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ColoradoBlueGrass - Posted - 02/19/2014: 15:31:53
So a couple weeks back I posted about a twist in the neck of my banjo and I want to replace it. Heres a veiw of the neck joint and inside the pot. What are my options for necks? should i just get a Saga neck? will a saga neck fit? thanks!
Old Hickory - Posted - 02/19/2014: 15:56:49
Saga necks are unfinished and need the heels cut, even the ones sold as "Golden Gate" that have Gibson-style inlays.
Seeing as this is a Washburn, I think an import neck is quite appropriate. So look at the various finished Gold Tone necks, such as this one at Janet Davis:
jdmc.com/product/GT-B1007.html
Or this one at InstumentAlley: instrumentalley.com/Gold-Tone-...04-01.htm
After you find your best price online, contact Wayne at Gold Tone and see what deal he can make you on a finished neck with the heel cut to fit your banjo. Yes, you might be without your banjo for a while, but my guess is not many days. Of course you can always take your chance that the heel cut on a pre-cut Gold Tone neck will fit. There's no guarantee that it will.
Good luck.
kmwaters - Posted - 02/19/2014: 16:15:50
Since you are in Boulder I would consult the folks at Ome right there in town. Even if they don't work on banjos as a common practice, they might just have some excellent input. Great craftsman. And if you buy an Ome.............there will be no twist in the neck.
Edited by - kmwaters on 02/19/2014 16:16:24
ColoradoBlueGrass - Posted - 02/19/2014: 16:26:40
Could I take it to a Luther to cut a heel in an unfinished neck? What are my chances that one of those Gold Tones would fit?
I'll give wayne a shout asap.
Old Hickory - Posted - 02/19/2014: 16:59:05
Yes. You can take an unfinished neck to a luthier experienced in banjo building to cut the heel of an unfinished neck to fit your flange and rim.
And calling or writing to Wayne may get you good results. He made me a good offer a few years when I was weighing options for a neck on a parts project. His direct price on a finished neck cut to fit my arch-top pot and 5/8-inch bridge was very competitive with the price I might have paid for just the neck from some of the online dealers. I ended up going another route because I found a Golden Gate mahogany neck at about half price on eBay. That gave me lots of budget space to pay some services. I finished it myself.
I can't say what the chances are that one of the Gold Tones sold right from a dealer will fit. I wouldn't even hazard a guess. The main problem is that 1-piece flanges in use today have different inside diameters. This results in the bottom section of the rim being turned to different outside diameters (so that the flange will fit on). When you consider that the outer diameter of the rim above the flange and of the tone ring skirt is going to be a standard 11 inches, you can see that with different outer diameters possible at the bottom of the rim, the bottom section of the heel -- around the lower lag bolt -- will extend further than the part around the top lag bolt by different amounts depending on the inner diameter of the flange. Now, it's possible that Washburn and Gold Tone flanges have the same inner diameter. But I have no idea if they are spec'd the same or source their flanges and rims from the same suppliers.
I suppose if you accurately measure the outside diameter of your rim below the flange and provide that measurement to either Wayne or a luthier they could cut a heel without having your rim tone ring and flange in hand -- but the responsibility for the neck fitting would be on you.
Good luck.
ColoradoBlueGrass - Posted - 02/19/2014: 19:03:02
Thanks Old HIckory! You've been a great help! I'll be giving Wayne a call tommorrow.
This Tiawanian store on Ebay has a bunch of necks. Are these unfinished? They look unfinished but it doesn't say.
ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&..._from=R40
ColoradoBlueGrass - Posted - 02/19/2014: 21:44:59
^ yikes those seem crappy. I just want something thats not twisted
grm405 - Posted - 02/20/2014: 05:34:25
I would highly recommend that you do NOT try to fit a Saga Kit neck (the $75 ones). Those are for a straight-cut heel, and are really too short to fit correctly. You would have to graft a piece on to the heel and recut it. I do not think it is worth the effort. I have used two of those necks for for openbacks and like them, but for a resonator banjo you would be much better off with a Gold Tone neck, which could be fitted correctly as they are made for a one piece flange. Those are more expensive than the Saga kit necks.
The other slightly more expensive option is one of the Saga unfinished necks which are made for a resonator banjo. Those are available on ebay for $300 or so and come in several inlay patterns. I like those a lot better than the Gold Tone necks because they don't say Gold Tone on the headstock.
Gerry
Old Hickory - Posted - 02/20/2014: 07:11:10
The Taiwan (and Vietnam?) necks have been discussed here before. Not very well reviewed. Green wood. Poor fret work. Yes, they are unfinished. Best avoided.
WIth the Gold Tone necks, it appears that some have the name and some don't. I don't know if the name is a real inlay or just a decal that could be sanded off and the peghead face refinished.
The higher end Saga necks are also sold as "Golden Gate" which is Saga's parts and accessories brand. They are unfinished and need the heel cut and lag bolts installed. They're borderline chunky above the 5th fret (I have one). Probably should have sanded/shaped mine a little before finishing. Risky to reshape too much since there's no knowing where the truss rod is.
vlawson - Posted - 02/20/2014: 18:32:58
Contact Ron Coleman. He can make you a neck that won't break the bank. With excellent quality.
Helix - Posted - 02/21/2014: 02:20:53
I broke a Saga neck "handling" it. My mentor broke one, too. Cheaper grade Mahogany.
The Gold tone and others offer 'shop services" I have them buzz my heels. The Gold Tone Maple Classic kit necks come unpainted Logo, others have screenprinted black paint. no inlay.
In Boulder, resides one of the finest banjo builders since Colorado University. You should definitely try to visit.
By coincidence, there's a Helix that lives in Boulder, survived the rain.
Edited by - Helix on 02/21/2014 02:24:11
