Archive for the ‘Instruments’ Category

When Something’s “Just Not Right”

Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Red Henry

Red Henry

Do you ever pick up your banjo or guitar or mandolin to play it, and you know that somethings “just not right?” Especially if you haven’t been playing for long, you might not be able to put your finger on what the trouble is. You might just know that you’re not comfortable playing the instrument, and it just doesn’t sound right or play right. Well, chances are that you’re NOT just making it up. Something really is wrong, even if you can’t put your finger on it.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a student pilot now, trying to get my pilot’s license. Well, I went out to make a solo flight last Monday. I was assigned an Cessna 172 that I’d flown before, but not recently. And from the time I sat down in the pilot’s seat, I just didn’t feel comfortable. I started the engine and took off, and everything went normally but it “just wasn’t right.”

I decided to make a landing or two before heading out to the practice area. The airplane felt awkward in the landing and as I let the nosewheel down onto the runway, suddenly the whole plane started shaking loudly: BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG, and it didn’t stop. I thought the nosewheel had gone flat. We often get what’s called “nosewheel shimmy” after landing, but this was ten times worse than that.

Well, I did get the airplane off the runway, and after that it acted better and none of the tires were actually flat. I taxied back to parking and reported the trouble. I suspect that the nosewheel strut is badly out of adjustment. I had just KNOWN something was wrong with that airplane even before takeoff, but I didn’t know what it was. I found out when it was time to land. It wasn’t dangerous, but it was inconvenient! To me, something had happened to the airplane invisibly, and my hands and mind had been trying to tell me.

Something analogous happened to one of Murphy’s banjo students recently. He knew that something had gone wrong with his banjo, but he wasn’t able to tell just what it was. He knew he wasn’t comfortable playing it any more, and the action had come up, but that was all he knew. So after his lesson, I took a look down the neck — yep, it was pretty bowed. I took off the adjustment rod cover and got a socket-driver to adjust the nut. Sure enough, it had worked loose. I let down the string tension, tightened the nut, and brought the strings back up to pitch. The neck was straight and the action was back low again. Must have taken me at least three or four minutes. But to the student, it was quite a problem. It was something that had happened invisibly to his banjo.

When you pick up your instrument and start to play, your hands and mind send you signals. If it all just doesn’t feel right, there may be something wrong! Get your teacher or an instrument-savvy friend to take a look and see what might be wrong. If something’s “just not right,” it might not just be your imagination!

Red

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Banjo bridges

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Red Henry

Red Henry

As you may know, if you look around at a festival or browse through the pages of Bluegrass Unlimited, or especially if you’re a member of Banjo Hangout, there are a lot of banjo bridges on the market. And they’re a wide variety of sizes and shapes. The traditional Grover-style bridge now has many competitors. Some are compensated, some are curved as seen from above, some are lighter, some are heavier, and some have radically innovative designs. Several modern bridgemakers put a great deal of craftsmanship into each bridge, and are rewarded by substantial prices. But is there a magic bullet?

I’ve done a lot of experimenting with banjo bridges, and I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no one bridge that sounds best on all banjos. Some banjos like a traditional bridge. Some like a compensated bridge (though their traditionally-minded owners may or may not). Some banjos sound best with this or that bridge. And the only way to find out which bridge a particular banjo likes, is to try bridges out and see how they sound! Bridgemakers I’ve spoken to generally agree with this, too.

This is not a note of pessimism, it’s a note of optimism. I mean, that so many fine and well-made bridges are available now that the folks who want to experiment can do so with lots of excellent bridges, and see which one their banjo likes best. If you are not used to doing things like switching bridges, my advice is to STICK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. But for those brave folks who like to tinker with their banjos, there’s plenty of opportunity these days to see how they like the sound of different bridges!

Red

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Mandolin Report

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Red Henry

Red Henry

Last week I told you about a Randy Wood mandolin I’d just bought on eBay. Well, I’m glad to say that the instrument is really turning out well. I’ve set it up with medium-gauge bright-bronze strings and a maple bridge, and the tone and volume are constantly improving. Here’s a photo of the mandolin before I changed the strings:

Randy Wood Mandolin #

Randy Wood Mandolin

When it arrived, the mandolin had a set of light-gauge phosphor bronze strings on it, and they were some of the deadest strings I’ve played on. Now, dead strings are not always bad, but this set had nothing left to give. I switched them for medium-gauge bright-bronze strings—the kind of bronze that’s yellow in color. Bright bronze seems to last a lot longer for me, and never really goes as dead as those old phosphor bronze strings had done. They turn from reddish to brown as they age, and then seem to lose most of their tone.

The maple bridge made a big difference too. Looking for as much bass response as possible, I put on a soft European-maple “winged” bridge, and the sound really came through with a lot of solid low end. (For a look at some bridge types, see my bridge page at www.murphymethod.com/redbridge.html.)

