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Topic: Banjo sound-what to use |
Jon Voth
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2020 8:12 pm |
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I've found a sound I like. It's a plastic Bic mechanical pencil. Sounds like a banjo more that any other thing I have. Better than a regular wooden pencil. Best sound and quick decay, etc.
But it sucks to try to hold and move around a small thing like that.
Is there a consensus of what to use to get a good fake banjo sound that is easy to hold? A special bar of a certain material?
Thanks |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Posted 24 Sep 2020 9:46 pm
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Disclaimer never tried it cause i own a few banjos
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=359082
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- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 24 Sep 2020 9:52 pm
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I used to use the lid of a Vicks nasal inhaler. It was shaped like a small bullet bar with rounded nose. I'm not sure if they still make those. Now I use a 5 string banjo.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 4:48 am
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| A previous discussion on this and the broom handle or a hard wood dowel got the most popular vote. That's what I used for years. |
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Dick Hitchcock
From:
Wayne, Nebraska
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 5:12 am
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I used to use a plastic comb that fits in your back pocket many moons ago!
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Justice Pro Lite 4x5.... NV112.... Steel seat. |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 5:32 am
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Fingernails...on a chalkboard.
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Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 7:18 am
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An unemployment application??
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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James Sission
From:
Sugar Land,Texas USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 7:19 am
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| Claw hammer. |
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John Macy
From:
Rockport TX/Denver CO
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 7:21 am
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Best pickup to put on a banjo? Ford F150
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John Macy
Rockport, TX
Engineer/Producer/Steel Guitar |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 10:25 am
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John Macy,You made me spit out my cawfee!!
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Bud Angelotti
From:
Larryville, NJ, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 4:46 pm
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How about a .. Banjo ! ..sorry I had to do it
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Just 'cause I look stupid, don't mean I'm not. |
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Jon Voth
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 25 Sep 2020 7:35 pm
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Bunch of jokers here-and I love the lot of ya.
A dowel has too much ring for me-sticking with my bic mechanical pencil. Plus you can write with it. |
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Stephen Silver
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 27 Sep 2020 12:14 pm
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I have used the handle of a string winder somewhat successfully.
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Life is mostly Attitude and Timing |
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Lynn Fargo
From:
Fort Edward, NY
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Posted 27 Sep 2020 7:01 pm
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I haven't tried it yet but maybe something like this would work. This is a blush (makeup) brush case and it's just about the size of a slide. This one is from Avon but you might check out the makeup section of your local dollar store. Maybe even a plastic lipstick case might work. You could add some weight to the inside if you wanted and glue the cap on so it doesn't come off when you're playing.
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Sho-Bud Pro II Custom, GFI Ultra SD-10, Fender Pro Amp, Fender Mustang II Amp, Morrell 8-string lap, Epiphone 6-string lap, Galveston reso, etc. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 2:13 am
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I still think the best thing is a banjo.
I don't own one.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 4:44 am
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| An old EL84 or 6BQ5 vacuum tube. Similar shape and size to a small bullet bar, very light weight for that plinky-plunk sound and smooth as, well, glass (not that you'll want to do much sliding for a banjo sound). Try not to drop it on the concrete though. |
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Tom Keller
From:
Greeneville, TN, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 2:07 pm
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| I agree with the gentlemen who said to get a banjo sound bring a banjo. Makes sense to me. |
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Johnie King
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 5:51 pm
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Jeff Brown
From:
Annapolis Maryland, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 7:41 pm
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| Works for bagpipes and ukulele as well! |
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Jon Voth
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 28 Sep 2020 8:19 pm
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| Ian Rae wrote: |
I still think the best thing is a banjo.
I don't own one. |
This is all very true-
but I don't own one yet (used to) and my band goes too quickly between tunes for me to get up and plug in/strap on another instrument for a tune that has no steel but perhaps a little banjo background.
I think I can make something work. |
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Bruce Bjork
From:
Southern Coast of Maine
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Posted 29 Sep 2020 5:37 am
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I play banjo with my modern country band, have to be nimble when switching from steel to banjo.
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Banjo, Dobro, Guild D-40, Telecaster, Justice Pro Lite 3x5, BOSS Katana 100, Peavey Nashville 112 in a Tommy Huff cabinet, Spark, FreeLoader, Baby Bloomer, Peterson StroboPlus HD, Stage One VP.
"Use the talents you possess; the woods would be very silent indeed if no birds sang but the best" |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 29 Sep 2020 8:53 am
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Jon, I totally get that you're not going to pack another instrument just to get an effect for a few bars.
Our band does one up-tempo bluesy number where I use the Dobro simulator on my preamp even though I never thought I would. I don't aspire to play Dobro and it captures the mood adequately.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Bob Knetzger
From:
Kirkland, WA USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2020 10:28 am
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Rusty Young played some great faux-banjo on Poco's first album by using a plastic comb on his steel: (Skip to 1:17)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5ex4HkR24w
He also did some fun fake piano high triplets the same way.
And his "organ" on steel is unmatched.
But in all these cases the "gimmick" is just part of the sound--you also have to play the same notes and licks that that imitated instrument plays. (e.g., You gotta think and play like a banjo player)
And dosage is important: less is way more. |
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Jim Pitman
From:
Waterbury Ctr. VT 05677 USA
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Posted 29 Sep 2020 11:09 am
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Definition of perfect pitch?
When you throw the accordion in the dumpster and it lands squarely on the banjo.
(Really I don't hate either) |
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