Banjolele skin tension?

Poul Hansen · Oct 19, 2020

I just bought a nice and very well made little Harley Benton banjolele, for my Georg Formby songs.

The inhouse Harley Benton brand has improved considerable over the years while staying reasonably priced.

Is there any "norm" for skintension or a "thumbs rule" for adjusting it?

I just wonder, as the strings were very slack when I got it, so maybe the skin is slack as well. It has a slight curve, but that brought the action down where I want it.

https://www.thomann.de/dk/harley_benton_bju_15pro_banjo_ukulele.htm

Jerryc41 · Oct 19, 2020

I've often wondered about that, but I don't like to make anything too tight. Below is a link to lots of articles. I'm going to leave mine as they are.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how...i57j33i160.11838j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I bought a Baton Rough 8-string from Thomann. Good price and fast delivery. I envy you being able to play like George.

Poul Hansen · Oct 19, 2020

Jerryc41 said:
I've often wondered about that, but I don't like to make anything too tight. Below is a link to lots of articles. I'm going to leave mine as they are.

https://www.google.com/search?q=how...i57j33i160.11838j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

......I envy you being able to play like George.

Nonono, I just said I'll play his songs not HOW I play them ;-)

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

Hmmm, not many banjolele players here.
I didn't find much myself either, so I grabbed the bull by the horns and brought out my carbon bicycle torque wrench.

The skin(why call it a "head"?)was very loose, I turned the adjusters 5-6 revolutions, to just have it register at 1Nm. I then brought it up to 1,5

kkimura · Mar 11, 2021

I believe the head should be tuned like a drum to G#.

anthonyg · Mar 11, 2021

There will always be a slight curve in the skin of a banjo/banjolele head. Just how much is the question, which I can't give you a definitive answer on, but it will never be flat.

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

kkimura said:
I believe the head should be tuned like a drum to G#.

I read that too but my tuner didn't react at all when I strummed the skin.

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

anthonyg said:
There will always be a slight curve in the skin of a banjo/banjolele head. Just how much is the question, which I can't give you a definitive answer on, but it will never be flat.

Of course . The banjo people talk about depression the thickness of a dime, so a banjolele must be

Jerryc41 · Mar 11, 2021

anthonyg said:
There will always be a slight curve in the skin of a banjo/banjolele head. Just how much is the question, which I can't give you a definitive answer on, but it will never be flat.

I think "never" is the right word. Just like a rope pulled between to points, it can never be perfectly straight. Of course, a banjo head had the pressure of the bridge pushing down on it.

https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/30343/why-cant-a-rope-be-pulled-completely-straight

UkerDanno · Mar 11, 2021

If it sounds and plays like you want, it must be good! :shaka:

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

The banjo people talk about depression the thickness of a dime, so a banjolele must be

John Colter · Mar 11, 2021

I once asked this question, and I was told to keep tightening it - progressively - until just before it rips.

I hope this helps.

John Colter

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

ukantor said:
I once asked this question, and I was told to keep tightening it - progressively - until just before it rips.

I hope this helps.

John Colter

Haha, so you order an extra skin, adjust till it breaks, installs the new one and then back it 1/2 turn

Poul Hansen · Mar 11, 2021

...back it a half turn

Jerryc41 · Mar 11, 2021

ukantor said:
I once asked this question, and I was told to keep tightening it - progressively - until just before it rips.

I hope this helps.

John Colter

Like giving directions. "...and if you pass the firehouse, you've gone too far."

Jerryc41 · Mar 11, 2021

Poul Hansen said:
Haha, so you order an extra skin, adjust till it breaks, installs the new one and then back it 1/2 turn

No, that wouldn't work. The skin that ripped had been stretched over time, so you would have to tighten the new one until it rips. Then you'll know how much to tighten a new one.

Siv · Mar 11, 2021

One thing I can't seem to get squared away is whether you're tuning the head to G# do you tune it with the strings in tension or do you slacken the strings, remove the bridge and tune the head separately?

kkimura · Mar 12, 2021

Siv said:
One thing I can't seem to get squared away is whether you're tuning the head to G# do you tune it with the strings in tension or do you slacken the strings, remove the bridge and tune the head separately?

I believe you remove the bridge and tap the the head as though it is a drum while adjusting the bolts until you get to G#. Like tuning a snare drum for example.

ukulelekarcsi · Mar 12, 2021

I don't think any manufacturer uses that G# rule, and especially with the smaller surface area and variable skin thickness (or materials used). There's a G#3 at 208 Hz (a bit too low) and another G#4 at 415Hz (which is a bit high), and I've seen banjo ukes tuned to anything in between, say around middle C.

My rule of thumb is that the bridge, with tuned up strings, should make a small indentation on the vellum, but nothing spectacular. And to trust your ears. If you have to slack the vellum because the action gets too high, you should adjust the neck angle first.

chris667 · Mar 12, 2021

Flick your fingernail against the vellum. This sounds ridiculous, but it should sound like "tap tap tap" rather than "tup tup tup".

Banjolele skin tension?

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