Can This Banjo Be Improved? Ft. Jim Pankey

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Two weird things I noticed about this video... 1. I'm indoors for once 2. Jim is sitting up while talking to you... 😂

[@0bm31770]

Nice to see Jim completely in frame.🙂

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Haha

[@JimPankey]

It was a very fun to do this!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Sure was, thanks for taking the time to do it!

[@NathanRobinson-cy2ln]

I got that banjo. I have been told before and this gives me more confidence to save for a new one. I would spend too much to upgrade and keep it. I can get a used one for around $600. There is a guy who sells banjo for a good price I know. Thanks for the advice. I kinda needed it.

[@onlyapilgrim]

THIS IS THE CROSSOVER EPISODE WE NEEDED

[@MasonCroneMusic]

😂

[@kountry_bumpkin8455]

I recently got this banjo and am currently on day 2 of Jim Pankey’s beginner banjo series.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

That's awesome!

[@severinneukom]

Great to see you together! Thank you for that!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

It was fun, thanks for watching!

[@acousticidaho]

Solid advice - Cool to see you and Jim working together! Loved the Fireball Mail at the end!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@VladimirPutin-kl1ps]

Jim is THE Banjo Man

[@mackinbox]

Love both of your channels.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@lynnglidewell7367]

Very good information coming from Jim Panky who'd I'd consider the most trustworthy source for all things Banjo today. Now I'm not a devout Bluegrass picker like these two are, I'm mainly a Claw Hammer player because Folk Music is my focus rather then Bluegrass. This Banjo with a narrow neck would be fine for what I mainly do but serious pickers doing banjo rolls want a little more space between the strings. So good points in this video. I agree with Jim that you get a good Bridge as soon as you can. The ones that come with these budget Banjo's aren't the best quality that you can have. I mainly play open back Banjo's as a Folk Music player like Bluegrass players mainly play resonators. That too has an effect on your sound. Again, good video Mason.

[@michaelhutchens4243]

That's very Cool to have Jim in your video and Marcel to correspond with you too. OMG!! Way too Cool! Great info in the video by the way.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

They're both great guys, I'm very fortunate to call them friends.

[@elisabethemory]

No way! That's so cool that y'all got to do a video together! The banjo sounds good, and I'm sure the way y'all are playing it makes a huge difference. Side note: Your arms look RIPPED! 😂 Do you lift weights!?

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks! Yes, I lift weights... 🤦‍♂️😂

[@elisabethemory]

@@MasonCroneMusic What....? It's just a mere observation 😂💀🤣

[@ChattanoogaDave]

On the weekend we had the chance to sit down with Snuff Smith and talk bridges. He informed us that a lighter bridge would make a difference in sound. So we sat down and weighed the current bridge of my son's banjo. 2 grams, Italian made, very high quality. He then went through many of his hand made bridges and found one that was 1.72 grams. What a huge difference. The high notes finally started to pop out. Derek could not have been happier! He finally got close the prewar sound on his 2005 Gold Star. We also got Cobalt Picks but the big difference was the bridge. It pings now and it really loud. Cool video with Jim. He's the best.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

That's so awesome! Jim is awesome for sure.

[@JordieFilip]

The collaboration we've all been waiting for! 😃🪕

[@MasonCroneMusic]

😄

[@Thayer2000]

That was great advice and I loved that duet at the end there!!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@charlotterogers8733]

I follow you both so this is great ❤

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@Popcorn_Kernel]

You look Absolutely amazed that you're in the same room as Jim

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Some people said that, others said I look mad... 😂 I found his intro very funny, I was trying not to laugh too hard haha.

[@Popcorn_Kernel]

@@MasonCroneMusic I'd just not have words because it's Jim Pankey. I didn't have words when I got to play a Pre war Gibson Mastertone

[@timungrysr3326]

It's good to see both of you together talking Banjo! I don't feel like a traitor to Jim, who is my favorite first Teacher 6 yrs ago! Now I'm getting some tips from you and a couple of others !

[@MasonCroneMusic]

It was a lot of fun! Jim gave me a lot of good tips on how to grow the channel when I was first starting out, he definitely doesn't see anything as a competition haha.

[@huliniswhoiam]

The streams have been crossed! Neat idea for a video Mason! It's good to see you and Jim!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@strangsnsuch4765]

No way, Mason! You're featuring professionals now?!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Reckon so! 😂

[@strangsnsuch4765]

@@MasonCroneMusic Man, that's awesome!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

@@strangsnsuch4765 We live in the same county and we've been talking about doing a video for like a year, just now got around to doing it though 😂

[@strangsnsuch4765]

@@MasonCroneMusic wow that's really convenient

[@dc_andrade]

“What do you do when you’re 14 years? Take things apart and put them back together.” YEEES! Good times!😂 Just ordered this banjo based off your videos brotha! Thank you! 👍

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Glad to help!

[@LessonsWithMarcel]

Who's the handsome gentleman with the beard?

[@MasonCroneMusic]

I don't know, but he sure loves the zoo!

[@Xt1000]

I put a towel inside the resonator. Helps with overtones.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

I've heard of people doing that, never tried it myself though.

[@justgrowmo6562]

I just noticed the skinny nut today when looking at zero glides. Had this guy a few weeks and already got a OB-3 on the way! Pumped. Good video tho! good to know this isn’t standard size neck. I almost got wide neck version cuz how skinny this neck is.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks! And you'll love the OB 3!

