I own a bunch of guitars but had always wanted a banjo to add to my collection, so my wife and sons bought me this very banjo for fathers day and I just love it. The only gripe I had with it is how uncomfortable it was on my forearm, so I went out and bought an armrest. I decided that before I embark on altering my brand new banjo and risk damaging my new gift, I'd do some research that I could find on doing what needed to be done. Frankly I had never even thought about the shape of the shoes for the head brackets and yep, they do interfere. I guess it was a style choice by Recording King and I hear from the women in my life that beauty is pain, so thank you Recording King, your beauty became my pain. Now while I've been playing guitar since I was 5 (55 years ago), and some of my guitar skills transfers over, I'm just a rank beginner with the banjo (like getting used to the darn high string being at the top!!) and am currently seeing if I'm comfortable with the armrest at the height it is without your modifications, however, should I decide that I need to make the modifications, I'm confident that I could easily do it now that I've watched your video. Thank you very much for making it.
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know a tool to log back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid forgot my login password. I love any help you can offer me.
@Sincere Wilder Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
I changed an armrest on one of my banjos awhile back. I used a couple of popsicle sticks to hold the piece for the back of the armrest in place until I could tighten the screw into place. I simply pulled the sticks out after it was tightened.’That way I didn’t have to fight with holding it steady.
@@frankcoomes8795.... I agree with you, 100%!! Personally, I think he looked Much better, younger and "cleaner" when he had shorter hair and No beard.... though a "Nicely kept" (re; Trimmed) beard, whether full or "jaw line" on him, would look great as well, also. Hey Jim..... are you "listening"?? lol
This Banjo sounds the business in your hands. Its hard to find a great sounding Banjo for a budget price especially in the U.K. or so it used to be. They do a model with a Mastertone style brass tonering for £650 sterling! Id love to hear that . Although it would weigh much heavier and could be less fun as a consequence. This has to be great for future of the instrument . Great video as always..
I recently got my banjo serviced because I know nothing about how it's actually built. The resonater is now only partly fastened to my banjo and I've tried and tried to fasten it back on unsuccessfully. Perhaps if you're feeling ambitious, you could make a video explaining a little about how to but a banjo together. However, I'm just greatfull for everything I've learned from your channel!!
@@JimPankey yes, the screws have a gear at the end and I assume some kind of stage to pull tight to the resonater. A few of them are loose and when I tighten them, they don't pull the resonater tight to the pot. Instead, the screw just kind of tilts. I'm terrible at explanation haha. Thanks for the reply!!
Jim, will a standard PB-604 Recording King Arm Rest fit the Dirty 30 without any modification, if I’m okay with it being at its highest level? Wasn’t sure if the 30’s brackets are same distance apart as a normal 1 pc. flange banjo like the RK 35 etc.
Hey Jim! Thanks for the video. You DO need three hands trying to get the armrest screw in. Why not just remove the "shoes" on those two brackets (or all the brackets) altogether? I don't see their functional purpose, just aesthetic?
@@JimPankey Gotcha. That does make sense. I didn't realize the flange was thin. I was going to say that Recording King could have put the money into installing an armrest instead of the "shoes."
Hey Jim. I think I need one of these 🤔 loving my RK Dirty 30's but I have a small problem: none of the notes on the first fret play. They just thud. I can't play basic chords. I thought it was my noob clumsiness at first, but if I try individual notes in the first fret, I get a twangy kinda thud. Is the action too low or something?
Just got an RKH-05 for Christmas last night. It was really late. :) First thing I noticed is I will need an armwrest. I see them on Amazon, any special recommendation? I want to make sure I get the right size. Also need a strap so any recommendations there? Will also be going through your videos to learn how to play it (been playing guitar for almost 50 years). Thanks!
Hey Jim! I’ve run through your learning Bluegrass Banjo series, and I’m loving the banjo so far! You’re easily the best teacher I’ve found so far. I’m a big fan of a lot of different types of music. And I was wondering, how could I learn to play songs that aren’t originally Banjo songs? Like certain guitar songs could be fun to learn, even if it doesn’t sound exactly like a guitar I’d love to play them. Any suggestions?
It's just a matter of taking the concepts I teach in my beginner series and applying them to whatever song you want to play. The licks/techniques/ideas are always the same - it's just a matter of putting them in the right order.
Jim..... What is your Honest Opinion / thoughts on the RKH-05 Banjo.... like you have in this video? PLEASE, Don't just say it's a nice banjo for the money.... I Need an honest assessment of the instrument... build quality, playability, component quality, POSSIBLE ISSUE'S to watch for, etc. Thank You in advance. OH!... PS; Are the strings that come with it... made in China, or are they one of the Name Brands from the US... ie; GHS, D'Addario, SIT, etc, etc. Thanks again. : )
The RKH-05 is a lot of banjo at the price point. It's not going to sound like a $2500 bluegrass banjo, but it does sound good. The neck profile is the same on it as on all the other Recording King banjos. The hardware is great; having normal hardware in this price point is really unheard of from other makers. The main issue that I have with the instrument is it doesn't come with an armrest , but that's easily remedied. I'm also not a fan of the Revebond material used for the fingerboard, but it does seem durable. But, if I'm not supposed to mention anything about quality for the price, then don[t buy this banjo. Look at a banjo from Huber, Hatfield, Yates, or any of the other boutique builders - those all start around $3500. You're not going to get that sort of quality until you spend that amount of money. The next option would be to look at the Recording King RK-35 or RK-75. I play both of those regularly on gigs. It comes with D'Addario strings, but it could come strung up with baling wire as far as I'm concerned. Strings are cheap and everyone has their own preference.
