electric banjos

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 28 Nov 2000 8:36 pm

do any of you know where a person might get there hands on a electric banjo the kind buck trent used with Porter W. and if this is in the wrong place im sorry. but i sure would like to find that sound to put in some classic country. thanks Joe

Bob Mainwaring · Post by **Bob Mainwaring** » 28 Nov 2000 9:10 pm

Hi there Joseph,
The guy I would have undoubtibly said as memory serves me, is a guy called "Rich" Richelieu who lived/lives in Clayton Ohio just outside the windy city, who called himself "Mr Banjo U.S.A.". I first met this gentleman back in the late part of `72 and found out he was a banjo in "human form" even to the extent of all his interests, like a lot of us who`s into steel in a big way.
He makes all kinds of Banjos up for what ever a guy needs, he makes up speciality parts like pick holders, master mutes which would give a weird wah-wah sound, also stocking Scruggs tuners which a lot of Fender "plank twangers" use.
It would be good to know if he were still around.
Let`s know eh?

BobMainwaring.Z.Bs and other weird things.

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Dave Little · Post by **Dave Little** » 29 Nov 2000 7:03 am

Try these links:
(You can find others by searching also)
http://www.nechville.com/ http://www.deeringbanjos.com/main.htm

Dave Van Allen · Post by **Dave Van Allen** » 29 Nov 2000 7:39 am

and yes this is the wrong place...

Dale Sollenberger · Post by **Dale Sollenberger** » 29 Nov 2000 8:37 am

Be Nice Dave

JB Arnold · Post by **JB Arnold** » 29 Nov 2000 8:51 am

Mark Van Allen plays in a band called Blueground Undergrass, and while I'm not positive of the banjo player's name, he has a dynamite sound on his banjo. Mark is a forumite and can probably put you in touch with him.

John

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Fulawka D-10 9&5
Better Late than Never!
www.johnbarnold.com/pedalsteel

Larry Hendrickson · Post by **Larry Hendrickson** » 29 Nov 2000 9:43 am

Mr. Richelieu retired quite a few years ago. The last time I talked to him he had a shop in Oregon, WI. He once told me there was no way to electrify a banjo so I doubt if he was the person that built Buck Trents banjo. He had that shop in Oregon since the early 70's. He did build some beautiful instruments though, one banjo for Roy Clark that I knew of. If he is still alive he would be about 90 now. LH

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Nov 2000 9:48 am

If you can get ahold of an old DeArmmond sliding guitar pickup (the adjustable kind that was used to convert arched-top guitars to electric) you'll find that if you take the pickup off the support rod, it can easily be taped right to the top of the banjo head. It's thin enough (5/16") to slide right under the strings near the bridge. I amplified an old Gibson Mastertone (w/Scruggs pegs) like this, and it worked great...sounded just like Buck's!

Kenny Yates · Post by **Kenny Yates** » 29 Nov 2000 3:42 pm

I have an electric banjo made by hondo, it is about 15 to 20 years old and don't know if they still make them, but this one is pretty good, not one of the best but pretty good.

Kevin Walker · Post by **Kevin Walker** » 29 Nov 2000 5:09 pm

DEERING does or did make an electric banjo. Bela Fleck plays an electric. The things rely totally on electronics for tone, I never thought it was such a great sound. Sound is totally subjective though. The last time I checked, they were also fairly pricey, the neighborhood of $1500.00.
I will say that I've probably used every pick-up and every home-made rig going, trying to get enough stage volume out of a banjo, and it just won't happen without feed-back. If that's what you're trying to accomplish, enough volume to be heard over other electric instruments and DRUMS, then electric is the only way to go.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 29 Nov 2000 6:05 pm

If you send you banjo to Bobby Lee, maybe he could eloctrocute it for you.

Marty Pollard · Post by **Marty Pollard** » 29 Nov 2000 6:33 pm

...once told me there was no way to electrify a banjo...

