Ultimate Banjo Head Guide
One of the most unique pieces of a banjo is the banjo head. Banjo heads can come in all sorts of sizes and material. Today, we’ll take a look at some of the more common ones. If you need help picking out a new head for your banjo, hopefully this will help.
Most Common Sizes Of Banjo Heads
The most common banjo head sizes are the:
- 11 inch
- 12 inch
- 13 inch
Most Gibson Mastertone type banjos use an 11 inch head. This produces the clear/sharper bluegrass sound. The 11 inch banjo head is the most common for bluegrass type banjos. It is common for open back clawhammer playing as well.
At the same time, open back banjos can come in 11, 12, and even 13 inch models. Many modern clawhammer banjo players have turned to 12 inch head banjos due to the slightly deeper sound. 13 inches and above are for banjos trying to get a very plunky/tubby sound. A tone resembling a minstrel banjo setup.
If you want to know for sure what size the head is on your banjo, bust out your trusty tape measure. There are some old banjos where the head is just under 11 inches, so it is worth double checking.
Banjo Head Crown Height
- Low
- Medium
- High
Crown height is primarily about where the tension hoop will sit in relationship to the fingerboard after the head is seated. I’ll refer you to this picture posted by Ken Levan on Banjo Hangout a few years ago. It’s the best I’ve found add making it clear. Notice how much of the fingerboard is showing at the top on each of them. The high crown has the most fingerboard edge showing.
Low Crown banjo Heads are primarily for arch-top banjos. If your banjo doesn’t have an arch-top tonering, then you want to avoid the low crown banjo head.
Medium Crown -If your banjo has a flat head tonering, a medium crown will most likely fit your banjo. Medium crown will also work on arch top banjos. It’s the in-between choice that works on most banjos.
High Crown – The high crown is another good bet for a flathead Mastertone-type banjo. I’ve normally used the high crown on my personal banjos when applicable. Most of the old plastic banjo heads in the 60’s and before were high crown if they were on a flathead banjo.
Common types of Banjo Heads
Here are the appearances of the various types of banjo heads available. Source: Smakula Fretted Instruments.
They come in top frosted, bottom frosted, cloudy, clear, and more. Some of these are quite unusual and you will almost never see them.
- Remo Weatherking
- Fibyerskyn
- Renaissance
- Calf or Goat skin
Remo Weatherking.
The Remo Weatherking comes in a lot of configurations. For example, you can get it with frosting only on the bottom. The most common is with the frosting on the topside. The frosting or coating on the head dampens some of the overtones you get with a completely clear head. Over the years , people have even tried modifying them by spraying more frosting on them. I once tried a head that was modified like that and did not like it AT ALL (I found it had deadened the sound too much!).
The Remo Weatherking head is probably the most common head used for bluegrass banjo. Lots and lots of the pros use these heads. They also works great for other styles as well (jazz, classical, etc). Check These Out On Amazon:
Fiberskyn Banjo Head
Photo Source- Goldtone Music
The Fiberskyn banjo head is often used by clawhammer banjo players. However, I’ve seen them on bluegrass banjos as well. This head is good if you want a warmer & deeper tone. This head accentuates the lower register of the banjo. At the same time, it won’t produce that sharp and crisp sound you hear on the early Scruggs and Reno recordings.
Looks-wise, it is made to look more like a real hide head.
I’ve never owned a Fiberskyn head. However, from what I understand, it takes a bit longer to get broken in. In the beginning, the head will loosen more and require more tightening initially.
If you want one of these banjo heads, I recommend buying it at Smakula Fretted Instruments. The ones listed on Amazon are low crown. It’s filled with complaints of people who bought the wrong sized head for their banjo 😛
Bob has LIGHTNING fast service. If you use him, I recommend buying two (You can always save it for later. You save on shipping and I’m sure the price will go up like everything else)
Renaissance Banjo Head
The Renaissance banjo head is another one favored by old-time and clawhammer banjo players. I’ve used one for my clawhammer playing and really like it. From the recordings I’ve heard online, it seems this head has more clarity than the Fiberskyn, emphasizing the lower end just a bit less than the Fiberskyn. In other words, it is somewhere between the Remo Weathering and the Fiberskyn.
Here’s a video comparing the Fiberskyn and Renaissance banjo heads
It is like the Fiberskyn head in that it too can take a bit longer to break in. You’ll be tightening things up over the course of a few months.
To purchase, I once again recommend Smakula Fretted instruments or Greg Boyds House of Fine Instruments.
Calf or Goat Skin Banjo Head
At one time, skin heads were all that were available. These were made out of calf or goat skins. Some people swear by the sound of these old skin heads. Jim Mills recorded an album called the “Hide Head Blues” where he uses banjos fitted with calf skin heads.
One disadvantage to skin heads is they are more susceptible to moving in humid weather conditions. One reason I don’t use one on my open back is I live in Georgia and it is VERY humid here. If you live in a dry climate, these are less of a headache.
Another thing to keep in mind-you may have to cut around the head after you are done fitting it. A bit more work is involved than your normal head. Usually people will soak the head before putting it on as well.
Skin heads are popular among clawhammer banjo players. Some bluegrass banjoists still swear by them, but they are in the minority today.
If you want to try a skin head on your open back banjo, especially if you have a 12 inch head, I think your best bet is JD Bach over at HideBanjoHeads.com
If you want a skin head for your Mastertone. You can try Smakula instruments or Elderly instruments.
Banjo Heads – Concluding Words
There are other types of heads (Suede for instance). However, I didn’t want to present a menu with too many options. The ones above are the ones that are the most common among bluegrass and clawhammer players.
My advice if you are still uncertain about which head to choose- Go on YouTube and listen to the different heads on various banjos to get a better idea of what you might like.
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