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 electric banjos
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Joseph Barcus Member From: Volga West Virginia "usa" |
posted 28 November 2000 08:36 PM
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do any of you know where a person might get there hands on a electric banjo the kind buck trent used with Porter W. and if this is in the wrong place im sorry. but i sure would like to find that sound to put in some classic country. thanks Joe |
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Bob Mainwaring Member From: Qualicum Beach Vancouver Island B.C. Canada |
posted 28 November 2000 09:10 PM
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Hi there Joseph, The guy I would have undoubtibly said as memory serves me, is a guy called "Rich" Richelieu who lived/lives in Clayton Ohio just outside the windy city, who called himself "Mr Banjo U.S.A.". I first met this gentleman back in the late part of `72 and found out he was a banjo in "human form" even to the extent of all his interests, like a lot of us who`s into steel in a big way. He makes all kinds of Banjos up for what ever a guy needs, he makes up speciality parts like pick holders, master mutes which would give a weird wah-wah sound, also stocking Scruggs tuners which a lot of Fender "plank twangers" use. It would be good to know if he were still around. Let`s know eh? BobMainwaring.Z.Bs and other weird things. ------------------ |
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Dave Little Member From: Conyers, GA |
posted 29 November 2000 07:03 AM
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Try these links: (You can find others by searching also) http://www.nechville.com/ http://www.deeringbanjos.com/main.htm |
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Dave Van Allen Member From: Doylestown, PA , US , Earth |
posted 29 November 2000 07:39 AM
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and yes this is the wrong place...  |
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Dale Sollenberger Member From: Chambersburg Pa. U.S.A. |
posted 29 November 2000 08:37 AM
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Be Nice Dave |
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JB Arnold Member From: Longmont,Co,USA |
posted 29 November 2000 08:51 AM
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Mark Van Allen plays in a band called Blueground Undergrass, and while I'm not positive of the banjo player's name, he has a dynamite sound on his banjo. Mark is a forumite and can probably put you in touch with him. John ------------------ |
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Larry Hendrickson Member From: New Glarus, WI |
posted 29 November 2000 09:43 AM
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Mr. Richelieu retired quite a few years ago. The last time I talked to him he had a shop in Oregon, WI. He once told me there was no way to electrify a banjo so I doubt if he was the person that built Buck Trents banjo. He had that shop in Oregon since the early 70's. He did build some beautiful instruments though, one banjo for Roy Clark that I knew of. If he is still alive he would be about 90 now. LH |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 29 November 2000 09:48 AM
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If you can get ahold of an old DeArmmond sliding guitar pickup (the adjustable kind that was used to convert arched-top guitars to electric) you'll find that if you take the pickup off the support rod, it can easily be taped right to the top of the banjo head. It's thin enough (5/16") to slide right under the strings near the bridge. I amplified an old Gibson Mastertone (w/Scruggs pegs) like this, and it worked great...sounded just like Buck's! |
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Kenny Yates Member From: Hattiesburg Mississippi |
posted 29 November 2000 03:42 PM
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I have an electric banjo made by hondo, it is about 15 to 20 years old and don't know if they still make them, but this one is pretty good, not one of the best but pretty good. |
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KEVIN WALKER Member From: Roanoke,VA. UNITED STATES |
posted 29 November 2000 05:09 PM
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DEERING does or did make an electric banjo. Bela Fleck plays an electric. The things rely totally on electronics for tone, I never thought it was such a great sound. Sound is totally subjective though. The last time I checked, they were also fairly pricey, the neighborhood of $1500.00. I will say that I've probably used every pick-up and every home-made rig going, trying to get enough stage volume out of a banjo, and it just won't happen without feed-back. If that's what you're trying to accomplish, enough volume to be heard over other electric instruments and DRUMS, then electric is the only way to go. |
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Earnest Bovine Member From: Los Angeles CA USA |
posted 29 November 2000 06:05 PM
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If you send you banjo to Bobby Lee, maybe he could eloctrocute it for you. |
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Marty Pollard Member From: a confidential source |
posted 29 November 2000 06:33 PM
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quote:How true, how poignantly true. You can make an electric instrument of five strings that is tuned like a b@nj0 but you can't electrify the real thing properly. Hey, hold it! I see your last name is Barcus! Is this a bait for some new-fangled Barcus-Berry contraption? [This message was edited by Marty Pollard on 29 November 2000 at 06:35 PM.] |
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Donny Hinson Member From: Balto., Md. U.S.A. |
posted 29 November 2000 06:42 PM
