Ball Bearing Tone Ring Banjo

Most modern banjo players believe that the purpose of these springs was to maintain a constant tension on the old fashioned skin banjo heads that were in use until the late 1950 s.

Ball bearing tone ring banjo.

A number of owners removed the ball bearings springs and washers then turn the tone ring over thinking that it would improve the sound. The most important thing in addition to all of the usual is that all of the ball bearings 24 springs 24 and washers 48 are in place or with the banjo. Experimenting with ball bearing material on a nechville athena. The ball bearing instruments differed from the others by having a tone ring that was mounted on ball bearings which sat upon heavy steel springs and washers.

The metal parts have been replated and the armrest and tailpiece are modern. The rim is 1925 gibson fon 8172 with a ball bearing tone ring. Gibson ball bearing banjos david the twenties mastertones underwent a significant evolution from 1925 to 1930 during which time the tone ring rim and flange changed quite a bit. They interface the rim and tone ring on modern nechvilles with heli mount.

The ball bearings our part of the cyclotronic system. As you can see in the pics engraved metal bands have been placed around the tension hoop tone ring and resonator.