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TOPIC: Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better?

Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #997

While I am looking into my first banjo purchase, I've been keeping an eye on reviews for budget first banjos. Lots of positive reviews for banjos with both types of rings but it's hard for me to imagine a metal ring sounding as good as an earthy wooden ring. What do you think?
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Re:Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #999

John -

Let me help you here. First, do not confuse the Tone Ring with the Wooden Rim. Here is the difference:

Tone Ring - is located inside the rim. It supports the head (usually mylar plastic drum portion) of the instrument. The tone ring is either a flathead or archtop. The Flathead provides a deeper tone and an archtop provides a brighter tone.

Rim - Can be made out of wood or metal. Today's wooden rims provide excellent sound if you get the right rim. Rims come in various types: Tony Pass, Old Factory Floor, Cox Maple Wood rims (to name a few). Some of these rims are made of wood that is hundreds of years old and provide the rich tones similar to a pre-war instrument. Rims of this type however, will not be found in budget banjos under $1,000. These rims alone cost around $500.

The pot assembly of the banjo consists of the tone ring, rim, tension hoop, resonator and other parts.

Hope this helps. When you are ready to buy, let me know and I will get you a decent banjo for the money.

Dave
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Re:Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #1001

Thank you for clarifying terminology. I have heard it described that the aluminum rim makes a louder instrument where wood is warmer. Makes sense. For recording or micing though, is there a better choice between the two?

Aria Pro II, Alvarez, Epiphone, and Rogue all have fairly good reviews for the budget line products. Epiphone and Alvarez tend to lead. The worst I have read was that the Rogue could have been dressed and setup better but I won't be able to resist doing that myself anyway regardless of the instrument.
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Re:Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #1024

Go for tone first, then volume. You can always mic and amplify, but a poor sounding banjo doesn't get any better as it gets louder.
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Re:Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #1028

For a real bluegrass sound a heavy tonering is required. The other tone rings don't generally have the mass for that Banjo ring we like to hear. My first banjo was a 70's asian "Masterclone" The playability and setup is the big factor. Buying used is fine if you can try it out. Nothing is more discouraging in the begining than buzzing strings and dead spots. Better instruments not only sound better but make the beginner sound better because the notes are easier to coax out of the instrument.

I would suggest, if you can afford it, a nice banjo to get you started right with a traditional heavy metal tonering. I had a Sullivan festival which was excellent and when I wanted to sell it I pretty much got what I paid for it. Sometimes better is cheaper since it retains it's value. A 4300 new banjo isn't worth much used. A used $300 banjo if bought correctly maintains it's value and can be resold pretty much for what it was bought for.

I think the only good reason to consider an aluminum or wood ring is weight if you transport your instrument alot.
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Re:Aluminum? Wood? Which Tone Ring is better? 14 years 10 months ago #1058

Thanks for the input. I'm strongly considering building one up. I found a maker who patterns the pot after Mastertone and uses fantastic rock maple and bronze. Builds the whole pot with hardware for around $300 give or take depending on style. Certainly should be heavy enough to make you not want to transport it.
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