After changing the strings and bridge I’ve taken the mandolin out to some picking sessions, and I’ve had a good time with it. Its sound comes through quite well, even if there are some guitar, banjos, basses, and other loud instruments present. That’s what I like! I think that a mandolin really needs to shine through when taking a break, no matter how big the jam session, and thanks to world-class builder Randy Wood, this mandolin does just that.

Y’all pick purty–

Red

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One New Mandolin

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Red Henry

Red Henry

Folks, a new Randy Wood mandolin arrived here last Friday, fresh from eBay. I say “new,” but it’s actually got some age on it, having been made in October of 2000. It’s just old enough for the lacquer finish to have dried out and the sound to come in, and it really sounds good.

Randy Wood, who lives near Savannah, Georgia, really knows how to build a mandolin. After a few adjustments and (naturally) a maple bridge, this instrument sounds great. It’s got plenty of clarity and projection, which most quality mandolins do have, but this one also has an unusually good low end with plenty of solid bass. It also plays very easily, having been set up with an ovaled fingerboard, scooped fretboard extension, and medium frets:

Randy Wood Mandolin #

The new(-ish) Randy Wood

Now, you might ask, did I really need another mandolin? Well, the answer is yes and no. I do have a couple of other mandolins, but there are times when, because of the weather and because they’re pretty old and delicate, I’d rather leave them in the house. Now when it’s hot or cold and we have to play outside, I’ve got an excellent standby instrument to use. And it has a Mighty Fine sound!

Next time you need a good mandolin, just call Randy and see what he has in stock. He usually has on hand two or three of the mandolins he’s made, and they’re all for sale. They do cost something, but a Randy Wood mandolin is a lifetime instrument. Look Randy up at randywoodguitars.com .

Y’all pick purty–

Red

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Connie’s New Banjo

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Casey HenryOne of the gals in my At Least We’re Hot picking group (which I’ve previously written about here) just got a new banjo and we’re all very excited. Connie’s husband Jeremy surprised her with it as a Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary present. Made by Chuck Lee, down in Texas, it is a beautiful instrument that plays wonderfully.

Here are Connie and I at our jam last Saturday… (Photo by Myrna Talbot.)

Connie Garrett and Casey
Connie wrote a nice story about her new prize possession on Chuck Lee’s Blog. Up to now she’s just played rhythm clawhammer (bum-diddy, bum-diddy) but, inspired by this banjo she’s got “Old Joe Clark” down I think, and maybe “Angelina Baker,” which is our biggest hit, by the way. We look forward to hearing them at our Hottie Christmas Party on Monday!

Chuck Lee, coincidentally, says this: “We own a bunch of the Murphy Method videos (guitar-bass-fiddle-mandolin-banjo), most of the older music cassettes by your parents and family.  I learned my first three-finger banjo songs with your mother and I learned my first clawhammer songs with your mother and Lynn Morris.  Your family has had a positive impact on my family.  Thank you.” We’re always happy to spread the music!

I now must go and finish putting up my Christmas tree!

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Choosing A Banjo

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Casey HenryAs I was reflecting on what to write about today, it occurred to me that several students of mine have gotten new banjos in the last year or so. One, I’m happy to say, bought my very own Casey Henry model banjo. Her old banjo was a Stelling Murphyflower. Now she’s the only person in the world who has both a Murphy banjo and a Casey banjo! I’m also in the process of selling my Stealth banjo, which I bought when I was in college. Someone was asking me about it, trying to decide if he wanted to buy mine or wanted a new one. I, in shamelessly trying to influence him to buy mine, gave him some things to think about which generally hold true for all used vs. new banjos.

#1. It’s cheaper. This is frequently the case, except when you’re talking about pre-war Gibson flatheads.

#2. It’s available now. When you order a banjo from a smaller maker, like Stelling, or Kel Kroydon, they make each one as it is ordered and it usually takes two or three months, unless you find a dealer who has some in stock.

#3. It’s good and broken in. Nothing can replace the settling in process of an instrument. A new banjo doesn’t sound as good as it’s going to right when it is put together. All the parts need time to settle and start vibrating together. As a general rule, the older an instrument is, if it has been well cared for, the better it will sound (relative to itself). Your pawn shop banjo is never going to get so old it starts sounding like a Granada, but I bet you it sounds better than it did the first day it rolled out of the factory!

#4. You can play it. I always recommend playing an instrument before you commit to buying it. Even if you don’t play very well yet, you can tell a lot by holding the instrument in your hands and plunking a few notes on it.

I know not everyone has a neighborhood banjo store where you can go and play lots of different banjos. But if you are thinking about investing in a quality instrument, it is well worth the trip to a place that stocks many banjos, or to a convention or festival like the IBMA Fan Fest, so that you can try them out. When you pick up the banjo that you are meant to have, you’ll know it!

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Casey Henry Kel Kroydon Number 3

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Casey HenryYesterday I drove up to Hendersonville, Tenn., to pick up my new Casey Henry Signature Model banjo from Robin Smith at Heartland Banjos. This is the third Casey Henry model. I played the first one for about seven months and then sold it to one of my students. The second one went to a gal in New England. And now here we are at number three.

