Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Pickups For Banjo

#1

Hi All

Any of you live players who play in a load band with drummer recommend a good banjo pickup or is it better to stand in front of a mic SM57 etc

Thanks

#2

I recommend trying the Fishman Rare Earth banjo pickup…that’s what I have installed.

2 Likes
#3

Ok thanks for that

#4

@BanjoBen

Where on your Banjo did you install the 1/4 jack socket?

Thanks

#5

A couple of brackets beneath the tail piece, so if you’re looking at the banjo head, at 7:00.

#6

ok thanks for that and i wish i could purchase stuff from you but the import duty is just to much over her in the UK

2 Likes
#7

Hi Lee Maybe once our politicians get their act together and get Brexit resolved we can strike a good trade deal with the US, reducing import duty and doing away with VAT might boost sales at banjobenclark.com

2 Likes
#8

I was reading something the other day that said if theres a no deal Brexit then the customs duty for a lot of goods from non EU countries will be duty free until it all gets resolved so if that happens im gonna buy loads of stuff… Bring it on i say…

#9

Wishful thinking Lee wishful thinking.

1 Like
#10

Hi all

So i got the Fishman Rare Earth Pickup yesterday and started to fit to my RK-75 and TBH at first all was easy until i came to mounting the Jack socket to the Flange as detailed in the documentation and i don’t know if its just the RK flange that has bigger hole/slots than others but the supplied plastic spacers just don’t sit over the hole right so starting to force the bracket in wards which then twists the bracket that the jack fits on

I eventually took them of and made some wooden spacers that are much better and keep the bracket in the right position to mount the jack.

The other issue now i’m faced with is when i put the resonator back on the screws on the underside of the bracket are catching the inside of the rims so i’m not sure if i should notch the resonator on the inside or will this affect the banjo should i ever sell it…

Also the soldering process is very tight and not sure if my eyes are up to it

It says on the box that its an easy install…lol

Any advice appreciated

#11

Horrible vid here but maybe it helps
:

#12

@Ben thats really helpful as its so much easier to see that to fit blind… i know i should have got a pro to do it as i now need to solder it up and the diagram only mention the White and Red wire and theres a black one as well…

Really appreciate your help… above and beyond

Thanks

#13

Ok so here’s an update

I’ve now managed to get it all installed but it’s not working so I can only guess I’ve soldered the wires wrong

There are 3 wire… red, white and black

The documentation only says connect the red to the shortest terminal, the white to the longest and no mention of the black wire, which I’ve used as the ground

Any advice would be great thanks

#14

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#15

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#16

Make sure you have a good solder connection and that none of your connections/solder are touching anywhere else and shorting. In the pic the red wire looks like a large piece of solder is hanging down. Maybe the angle, but check when you screw it up. There should be a plastic sleave or something that goes over the wires before the metal cover screws up too.

#17

Hi Jono

Thanks for that.

A fried of mine had a look last night who’s an electrician and guitar enthusiast and he said all looks ok with the soldering but we could not get the pickup to work so I’m thinking it might just be a bad pickup they sent :+1:

There’s no supplied plastic cover for the wiring

Thanks

#18

Oh dear, that’s a shame. These things can happen. Surprised they didn’t put a little tube to go over the wires. That usually helps stop wires earthing on the casing. Hope you get an exchange for it. :+1:

#19

True pal just hope the next one is working :+1:

#20

Just a thought… Did you install the shim that goes between the bridge and the head?
Apparently reading somewhere else, there should be a thin metal strip that sits under the bridge that the pickup detects.