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Kevin, I had NO feedback problems with the DeArmond pickup...possible because it is a magnetic pickup. The transducer-type (piezo) pickups are famous for feedback. Also, probably the taping of the pickup onto the head (which deadened the unamplified sound, slightly) actually aided in the "anti-feedback" qualities of my jury rig! All I can say is "it worked great"! |
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Joseph Barcus Member From: Volga West Virginia "usa" |
posted 29 November 2000 07:00 PM
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thanks guys for all the feedback and although i feel like i steped on daves toes about being in the wrong place I am a steel guitar player have been for 10 yrs not the best or worse but fair lol, I have this interest for that sound for it would fit so well in alot of songs. I did set down on a msa a once and played with no bar in a had a good banjo trent sound. as far as my last name Barcus boy i wish i was related to them again thanks and if your ever going though west virgina on a sat night and come into Barbour county come to my little place called country classic showcase have alot of singers and pickers, and if you want to play u sure can. take care Joe |
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Jerry Hayes Member From: Virginia Beach, Va. |
posted 29 November 2000 07:27 PM
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Hey Joe, As far a Buck Trent's banjo goes it's a one of a kind rig. I saw him on the Nashville network about 15 or so years ago demonstrating the thing. I don't remember which show it was however, he stated that the head had been replaced with WOOD and it had a couple of round button like devices which when pushed down raised the 2nd and 3rd strings a whole tone each. He also had Keith/Scruggs tuners on the four main strings. It had a regular guitar type magnetic pickup on the thing. You can do the same thing with an electric guitar with the proper accessories. I have an Ibanez Artist solid body electric which has two humbuckers (both with coil taps) and a Fender strat pickup in the middle. I have Keith/Scruggs tuners on all strings except the 4th string D which I have a regular banjo peg tuning from the rear like the rest of them. I lower the 1st string to D, the 2nd to A, the 3rd to F#, the 4th remains constant for all tunings, the 5th to G, and the low E to D. With this set up I can get the open G tuning, open D tuning, dropped D tuning, double dropped D tuning, the DADGAD tuning, and I also have a Bigsby Palm Pedal on the thing which raises the 2nd string to C# and the 3rd string to A. With this guitar you can get just about anything Buck Trent ever played and a lot more. Buck was also a fine guitar player as well. I don't think you can find the Palm Pedals any more but the HipShot company makes a unit you can use for most of the same stuff. ------------------ [This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 29 November 2000 at 07:30 PM.] |
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Joseph Barcus Member From: Volga West Virginia "usa" |
posted 29 November 2000 07:32 PM
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Jerry, Thats the way Im going to go I have a pretty nice ole tele here to use it on. ------------------ |
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John Lacey Member From: Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada |
posted 30 November 2000 09:59 AM
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I played with Buck once and he told me that Shot Jackson had installed the palm-pedal thingies on his horn. |
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jim miller unregistered |
posted 30 November 2000 08:01 PM
About 67 or 68 I had the pleasure of talking with Buck back stage at a show in Akron Oh.He handed it to me so I could look it over and at that time as I was asking all kinds of questions, he told me that the banjo was done for him at Sho-Bud. John was correct, it was done by Shot. I dug the sound Buck got out of that thing, so I tried it. I cut a hole in the head and put a good guitar pick up in it. I then made a metal bridge for it and put the Scruggs de tuners on it, and it sounded good to me. I didn't have the know how to put the pedals on it. His had two plungers with silver dollars welded on them under the heel of his hand pulling strings one and two. I don't think you can get that sound with out a metal bridge. Not enough sustain. Jim Miller I'D RATHER BE STEELIN' |
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Joseph Barcus Member From: Volga West Virginia "usa" |
posted 30 November 2000 08:06 PM
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I also have a fair banjo here at the house guys share your thoughts with me on either making a ele guitar with some scruggs tuners and the string gage one might consider, and also what might be done to the banjo ill try anything twice lol ------------------ |
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Boomer Member From: Brentwood, TN USA |
posted 02 December 2000 07:06 PM
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Joseph and Jerry - Bigsby palm pedals are still available through the following e-mail address: dbalde@eclipse.net Best, Boomer |
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Ingo Mamczak Member From: Luimneach , Eire. |
posted 02 December 2000 07:53 PM
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Hello Joseph , I've been looking for a good banjo pickup and I found this Pick-up the world It's very interesting . Hope this helps . Ingo . |
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Joseph Barcus Member From: Volga West Virginia "usa" |
posted 03 December 2000 06:15 AM
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Boomer I send a email to that address. i was going to email you to thank u but i didnt find your email address joe ------------------ |
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Boomer Member From: Brentwood, TN USA |
posted 03 December 2000 06:18 AM
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Joe - You can find me at the following e-mail: palmpedal@cs.com Best, Boomer |
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