Even though they are all supposed to be exactly alike, there are some differences. I asked Robin to give me a fifth sting peg that didn’t have the little sticky-outy part to wind the string around (that’s another one of those technical terms), rather, the string winds around the inner shaft of the peg. My old banjo has that kind and I prefer it. I also asked him to give me two railroad spikes for the fifth string (again, like my old banjo) instead of four. I actually got three, but he’s getting closer.

The main difference is that the brown color of this banjo is darker than the previous ones. I prefer the lighter color, but it is fall, after all, and I’m sure it will match my autumn and winter wardrobe better. ;) Here are a couple shots of the new model (click for bigger versions):

Casey Henry\'s banjo
Casey Henry banjo front

For the sake of comparison, here are a couple shots of the other two. First is my friend Dick Bowden picking #1, second is Michelle Canning picking #2:

Dick Bowden and Casey Henry #1
Michelle Canning

I found out that it is particularly hard to photograph shiny new banjos because the flash reflects back all over the place. So please forgive the slight out-of-focusness.

I’ll have the new axe at the Thomas Point Beach festival next week, so if you’re there and want to pick on it, or want a banjo lesson, come find me (I’ll be camped near the workshop tent).

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Some Mandolins I Know

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Red HenryToday I’m going to do something a little different and talk about a party in Nashville a few years ago, where we had not only a lot of good pickers but also a lot of good mandolins. Some people there took some good pictures.

There are a lot of really excellent mandolin builders active today, and Randy Wood is my favorite. I was fortunate enough to acquire Randy’s first mandolin back in 1971, and have owned it ever since. It’s a great instrument, and it really taught me to play. Then in December of 2001, Randy’s #3 mandolin came up in the Bill Monroe estate auction, and Murphy secretly bought it for me and gave it to me for Christmas. It, also, is a terrific mandolin, and it’s the one I now usually take out of the house now for picking and performing.

At this party in Nashville I had Randy’s #1 and #3 mandolins with me, and Christopher was there with the mandolin he plays, which is Randy Wood #1281 (made in February, 1981). Also there was Roland White, who acquired Randy’s #2 mandolin new (in 1969) and had played it ever since. Roland also brought along his late brother Clarence’s mandolin, a very nice Randy Wood 2-point, a real showcase with elaborate inlay and carving as well as a great sound. We lined all these mandolins up on the couch, and got a picture:

Randy Wood Mandolins

From left to right: Randy Wood #1; RW#2; RW#3; Clarence White’s RW 2-point; and RW#1281

It was a pretty historic occasion, I think, to have all these mandolins in one place. And to top it all off, who should walk in but Randy himself, who was in town for the weekend! So we had, on one place, not only all these great mandolins but also the man who made them. Such a gathering could not happen again, since Roland has since sold RW#2, but it’s a lot of fun to remember.

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The Great International Banjo Caper

Thursday, August 14th, 2008

Casey HenryI like to think that The Murphy Method has a hand in spreading banjo around the world. Recently I got to play a part in literally sending a banjo around the world, and it was really fun.

Every year at Kaufman Kamp they give away instruments as door prizes. This year Deering Banjos donated one of their Boston banjos to be a prize. On the last night of camp, Steve Kaufman picks the winners by drawing numbers out of a jar. He rummages around for a while, pulls out the one that feels right, and slowly, suspensefully, reads the number. This year, who jumped up with the winning ticket but one of my very own students: Ginny Foard.

Now, Ginny already has a really good banjo and didn’t really have a use for the Deering. As I watched her carry it from the stage I had the germ of an idea for what she could do with the banjo, but I kept it to myself.

I met Ginny last year at Kamp and she started taking lessons shortly thereafter. This year we both met a camper who had come over from Ireland, Mark McCluney. He’s a beginning player but has lots of guts. He was determined to make the most of his camp experience, having scrimped and saved to cover his airfare plus camp tuition. He would gamely take a break on any song, rolling along in the chords, and never missed an opportunity to jam.

Back at home after camp, I saw Ginny for her weekly lesson and she said she’d had the idea of sending the Deering to Mark in Ireland. I told I thought that was exactly the right thing to do with it and that I’d had that very idea about thirty seconds after she won it. His banjo was a beginner’s model—just fine to start on, but his abilities were about to out-strip it.

The next week she brought me the banjo and I took it up to Robin Smith in Hendersonville, who builds my Casey Henry signature model banjos, and got him to pack it properly. A broken banjo would be a very bad gift. I took it to the post office and received a dour look from the clerk when I said I wanted to ship this huge package to Northern Ireland. Filling out the customs form gave me pause. If you want it to be a surprise, you can’t write what is actually in the package because that would spoil it. Yet you don’t want to get caught in a lie. I figured that when he saw the box the jig would be up anyway, so I wrote “banjo in case” in the “contents” field. And away the banjo went, across the wide blue Atlantic. (more…)

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