[pjheff]

Hi Ken,

Thanks again for another thoughtful reply!

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

Being OCD--and proud of it!--the reason I have the banjos in my stable is that I wanted quality banjos with different styles of tone rings.

Honestly, that approach seems as good as any for gaining experience and sussing out what works for you.

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

For me, a tone ring can add more clarity and more volume to a banjo's tone over a plain wooden rim. In my experience, aside from a Dobson tone ring which does seem to add some audible metallic after tones, tone rings don't seem to "ring" as their brass or bell-brass construction might lead someone to believe. What they do is support the banjo's head and modify the transfer of vibration back and forth between the head and the rim which, as mentioned, can result in more tonal clarity and volume.

Eliminating the Dobson then, have you found any significant differences between your wood, brass, Whyte Laydie, and Tubaphone tone rings?

Originally Posted by SpruceTop

What I find alters the tone more than most tone rings is the diameter of the banjo head and the scale length of the strings.

Do your findings jibe with conventional wisdom that 11” pots have more cut, 12” more depth, etc? What is your experience with different scale lengths and wood species?

Best,
Patrick