Here's what I do- may differ from others, but mine plays well, so it is worth a shot.
I had trouble figuring out exactly what was meant by "adjusting the head so it barely indents", and really did not want to pop a 90 year old head if I did not have too, so i jumped on Banjo Hangout and found most will tune the head to "A". What that means is when you hit it, it will sound an A note. I did this the first time, and now I do it by feel. Your ought not change as the head is not made from animal skin. REMEMBER- tighten the head in a star pattern like you would a spare tire for a car, and count the turns you make while doing this in SMALL INCREMENTS (ie....1/2 turn on each and repeat. not four turns at once on each)
next- the tail piece- this is a mystery, so i simply tightened mine down so that it was flush with the rim that holds the head in place (which probably has a name). Apparently, tone can be changed by changing the angle of the strings from the bridged to the tail piece, but I do not hear it. It may be the short scale I am on compared to most banjos....not sure there.
Bridge- This should be, as noted, equidistant from the twelfth fret as the nut is. Find that and put a little hash with a pencil to set it. You will get really good at putting this in the right place if you play a lot, but the first couple times it will be hard and the mark helps.
Now for the strings. None of this is going to be worth anything without some strings that really sing- remember, banjos have less sustain to 'em. I use Aquila banjo uke strings, some folks use straight concerts- it is all over the board with the string thing, but I think most agree that the GHS units that come on most imports aren't worth the time it takes to brake them in.
Setup- I go LOW here...I aspire to be George Formby. Press the strings down at the third fret and see if you can fit a business card between your fingers and the nut. If you can, just barely, you are there. Then hit the bridge- I think my strings rise 3/64th off the fretboard at the end of the fretboard....'bout standard ukulele.
Now- for fingering. Same Strings, often a little longer scale- you are going to probably need to fret a little harder to get a good sound out of it. took me a month before I was done death gripping the neck to get mine to sing. That C7 is there, it is just in a little different place than the Ukulele version is. However, if it is plinking when you pluck it, I am certain your head tension is the culprit.
hope this helps
Dave