Banjo skin touchup

[mandosonthemarsh]

I foolishly tried to remove some inherited ink markings with plastic cleaner on a remo head and made a mess of things. Anyone know of any touchup magic? Thanks, Bruce.

[P.D. Kirby]

I bet that thread on the BHO took out more heads than yours, I cringed when I read that people were going to use a solvent to remove the ink, hey guy's there's paint under the ink. Just hide the label under the tail piece and don't worry about it I'm sure it still sounds fine. Check the BHO next week there will most likely be a thread with the answer you seek. Sorry I can't help and be careful with that Banjo word around here or they will get out the pitchforks and torches. :))

[mandosonthemarsh]

A good ole toothbrush and toothpaste, a bit of water, a little bit of scrub works wonders!

[Paul Busman]

Depending on the banjo, it isn't all that difficult to change the head entirely, and not very expensive. They come in a variety of different materials which can alter the tone of the instrument (brighter, more mellow, etc). People over at Banjo Hangout have posted lots of information on this topic.
I have an inexpensive vintage tenor and put a new Renaissance head on it. Taking the banjo apart was a great way to get to know my instrument better and while it was apart I had a great opportunity to give it an overall cleaning. I also replaced the old chewed up looking tuners and put on a new bridge. Now it looks a lot better, sounds better, but still retains that vintage mojo.
Elderly Music has a huge assortment of heads in all sizes. If you decide to tackle this, be sure you measure that old head very carefully in diameter and also depth.

[Andy Alexander]

You can refrost the head using Kilz which is a dry wall primer available at building supply stores. Some banjo players use this on their head to get help eliminate a tinny high end. You can do this carefully while the head is still on the banjo. Take off strings if doing the whole head.

Removing and reinstalling or replacing the head requires in a break in period until the banjo and heads settles. Putting a new head on the banjo is not difficult but is time consuming as the head has to be brought up to the right tension slowly and evenly. It is best not to go get it too tight and then have to back it off. The tightness of the head has a big effect on the tone so going slowly to achieve the sound you want is important.

[Tim2723]

Personally, I treat a banjo head as I do strings: They don't last forever and I replace them when they get tired out. If you were trying to recondition an antique natural skin, that would be one thing, but it's a Remo plastic head. They're only a few bucks and not worth the effort. As Andy said, take the new head up to tension slowly. Not only will that help zero in on the tone you're after, but over tightening at first uses up some of the slack that will allow you to re-adjust the head over time to maintain your tone.

[QCS]

I have to agree with the others, new heads are cheap and your time is too valuable. For the future, try using a de-natured alcohol or an high grade iso-propyl and a soft cloth. I have removed all sorts of junk using these, with like new results. There are a couple of good videos on mounting heads on You-tube if you have never done this before. Just go slow and proceed with caution! Be sure to determine if you need a medium or high crown before you make your purchase. It's not rocket science, it's a banjo. It's kind of like working on an old truck. You will be happy you did it.

[Willie Poole]

I asked Bill Emerson one time how tight do you make your banjo heads and he said, "I tighten them `til just before they break"..

Makes semse to me...

[Ben Milne]

Have heard a pickaxe works wonders on these things.