Work Page 6-26
G.H&S (U.K) Banjo Mandolin
Repair per customers instructions
Replace head
Dress frets
Setup
This is made in the style of the "Zither" banjos of the early 1900's.
The way that the head suspends what is basically a "double flange", no wooden rim. The rim is held to the resonator by the 12 arms.
I suppose this also keeps the resonator from collapsing in under mandolin tension, to some extent. It has no dowel, or rods. The neck lags to the resonator with 2 screws and cannot be played without all pieces.
When one replaces the calfskin on these, it is not like a standard head change on a wood rim with tension hoop.
Prepare yourself to learn some new tricks, enough said.
I usually show my hacks, but this time, nope.
After I seal the frets (all ends loose) and level them (Fingerboard has cupping). I will dress the ends and re-crown/polish them.
I will be using a vintage hide, re-purposed from an 11" Rogers that is of a higher quality than anything today. Even 100 yrs old. It was also torn on the side but has enough left to use.
I try to tell anyone that does skin that to me, the vintage is best.
Her also wants the finish a bit darker than the cherry, so I will "Maple it up" a bit.
Replace head
Dress frets
Setup
This is made in the style of the "Zither" banjos of the early 1900's.
The way that the head suspends what is basically a "double flange", no wooden rim. The rim is held to the resonator by the 12 arms.
I suppose this also keeps the resonator from collapsing in under mandolin tension, to some extent. It has no dowel, or rods. The neck lags to the resonator with 2 screws and cannot be played without all pieces.
When one replaces the calfskin on these, it is not like a standard head change on a wood rim with tension hoop.
Prepare yourself to learn some new tricks, enough said.
I usually show my hacks, but this time, nope.
After I seal the frets (all ends loose) and level them (Fingerboard has cupping). I will dress the ends and re-crown/polish them.
I will be using a vintage hide, re-purposed from an 11" Rogers that is of a higher quality than anything today. Even 100 yrs old. It was also torn on the side but has enough left to use.
I try to tell anyone that does skin that to me, the vintage is best.
Her also wants the finish a bit darker than the cherry, so I will "Maple it up" a bit.
The vintage hide, ready to wet.
Time to go into the TX heat.
cupping shown.
Fretwork complete.
Showing the neck attachment before I remove to re-finish..
Ready to trim/cure.
Fretwork time.
Raised fret rnds shown.
All cured, ready to tint the wood.
As a side note, I personally believe that with mandolin string tension, no dowel, no rod, neck just lagged to the 3/8" wall of the resonator, is never a good thing in the long term and why many of these pull up and have high actions.
The tiny screws that mount the rim to the resonator give little retention that can counteract those forces.
The tiny screws that mount the rim to the resonator give little retention that can counteract those forces.
I deemed the neck junction where it connects to the rim solid.
So no added supports.
Neck angle is good. Re-used the 2 shims that were in it.
I will be string this with Neapolitan gauge mandolin strings, which I prefer for both tension and playability on these little short scale Bmando's.
When I strung it up to pitch, I noticed the 4 string tailpiece was stressed and was offering no downforce, the bridge was slipping around easily.
I took it off and found that it was cracked.
I used a 20s 8 string cloud style, one piece, and now it is back to normal.
Neck was at a better angle after re-assembly, tightened up so a higher bridge was needed.
So no added supports.
Neck angle is good. Re-used the 2 shims that were in it.
I will be string this with Neapolitan gauge mandolin strings, which I prefer for both tension and playability on these little short scale Bmando's.
When I strung it up to pitch, I noticed the 4 string tailpiece was stressed and was offering no downforce, the bridge was slipping around easily.
I took it off and found that it was cracked.
I used a 20s 8 string cloud style, one piece, and now it is back to normal.
Neck was at a better angle after re-assembly, tightened up so a higher bridge was needed.
The scale of this neck, forces the bridge to intonate at the 12th fret, very close to the center of the head.
I will stop here and let it all settle in, lower the nut slots, cut bridge slots to gauges, tweak it, the normal stuff.
It has normal downforce again and will play out OK I think.
I will stop here and let it all settle in, lower the nut slots, cut bridge slots to gauges, tweak it, the normal stuff.
It has normal downforce again and will play out OK I think.
FINAL PICS
During the final stages I saw that the neck was drifting off to the treble side due to design, age, minimal warpage.
Since these is nothing to do but shim, I will add some into the treble side to force It is not cost effective to try and recut the heel and hope for the best, after what already is invested in such an intermediate grade instrument that is always going to be something that should just play easily enough to be enjoyed. I have nothing to prove here by over-engineering it, making a silk purse from a sows ear.
That being said, After shimming I sealed them into place and the neck was more centered, end of story.
I recut the nut slots to gauge, and reduced the top of it as strings were buried in it.
Also made a new bridge with ebony top.
After the 4 string tailpiece gave way, the cloud style is shown drifting over the one tension bolt.
That is because of the way it was made , I drifted it to the bass side 1/16" more than the 4 string just to make it better over the fingerboard.
This causes the cloud "edge" to hide that bolt and I have shown how much I intend to reduce it.
It is odd size, UK standards and the USA equivalent is 11/32"
So I swaged out a 5/16 to that size and am sending it along with the Farquhar bridge jack, to ease in movement when changing a string, etc., and I marked the head for bridge placement intonation. All old parts are in the bag.
I deem this a stopping point!
During the final stages I saw that the neck was drifting off to the treble side due to design, age, minimal warpage.
Since these is nothing to do but shim, I will add some into the treble side to force It is not cost effective to try and recut the heel and hope for the best, after what already is invested in such an intermediate grade instrument that is always going to be something that should just play easily enough to be enjoyed. I have nothing to prove here by over-engineering it, making a silk purse from a sows ear.
That being said, After shimming I sealed them into place and the neck was more centered, end of story.
I recut the nut slots to gauge, and reduced the top of it as strings were buried in it.
Also made a new bridge with ebony top.
After the 4 string tailpiece gave way, the cloud style is shown drifting over the one tension bolt.
That is because of the way it was made , I drifted it to the bass side 1/16" more than the 4 string just to make it better over the fingerboard.
This causes the cloud "edge" to hide that bolt and I have shown how much I intend to reduce it.
It is odd size, UK standards and the USA equivalent is 11/32"
So I swaged out a 5/16 to that size and am sending it along with the Farquhar bridge jack, to ease in movement when changing a string, etc., and I marked the head for bridge placement intonation. All old parts are in the bag.
I deem this a stopping point!
All old parts bagged and in case pocket.
Thanks for looking and sharing, VM