Installing resonator cone on mando-banjo

[DENNY7P]

have you ever heard any body did this,

[Bob DeVellis]

Do you mean a banjo resonator or a resophonic guitar cone? If the latter, you'd have to mount the bridgte on the cone (directly or indirectly depending on whether it's a biscuit-type or spider type), which would necessitate some sort of hole in the head. Besides, the last thing mando-banjo needs is something to make it louder.

[Paul Hostetter]

An aluminum resonator would be quieter than the average head. But if you're considering adapting an existing tenor banjo you'll have to replace the fingerboard and tweak the mounting of the neck. 99.99% of banjos have the bridge at about the 30% point of the diameter of the head, whereas the spun aluminum resonator puts the bridge dead center. If you want to fret it in tune, you'll need to adjust the frets to where the fixed saddle is.

Check (and click on) this:

http://www.notecannons.com/instruments/tenortrope_cliff_3.jpg (http://www.jazzage1920s.com/cliffedwards/instruments/instruments.php)

[allenhopkins]

Paul's hit the nail on the head (and provided a lovely pic of the rare Dobro Tenortrope). Banjo bridge is almost invariably located "below" the center of the head, while a resonator cone of necessity has the bridge centered.

You'd need, at a minimum, a refretted fingerboard allowing for the shorter scale you'd get with a centered bridge.

[PT66]

Denny, give me a call. We can try to figure out what your trying for.