[@paolo7237]

I agree that the neck is pretty narrow, especially when you have large hands and sausage fingers. In a year and a half, I have not been able to get 3-2 pull offs down because it’s just too narrow. Since I’ve had this banjo I think the quality has gone up on them since then because out of all the reviews coming out it seems to me that my example of this banjo truly is bottom of the barrel. You cannot adjust the truss rod on mine, there just isn’t a screw to tighten or loosen it- it’s just not there. I really want another banjo but a good one just isn’t in my budget right now, so I’ll just have to be patient. Thanks for the suggestions on how to improve the sound!

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thank you for watching!

[@xavierpayan]

Awesome

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Thanks!

[@Trapper4265]

I purchased a Kay banjo for $100, and I put an additional $100 into it. After all that, It was a horrible banjo, however, it was awesome as kindling in the fireplace. 😆

[@MasonCroneMusic]

😂

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

I don't have my dream instrument (banjo). But one time i was trying to put new nut on my bass guitar, and my mom asked me what I was doing, told her what I was doing, bone's much better. And she told me not to take it apart or off. You see, i find taking it apart, and modding/upgrading to be different.

[@WorshipGuitarist4life17]

Like I understand that I would have to take it somewhat apart if I want to change the banjo drum. Don't all coming to me saying it's a banjo head, not drum. I know it's banjo head but I used to play drums up until my wheelchair bound disability 😨😢😢

[@MasonCroneMusic]

It definitely won't hurt the instrument to take it apart and make upgrades. Non musicians often don't understand that though 😂

[@senorsenior9546]

On a cheap/beginner banjo, I would limit my changes to bridge, head, and strings. You can get a LOT of variations with one, or more, of those. HOWEVER, I know that it is in the nature of man to want to monkey with his banjo, sooo.... GOOD LUCK!

[@randolphfriend8260]

💙

[@wjwelch40]

Something no one mentioned was to make sure to tighten all of the hardware to eliminate rattles and slop.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

You can't just tighten everything, it could ruin the setup. If something is noticably rattling you should tighten it of course.

[@wjwelch40]

@@MasonCroneMusic True, not everything but more to the point I suppose. The screws that hold the L shoe brackets to the rim, nut that holds the neck on, the nut that holds the bracket the tail pc attaches too. Everything on my Vangoa was noticeably loose when I took it out of the box. Heck even the tuning machine screws were loose.

[@jbmows]

I wish I had known how easy it was to change a head before I sold my first banjo. I thought it was basically ruined....😂 No shotgun?!?!?!?🤣

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Yeah, they're super easy to change 😂 Well, we decided that the banjo wasn't quite horrible enough to destroy. 😉😂

[@goofoffbert]

Tighten the head, change the strings, change the bridge

[@patrickar1491]

I improved my old banjo with a new tail piece , bridge and Head.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Awesome, those make a big difference!

[@ethanowings]

Hey jim what do you think about gibson epiphone masterbuilt banjos?

[@Mando287Banjo]

You look so angry most of the video😂 nice job y'all😀

[@MasonCroneMusic]

I'm just a serious person. Believe me, I was FAR from angry 😂

[@Firehawk2022]

The banjo just sounds like a guitar on drugs. I don’t understand what’s so great about it. Maybe you could do a video about what a banjo even is, it’s just looks like a drum guitar. And where can I get blue grass? All my grass is green, I would love some blue grass.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

You may be right... It does kinda sound like a guitar with issues. I've done many videos about what a banjo is. I actually have another one coming out later this week. And that's depressing that your grass is green, guess it's a Texas thing 🤷‍♂️

[@Firehawk2022]

You got something against Texas??????????

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Not that I know of 🤷‍♂️

[@RenoScruggs]

What’s better than one great banjo player two great banjo players.

[@yppocS]

How does adding mass to the head with tuning knobs or a new tension hoop change the sound of the banjo

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Because the vibration goes through the whole instrument. So little things like that can definitely change the sound a bit.

[@redwolf7929]

I thought of adding a length of oak across the pot under the skin head really shaped into position to add mass, goanna try it on my cheapo

[@isaiah812]

What are some of the best bridges? I know Jim mentioned a Sosebee but it doesn’t look like they’re carried by most places online anymore. Also what strings would you recommend to use on a cheaper banjo like this? I want a “punchier” sound but I also don’t want anymore overtone and ringing than I’m already having.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

I've heard a lot of folks recommend Snuffy Smith and Scorpion bridges. I use GHS strings, typically either light or medium light.

[@isaiah812]

@@MasonCroneMusic thanks I appreciate it 👍🏼

[@TimothyLindblom]

My personal favorite is Snuffy Smith bridges

[@MrEpmonroe]

How does a bridge change tone? I figure it can be higher or lower off the head, which would obviously change the sound, but other than that what qualities would affect tone?

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Handmade bridges are just better quality. It's the first thing that the strings vibrate against so it affects tone.

[@clawhammer704]

Tighter grain in quality dry wood and how it’s cut in contrast to the way the grain runs. Also different thickness in the feet of the bridge can change the tone. A lot of variables can go into it. Quality ebony and the way the string groves are slotted are a plus. A experienced person can put out some nice bridges.

[@wyatt1153]

Sounds like a banjo to me.

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Me too. Haha

[@swietymikolajbb]

So this little piece of wood called the bridge can make an improvement?? We'll see 🤔

[@MasonCroneMusic]

Well think, that little piece of wood is the first thing the strings vibrate against. It transfers that sound to the rest of the banjo. So when it's handmade to be really good at doing that, your banjo will sound better! 😀

[@timwhite7127]

A $240 banjo is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick and no banjo at all...