Quote:
Originally Posted by Swamp Yankee
The Ome banjo I'm playing in that picture has a Silver Bell tone ring in it...or it was their version of one, they call it a "Silverspun" ring. That was my favorite tone ring for nice, warm fat sounds. It had a warm, sweet, human quality to the voice - really a spectacular and versatile banjo. I also had one in a 12" pot size - though I preferred the 11" pot for that particular rim.
Ome makes some incredibly nice banjos. They're not big with the Old Timey set, at least they weren't when I was in my banjo phase, but they really make excellent quality instruments.
I was doing much that same thing as you are. I tried a Vega Tubaphone.... liked the Vega Tubaphone ...I wonder how a 12" pot tubby will sound? I liked the Whyte Ladye...hmmm, there's a 12 inch pot WL conversion on Ebay!! Little Wonders - gotta try both.
A scales? Hook me up.
I liked pretty much all of them - but yeah, the Baco-phone ring banjos, especially with an internal resonator, all seemed to have some overtones that I didn't like too much, though they were BRILLIANT at clucking over the scoop.
The Vega Old Tyme Wonder has an all wood rim? The original Vega Wonders had a rolled hoop under a spun over bit that extended about halfway down the outside of the pot. That was a great ring for clawhammer as well.
I only had a few all wood-rimmed banjos, my favorite of which was a Huss & Dalton Singletree. Nice banjo, but I didn't keep it long.
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Thanks Swamper,
I believe you're correct that the older Vega Old Tyme Wonder banjos had a rolled hoop under the head but I think the newer renditions of the last 10 years or so have just the beveled wooden rim. The specs from the Vega/Deering website have an erroneous weight of 8 lbs listed for this banjo which is actually in the 5 to 6 lbs range. An interesting aside is that my favorite local instrument dealer has a 2009 NOS Vega Old Tyme Wonder that doesn't have the Vega star inlay under the Vega logo on the peghead. Starting around 2014 or so Vega added the star inlay. At any rate, I wanted the latest rendition of the Old Tyme Wonder for its straight ahead woody tone and lightweight. I will install Pisgah Phosphor Bronze strings with their heavier 2nd, 3rd and 4th gauges on this banjo. Here are the
Vega Old Tyme Wonder specs from the website:
Neck:
Deep Warm Brown Stained Maple Neck
Slender Vega Neck Shape
Scooped Ebony Fingerboard
Adjustable Truss Rod
Ebony Fingerboard and Nut
Deering Planetary Tuners
Deering Geared 5th String Tuner
Durable and Elegant Satin Finish
Pot:
3-ply Violin Grade Maple Rim - 11" or 12"
Shoe & Screw Bracket Assembly
Beveled Tension Hoop
24 Flat Hooks and 9/32″ Hex Nuts
11" Fiberskyn Medium Crown Head
Coordinator Rod for Adjustments
Nickel Plated Hardware
Deering Knot-Less Tailpiece
Vega Armrest
Durable and Elegant Satin Finish
Includes a Vega Hardshell Case
Tone:
The mellowest and most gentle banjo sound, a lovely full tone. The Old Tyme Wonder is reliable and exceptional in tone, playability, versatility and responsiveness, with a woody thunkiness that is perfect for old time string bands.
Tuned:
g,D,G,B,D in standard G tuning
Can easily be tuned in other tunings as well.
Strings
Comes with Deering 5-String Light Gauge Banjo Strings tuned to in standard G tuning (G,D,G,B,D)
Gauges: 10 11 13 21w 10
End Type: Loop
Dimensions:
Neck Width at the Nut 1 1/4″
Scale Length Nut to Bridge 26 1/4″
Rim Diameter 11″ or 12"
Overall Instrument Length 37 1/2"
Weight Approx. 8 lbs
Warranty:
The trust and pride we share in our product gives us the confidence to grant every owner of a Deering banjo a Lifetime Warranty ensuring the quality of our materials and workmanship.