The banjo’s head is its primary tone generator. While guitars and many other stringed instruments have a wooden soundboard, the banjo has the head, a stretched membrane that amplifies the string’s vibrations. The head makes or breaks the sound of a banjo. If the head is too loose it will not be able to amplify the sound of the string efficiently. Head tension has a direct impact on tone and volume. Higher tension and lower tension set ups both have their tonal appeal. My own preference tends toward high tension.
Modern bracket style banjos have a head that is removable. It’s a feature that has always fascinated me. Just imagine if you could change out the soundboard on a guitar! Gourd and tackhead banjo heads often have a more permanent arrangement, being attached with tacks and glue. In the past few years I’ve been building “fixed head” banjos using a permanently attached synthetic head.
Different types of banjo heads sound different. Some are bright while some are mellow. Not every head sounds the same on every banjo. Much like finding the perfect strings for an instrument, finding the perfect match between banjo and banjo head may take some experimentation.
The open back banjo presents opportunities for tonal adjustment of the head. The player can add material to the inside of the instrument with ease. This may be as crude as stuffing an old sock between the stick and the head or it may be some more sophisticated arrangement. I like to use a small piece of open cell foam placed between the stick and the head for tone control. Moving the foam closer to, or further from the bridge produces tones.
Natural Animal Banjo Hide Heads
Natural animal hide or skin is the most authentic head for a banjo. The banjo came from Africa with an animal hide head. Animal hide has a great sound with a terrific thump factor. Using a hide banjo head does come with some marginal drawbacks. Natural hide heads are sensitive to humidity, loosening in high humidity and tightening in dryer environments. Weather sealing hide heads can reduce sensitivity to humidity. I seal mine with shellac and oil. I’m not stingy with it.
Synthetic Banjo Heads
Many modern banjos have a synthetic head. Synthetic banjo heads a typically made from mylar, a type of plastic. Synthetic heads are not sensitive to humidity. They can handle high tension and are very durable. I often choose a synthetic head for workhorse instruments. They sound a bit different from hide heads, but the predictable performance is attractive.
There are a few different varieties of synthetic heads. I like them all because they each have something different to offer. The Fiberskyn heads offer some of the warmth that makes a hide head so appealing without the sensitivity to humidity. They also look like hide on the outside. Renaissance heads have a brighter tone. They have a translucent look and seem slightly louder and more articulate than Fiberskyn. Weather King heads are what I think of as the original plastic banjo head. They are typically plain white in color and have a super bright tone.
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