How true, how poignantly true. You can make an electric instrument of five strings that is tuned like a b@nj0 but you can't electrify the real thing properly.

Hey, hold it! I see your last name is Barcus! Is this a bait for some new-fangled Barcus-Berry contraption?[This message was edited by Marty Pollard on 29 November 2000 at 06:35 PM.]

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Nov 2000 6:42 pm

Kevin, I had NO feedback problems with the DeArmond pickup...possible because it is a magnetic pickup. The transducer-type (piezo) pickups are famous for feedback.

Also, probably the taping of the pickup onto the head (which deadened the unamplified sound, slightly) actually aided in the "anti-feedback" qualities of my jury rig!

All I can say is "it worked great"!

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 29 Nov 2000 7:00 pm

thanks guys for all the feedback and although i feel like i steped on daves toes about being in the wrong place I am a steel guitar player have been for 10 yrs not the best or worse but fair lol, I have this interest for that sound for it would fit so well in alot of songs. I did set down on a msa a once and played with no bar in a had a good banjo trent sound.
as far as my last name Barcus boy i wish i was related to them again thanks and if your ever going though west virgina on a sat night and come into Barbour county come to my little place called country classic showcase have alot of singers and pickers, and if you want to play u sure can. take care Joe

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 29 Nov 2000 7:27 pm

Hey Joe,
As far a Buck Trent's banjo goes it's a one of a kind rig. I saw him on the Nashville network about 15 or so years ago demonstrating the thing. I don't remember which show it was however, he stated that the head had been replaced with WOOD and it had a couple of round button like devices which when pushed down raised the 2nd and 3rd strings a whole tone each. He also had Keith/Scruggs tuners on the four main strings. It had a regular guitar type magnetic pickup on the thing. You can do the same thing with an electric guitar with the proper accessories. I have an Ibanez Artist solid body electric which has two humbuckers (both with coil taps) and a Fender strat pickup in the middle. I have Keith/Scruggs tuners on all strings except the 4th string D which I have a regular banjo peg tuning from the rear like the rest of them. I lower the 1st string to D, the 2nd to A, the 3rd to F#, the 4th remains constant for all tunings, the 5th to G, and the low E to D. With this set up I can get the open G tuning, open D tuning, dropped D tuning, double dropped D tuning, the DADGAD tuning, and I also have a Bigsby Palm Pedal on the thing which raises the 2nd string to C# and the 3rd string to A. With this guitar you can get just about anything Buck Trent ever played and a lot more. Buck was also a fine guitar player as well. I don't think you can find the Palm Pedals any more but the HipShot company makes a unit you can use for most of the same stuff.

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Have a good 'un! JH U-12

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 29 November 2000 at 07:30 PM.]

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 29 Nov 2000 7:32 pm

Jerry,
Thats the way Im going to go I have a pretty nice ole tele here to use it on.

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carter single 10

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 30 Nov 2000 9:59 am

I played with Buck once and he told me that Shot Jackson had installed the palm-pedal thingies on his horn.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 30 Nov 2000 8:06 pm

I also have a fair banjo here at the house guys share your thoughts with me on either making a ele guitar with some scruggs tuners and the string gage one might consider, and also what might be done to the banjo ill try anything twice lol

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carter single 10

Boomer · Post by **Boomer** » 2 Dec 2000 7:06 pm

Joseph and Jerry - Bigsby palm pedals are still available through the following e-mail address: dbalde@eclipse.net

Best, Boomer

Ingo Mamczak · Post by **Ingo Mamczak** » 2 Dec 2000 7:53 pm

Hello Joseph ,
I've been looking for a good banjo pickup and I found this Pick-up the world
It's very interesting .
Hope this helps .
Ingo .

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 3 Dec 2000 6:15 am

Boomer I send a email to that address. i was going to email you to thank u but i didnt find your email address joe

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carter single 10

Boomer · Post by **Boomer** » 3 Dec 2000 6:18 am

Joe - You can find me at the following e-mail: palmpedal@cs.com

Best, Boomer