The one odd thing about it relates to the head. I ordered a Kavanjo head with a built-in magnetic pick-up (because I wanted to make sure I was heard). I specified that the frosting be on the inside so the top is smooth. I prefer that feel and also it prevents wearing a window in it as the frosting flakes off from pick scratchings.
I discovered that if you tap on the head in the area where the pick-up is, it produces a 200 cycle tone, sorta like a bass drum. I spoke with a tech at Deering about it and he'd never heard of such a thing. He suggested tightening the head, which I did. That mitigated the "boom" somewhat, but didn't eliminate it. It's kind of an interesting anomoly and I'm trying to work it into a song somehow. Remember "The Boxer" by Simon & Garfunkel? "Lie-dee-lie (boom) lie-dee-lie-lie-lie-dee-lie..." That's what it sounds like.
I'll have to say, this is probably my favorite banjo of all I've owned over the years. There was an old Brothers Four photo I saw recently that had me playing what looked like a Gibson, but I don't recall ever owning one. It might have been a banjo that the Bros. owned as a group - I seem to recall there was one in the early days. But as Josh pointed out to me with regard to my Aria - I ain't no bluegrass guy. The open back Vega is way more me.
On the subject of a nylon string banjo, I've been meaning to talk with Josh about this. One of my high-school classmates visited me a couple weeks ago - Mark Wilson. Mark is a philosophy professor at University of Pittsburg, but his hobby is folk music. No - not the Kingston Trio variety - I mean music of the FOLKS. As a modern-day Alan Lomax, he has spent years traveling rural areas around the country recording mostly fiddle players, but some banjo players too. His recordings were released on Rounder before they went tits up and one of his cuts was used in the movie, "Oh Brother Where Art Thou". I think some of his stuff may be in the the National Archives too.
I first met Mark in Jr. High School and he had the very first Vega long-neck banjo I'd ever seen. But Mark's a purist. The closest he ever got to listening to commercial folk music was The New Lost City Ramblers. So we diverged musically early on.
In his recent visit I showed him my S.S. Stewart that I'd planned to make a clock out of. He said, no - no - take the frets out and put nylon strings on it. He claims that despite the twisted neck it'll still play fine in that configuration. Josh - whaddaya think? I may have to send you the neck to take out the frets - I wouldn't have a clue how to do that. And then you'd have to fill the slots somehow, wouldn't you?
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