Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Twanger arrived today!

My new Twanger arrived today. I have been playing it for a couple of hours and am getting tired!
I could not find how to attach a photo. If somebody tells me where the directions are or how to do it, I will add a photo.
I took the advice of Miss Maggie and had Jake install the Rickard tuners. They are really smooth and I would highly recommend them.

Randy

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I got mine a few days ago and think it is a great Scruggs / Crowe / bluegrass banjo. Jake installed Kieth tuners on mine and while I haven’t mastered that yet, I will continue to try. I’m hoping Ben will do some Scruggs / Crowe lessons in the future . Although I am sure there are copy right issues we hillbilly’s don’t accept , It would make my day.

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Wah!!! You got a twanger and Rickard tuners installed?? !! That’s a dream banjo right there. Hope to see and hear some videos of you playing soon. :+1::wink:

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Well, if I can’t post a photo, I don’t know if I could post a video.:grinning:

Randy

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Congrats on the Twanger! They sure are a lot of fun, huh? I guess I need to look in to those Rickard tuners.

For uploading pics, it depends on a few things. First, uploading from a mobile device is a bit different from a computer, but in general you have to look for the upload button and use that to find your picture. It looks like an up-pointing arrow.

As for videos, most of us create a YouTube account, upload to YouTube, then paste a link here.

Hope you can post up some video soon. Would love to hear you picking!

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Welcome to the best forum around, @rcballard!

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Congrats on the Twanger. Share often about your experiences with it here among your Forum Friends

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Congratulations!

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Congratulations Randy, that’s a big stinkin’ deal. I hope you enjoy those tuners, I know I do. I ordered another set to put on my other banjo too. I’m really happy for you… :grinning: Enjoy that Twanger, it’s a keeper.

To upload a picture, just click the Upload button in the tool bar above your editing window.


And then you can select your photo from your device and then click Upload at the bottom of the popup window. There is a limit on file size though so it may inform you that your file is too big. If that happens, you can send your file to a cloud drive and then provide a link or use a graphic editor to reduce the file size by reducing the image size or the quality or the resolution. You only need 72 pixels per inch for a computer display. Hope that helps.

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Congratulations!

Thanks Miss Maggie on the photo upload instructions. I think I can do that.:grinning: Will try later today.
I don’t use Facebook, guess I am a pretend luddite.

Randy

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Earlier I had replied to Mark_Rocka about not having
a Facebook account when he actually said a Youtube
account. I don’t have one of those either:grinning:
Just for general information I find it takes a slight more pressure to fret the strings on the Twanger. My other banjo is a 70’s era Gibson. I usually use HIS PF-135’s
on it. Jake did throw in a set of those with the order.
When I change strings I will put those on. I did notice in a earlier topic that Mark_Rocka had gone to a lighter gauge.

Randy

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Hey Randy, I also felt the Twanger was a little tougher to fret, so I lowered the action a bit, I just got the strings a little closer to the fret board and it’s great now, very comparable to my Gibson. I also changed the strings to the same ones @Mark_Rocka used and I love them.

Here’s the lesson on string action or height:
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/banjo-setup-with-steve-huber-string-height-action-banjo?from_track=beginner-banjo

Here’s the lesson on how to lower the action by adjusting the coordinator Rod
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/banjo-setup-with-steve-huber-coordinator-rod-adjustment-banjo?from_track=beginner-banjo

It’s easy to set up a YouTube account and you can make your videos private meaning that only those people with the specific link to your video can see it.

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Go ahead and put those 135s on now. I didn’t care for the tree trunks that came on my Twanger at all. They seemed to choke out the tone and were more difficult to play than what I was used to. I had played the Twanger prototype at camp back in March, so I had a good idea of what I should have been hearing. Right out of the case, I wasn’t hearing or feeling what I did on the prototype. After changing strings, though, all doubts were removed. THAT was what I was waiting for.

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Will do.

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Nice… congrats👍

After long anticipation and patiently waiting my Style3 Twanger arrived yesterday. I gotta’ say that Jake is a banjo packing animal! Ace Ventura could not have destroyed that bad boy! I was like a giddy little kid @ Christmastime unwrapping that beautiful banjo. Ben, Jake & Robby have done a fantastic job with GoldTone getting this production run underway. I’m a new picker so not a lot of depth to my playing yet but I put a few minutes into picking her and immediately changed out the medium factory strings and installed the D’Addario EJ69 light strings I’ve become accustomed to~was an immediate improvement. I have the same string set on my Huber Workhorse to make a fair comparison. These are two beautiful instruments and it’s gonna’ take me awhile along with the listening ear of family & friends to choose which has the closest tone to that vintage Gibson holy grail we’re all seeking. This is my second banjo purchase from the fine folks @ Banjo Ben’s and I could not be more impressed with the honesty, excellent customer service and fabulous banjos these rascals are letting us have the privilege of owning. It’s truly been a pleasure to do business with those guys and I will be a customer for life.

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I’m going to talk with Gold Tone about putting lights on from the factory. It’s just too much of an undertaking for us to do that with every banjo in a batch when we receive 36 at a time and want a fast turnaround.

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