Bill Evans is an internationally celebrated five-string banjo player, teacher, historian, and recording artist, who has helped thousands of banjo players from all over the world in a professional career that spans over 35 years. It's refreshing to deal with a person and company with such great customer service. You can see both options in this figure. Although you won’t find any hard-and-fast rules, you might like to have just enough length to the strap so that when you sit down you can divide the weight of the banjo between your shoulder and your knees. With the banjo strings facing you, count two to three hooks to the right of the neck. When you attach a banjo strap it is normally best to attach it to the head tightening brackets. I attach it one or two brackets below the tailpiece. Most videos include descriptions too. If you are sitting, adjust the strap to give support while sitting, If you are standing a lot, you may have to default to the best setting for that, as the positioning when standing may be more important to you. If you are lucky the same setting will be what you like. We want you to keep improving and your appreciation and support means a lot to us. BanjoTeachers submit your name to our Banjo Teacher List. We'll spend our mornings and late afternoons exploring the wildlife of South Africa, and the mid day will be filled with a banjo workshop that should be fun and rewarding. Email Ross with a question. I attach it one or two brackets below the tailpiece. This will support that neck. Banjo Reviews for Goldtone Banjos, Recording King Banjos, Morgan Monroe, Electric banjos, six string banjos, bluegrass banjos, clawhammer banjos, travel banjos banjo ukes, 4-string banjos and the many banjos we service and carry. A banjo strap should be made of leather or have leather tabs to attach to the brackets, not metal clips, the metal will clang against the metal parts of the banjo and could scratch the heel of the neck. Click over to our banjo resources pages and see sample videos, video performances, more articles, hear MP3', banjo tablatures and our banjo teacher list for the US, Canada, UK, Europe and Australia. Hold the pot of the banjo against your body, with just a slight angle so you can more easily see the banjo fingerboard and head. Free Banjo Videos and Banjo Lessons from Banjo Master and Teacher, Ross Nickerson. Questions and answers to student questions and emails. Try wrapping the strap around the banjo pot, making sure that the top of your case still closes easily (see the figure). You must watch your angle as you go and even after you think you are done, you’ll need to install the lag bolts and attach the neck and sacrifice at least one set of strings while you double-check all the lines and to make sure the centerline is where it needs to be as well as the angle that you need to accommodate the bridge height you need for your banjo. As you fit the strap to the banjo, you need to properly adjust its length. Contact-us. Hold the pot of the banjo against your body, with just a slight angle so you can more easily see the banjo fingerboard and head. Cradle Straps are for bluegrass banjos that have a one piece flange, not open back or beginner open back banjos that have attached resonators, Here is a picture of how to put a cradle strap on an OB 250, Here is a free video that has a section on how to attach a standard banjo strap, Here is a link to a free video on how to attach a cradle strap on a banjo. First attach it below the neck on the side closest to the floor around the second bracket down. If you remove your left hand as a support, does the neck move downward? The answers should be helpful and the questions you read will remind you that you are not alone out there! Testimonials, reviews and comments from customers. He has produced numerous instructional DVDs and hosted hundreds of instructional workshops. Consider investing in a strap with leather tabs attached to either end. See the banjos closeup and hear different models so you can compare better. Find a real banjo strap — not a guitar strap — to use on your instrument. When you attach a banjo strap it is normally best to attach it to the head tightening brackets. I don’t recommend those, they are in the wrong spot. This is a minor hassle, but after the strap is set, you won’t have to worry about it anymore and you’ll be better able to find comfortable hand positions for playing. Getting the strap out of the way when it’s time to put the banjo in its case. Students please use this free service to find a banjo teacher near you, banjo teachers please help me build the list! You might have to take the strap off the banjo each time to adjust its length until you find what feels just right. Some inexpensive banjos have hooks on the banjo body that are designed to hold a strap. How to Make a Banjo Neck Step-By-Step Workpieces are trued on the jointer Gluing (if two piece neck) The side profile is cut out, then the neck blank is left to cure a while. The length of your strap determines the vertical placement of the banjo in relation to your body. Annual Banjo Workshop weekend in Sunny St Pete Beach Florida! Most banjo straps have hooks, ties, or screws at both ends that you use to attach the strap to the banjo pot. After you’ve found a strap position that seems to work when sitting, try standing up with the banjo to see how the banjo feels in relation to your hands. However, these hooks usually aren’t located in a position that provides the most comfortable support. Many players attach the strap to brackets located underneath the neck and the tailpiece of the banjo, as shown in the figure. Banjo Demo Videos for Goldtone Banjos, Recording King, Goldstar, Nechville, Deering. Getting used to holding the banjo and working with the strap is a bit like breaking in a brand new pair of shoes — it takes a bit of time, but soon enough everything fits like a glove. Sincerely, Ross Nickerson / 1-866-322-6567, ...you guys are great and i appreciate your rapid response and quick action in taking care of your customers needs. In the last 15 years we have helped thousands of people learn to play the banjo online. Take a moment and sit in a chair with your banjo in a playing position, with the pot of the banjo resting on your legs and the neck extending to your left at about a 45-degree angle. This position seems to provide a good deal of support and control, but you want to experiment by using different strap lengths and brackets to see what feels right to you. Both kinds of straps look pretty much the same except for what’s at either end. First attach it below the neck on the side closest to the floor around the second bracket down. Making three or four adjustments as you try to find the right strap position for your banjo isn’t unusual. Bill has performed on stages throughout North America, Europe, and Japan, and his CDs have topped both folk and bluegrass charts. I hope this article and video is helpful, All Leather Banjo Strap - Resonator or Open Back, BanjoTeacher.com went online in 2001 with a brand new Beginner Banjo Book and two books I wrote on Scruggs Style and Building Banjo Speed. For a comfortable fit, try attaching the strap below the neck and the tailpiece. Insert and Delete Rows and Columns in Excel 2013, Essential Right-Hand Patterns for Bluegrass and Clawhammer Banjo. Our experienced advice and service comes from someone who really cares about your progress. The neck is reinforced. ...Thank you Ross for all of your help. If you attach the strap to the banjo in this way, you shouldn’t have to remove it when you need to put the banjo away in its case. Attach one end of the strap beside the neck. I am to be teaming up with our professional Safari guides Kevin and Tricia Dooley on an adventure that none of us will forget.