by Fred Van Eps

:-))

[Greg Adams]

It makes me smile too!

[Robert Dooley]

Are we going to see a Harrison arrangement of this familiar tune?

[Steve Harrison]

Hi Robert, long time no hear...I have the piano score but whether I'd be able to match FVE's arrangement is another thing...I'll put it on my 'to do' list...Steve.

[Robert Dooley]

Working hard on Silver Heels with the Fako indian theme. Hard to make it sound like Van Eps however.  restrung one of my tubaphone banjos ala Van Eps( First and 5th 0.0110) and find it requires less work but less volume results..  Will continue to experiment.  Our three piece ensemble continues to work together with gratifying results.  Presently we are working on "Chop Suey"

[Jody Stecher]

Is your string nylon or fluorocarbon? the latter is much stiffer. .011 in fishing leader with a scale (nut to bridge) several inches longer than a Tubaphone (the typical Van Eps setup) is whole nuther ballgame from typical nylon music string at a shorter scale. And don't forget a two footed bridge and maybe a hole in the head and a satellite dish/hubcap thingy in the back. For a typical Tubaphone you'd probably need literally double that diameter at .022 inches in nylon for the first and fifth strings to get average volume.  Good luck!

[Robert Dooley]

Nylon

Jody Stecher said:

Is your string nylon or fluorocarbon? the latter is much stiffer. .011 in fishing leader with a scale (nut to bridge) several inches longer than a Tubaphone (the typical Van Eps setup) is whole nuther ballgame from typical nylon music string at a shorter scale. And don't forget a two footed bridge and maybe a hole in the head and a satellite dish/hubcap thingy in the back. For a typical Tubaphone you'd probably need literally double that diameter at .022 inches in nylon for the first and fifth strings to get average volume.  Good luck!

[Robert Dooley]

Nylon monofilament. Nut to bridge 26 1/4 inches. 11 inch head. Bill Rickard tubaphone tone ring. I construct my my open backs from parts.. I moved the usual 1st and 2nd to form the 3rdand 4th strings. Will try your suggestion next. Thanks for your help.

[Jody Stecher]

Those Rickard tubaphone rings are excellent!  

[Richard William Ineson]

And don't forget the wooden damper between the perch pole/dowel stick and the vellum/head.

Jody Stecher said:

Is your string nylon or fluorocarbon? the latter is much stiffer. .011 in fishing leader with a scale (nut to bridge) several inches longer than a Tubaphone (the typical Van Eps setup) is whole nuther ballgame from typical nylon music string at a shorter scale. And don't forget a two footed bridge and maybe a hole in the head and a satellite dish/hubcap thingy in the back. For a typical Tubaphone you'd probably need literally double that diameter at .022 inches in nylon for the first and fifth strings to get average volume.  Good luck!

[Robert Dooley]

I built my first banj,o, a plectrum with Gibson parts so there is no perch pole or dowel stick just two adjustable rods. The wooden parts. were made of Ipe. the banjo plays well but is quite heavy.
I have continued to use the two rod construction on my open backs but maple is lighter and easier to work with.
Richard William Ineson said:

And don't forget the wooden damper between the perch pole/dowel stick and the vellum/head.

Jody Stecher said:

Is your string nylon or fluorocarbon? the latter is much stiffer. .011 in fishing leader with a scale (nut to bridge) several inches longer than a Tubaphone (the typical Van Eps setup) is whole nuther ballgame from typical nylon music string at a shorter scale. And don't forget a two footed bridge and maybe a hole in the head and a satellite dish/hubcap thingy in the back. For a typical Tubaphone you'd probably need literally double that diameter at .022 inches in nylon for the first and fifth strings to get average volume.  Good luck!

[Jody Stecher]

My point is that Van Eps's sound is the product of many factors working together and that replicating  only one of these factors (a reported string diameter)  is not likely to create a similar sound on an instrument that does not match or at least approximate *all *the factors.  However, one of the characteristic Van Eps sounds is an absence of bass frequencies. Richard's idea (did Van Eps do this? ) will go a long way to doing just that.  A wooden damper between rods and head does the same thing as a wooden damper between dowel and head. 

Ipe!  Many years ago two friends of mine, each named Mike, did a hilarious photo essay which was published in a music magazine (was it Gardyloo?). The subject was "How To Convert Your Banjo Into A Boat Anchor". It showed step by step what to do and followed them on a rowboat (and showed how to row) out to the middle of a lake where they happily threw it overboard. With Ipe wood the step of mixing and pouring the cement into the resonator (and between the perch pole and vellum) could be eliminated. Ipe is famous for not floating.

[Richard William Ineson]

Jody is right, the Van Eps banjo is a total concept, so copying the various bits and pieces, including the wooden damper ( he also experimented with placing a length of orange wood stick, as a sound post, between the perch pole and the vellum, directly underneath the bridge- watch out if you try this, it may go through the vellum) may not work on your banjo.

Jody Stecher said:

My point is that Van Eps's sound is the product of many factors working together and that replicating  only one of these factors (a reported string diameter)  is not likely to create a similar sound on an instrument that does not match or at least approximate *all *the factors.  However, one of the characteristic Van Eps sounds is an absence of bass frequencies. Richard's idea (did Van Eps do this? ) will go a long way to doing just that.  A wooden damper between rods and head does the same thing as a wooden damper between dowel and head. 

Ipe!  Many years ago two friends of mine, each named Mike, did a hilarious photo essay which was published in a music magazine (was it Gardyloo?). The subject was "How To Convert Your Banjo Into A Boat Anchor". It showed step by step what to do and followed them on a rowboat (and showed how to row) out to the middle of a lake where they happily threw it overboard. With Ipe wood the step of mixing and pouring the cement into the resonator (and between the perch pole and vellum) could be eliminated. Ipe is famous for not floating.