Archive for the ‘ Tools and Techniques ’ Category
Peterson Strobo-Flip Tuner SOLD OUT
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Pricing $149.50 CAD plus $12 flat rate FedEx in Canada.While Quantities Last! SOLD OUT Body Grey Plastic hinged case with large LCD screen. Comments Peterson has made professional grade tuners for a very long time. Our shop has several older strobe models, and they’ve been in constant use for up to several decades without any [...]
New Banjo Setup: Questions and Answers with Grant MacNeill (Video)
Friday, March 9th, 2012
Here’s Grant discussing what we need to know to set up a new banjo. If you’re wondering, the banjo in the video is a Deering Calico. You can preview our videos now on Our YouTube Channel!
MyBanjo Universal Banjo Tuning Wrench
Sunday, March 4th, 2012
Pricing $16.95 CND Comments An essential tool for tuning banjo heads. Grant says: “The BEST and only banjo wrench you should have!”. The three heads fit 1/4″, 9/32″, and 5/16″ nuts. Designed and manufactured in England. For more details or to purchase this tool, contact us here Check out Grant’s Banjo Setup Q&A You can [...]
Scale Lengths
Monday, July 11th, 2011
What is a Scale Length? A guitar’s (or any fretted instrument’s) scale length is the basic distance between the nut or zero fret and the bridge’s saddle. This measurement not only determines the placement of the frets for proper intonation, but has a profound effect on string tension, tone, and in some cases, tuning stability. [...]
Humidification
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
It’s essential to know the relative humidity in order to add or remove the correct amount of moisture to the air, and measurement is done with an instrument called a hygrometer. We’ve arranged for Barigo, a very respected instrument manufacturer, to provide us with Twelfth Fret branded units. After a great deal of research, we [...]
Fingerpicks
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011Fingerpicks are used to provide a sharper and more consistent tone, with – incidentally – a lot LOUDER sound! Commonly made of plastic or metal, the blade of the fingerpick is worn on the fleshy tip of the finger, opposite from the natural fingernail. To purchase these items, click here
Compensation and Intonation
Monday, January 10th, 2011So, if it isn’t what the HR people tell you you’re getting, what’s compensation? In musical terms, compensation is an adjustment to string length made to allow for proper intonation – it accounts for the effects of strings being stretched when fretted. A basic reality of fretted musical instruments is that frets aren’t placed in [...]
The Six-Inch Rule
Saturday, January 1st, 2011One of the most necessary and useful tools is the six-inch ruler. Sometimes called a “machinist’s ruler”, these are made of metal and are graduated, or divided, in at least sixty-fourths of an inch (1/64″). Some models show hundredths of an inch or are metric; what matters is that the graduations are small, because what [...]