This worked for me on my Gibson RB 170. If you loosen the two hook nuts you will be attaching the arm rest to, you can slide the bar under the hooks (over the shoes) then tighten the arm rest down tighten the hook nuts and theres no need to cut the shoes. Just saying. It was easier for me and worked fine.
My arm is still newbie sore (where it leans into the arm rest) from practicing every day. I’m hoping that will change the longer I play. I’ve already developed some beautiful calluses from all of those slides. Hoping this is just part of the process. ☺️
Over time... you would likely regret leaving them off. I wouldn't do it, myself..... I would do as Jim did on his "05"... plus I have the added ability to finish and buff the "foot" to a mirror / chrome like, finish so it would look like it was installed that way from the factory.
![The Dead South - In Hell I'll Be In Good Company [Play-Along Tutorial]](/img/n.gif)
It's good to learn all aspects of the instrument you play. Glad to have a teacher that takes the time to put ALL of is know how out to his students!!
Thanks 😊
I own a bunch of guitars but had always wanted a banjo to add to my collection, so my wife and sons bought me this very banjo for fathers day and I just love it. The only gripe I had with it is how uncomfortable it was on my forearm, so I went out and bought an armrest. I decided that before I embark on altering my brand new banjo and risk damaging my new gift, I'd do some research that I could find on doing what needed to be done. Frankly I had never even thought about the shape of the shoes for the head brackets and yep, they do interfere. I guess it was a style choice by Recording King and I hear from the women in my life that beauty is pain, so thank you Recording King, your beauty became my pain. Now while I've been playing guitar since I was 5 (55 years ago), and some of my guitar skills transfers over, I'm just a rank beginner with the banjo (like getting used to the darn high string being at the top!!) and am currently seeing if I'm comfortable with the armrest at the height it is without your modifications, however, should I decide that I need to make the modifications, I'm confident that I could easily do it now that I've watched your video. Thank you very much for making it.
Armrests are always optional. There are a variety of others types that will fit with no modification required.
Awesome video!!!! Finished your whole 10 lesson series, and I just want to thank you for the lessons. I play for hours a day!
Congrats on surviving the 10 lesson series! Thanks for letting me teach you!
You post anything you desire my man. Your have always had interesting and informative posts. Keep on keeping on! Blessings!!
Thanks 😊
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know a tool to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid forgot my login password. I love any help you can offer me.
@Ezekiel Anderson instablaster ;)
@Sincere Wilder Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff now.
I see it takes a while so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Sincere Wilder It worked and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much you saved my ass :D
Getting an rkh-05 soon, so all these setup videos are really helpful. Thanks mate!
Awesome!
I changed an armrest on one of my banjos awhile back. I used a couple of popsicle sticks to hold the piece for the back of the armrest in place until I could tighten the screw into place. I simply pulled the sticks out after it was tightened.’That way I didn’t have to fight with holding it steady.
Brilliant idea!
Is there no end to this man's talent?
Oh... there’s an end. 😬
I'm thinking he can't cut his own hair...
@@frankcoomes8795.... I agree with you, 100%!! Personally, I think he looked Much better, younger and "cleaner" when he had shorter hair and No beard.... though a "Nicely kept" (re; Trimmed) beard, whether full or "jaw line" on him, would look great as well, also. Hey Jim..... are you "listening"?? lol
Great video Jim, knowledge is power, God bless, Davy
Thanks 😊
That's great Jim,..really helpful!
Thanks
This Banjo sounds the business in your hands. Its hard to find a great sounding Banjo for a budget price especially in the U.K. or so it used to be. They do a model with a Mastertone style brass tonering for £650 sterling! Id love to hear that . Although it would weigh much heavier and could be less fun as a consequence. This has to be great for future of the instrument . Great video as always..
You can hear the RK-35 here: ua-cam.com/video/EU73vs6Qh9E/v-deo.html
I recently got my banjo serviced because I know nothing about how it's actually built. The resonater is now only partly fastened to my banjo and I've tried and tried to fasten it back on unsuccessfully. Perhaps if you're feeling ambitious, you could make a video explaining a little about how to but a banjo together.
However, I'm just greatfull for everything I've learned from your channel!!
The resonator is really just held on by 4 screws...
@@JimPankey yes, the screws have a gear at the end and I assume some kind of stage to pull tight to the resonater. A few of them are loose and when I tighten them, they don't pull the resonater tight to the pot. Instead, the screw just kind of tilts.
I'm terrible at explanation haha. Thanks for the reply!!
Yup... thumbscrews... should fit into mounts on the inside of the resonator
Cool beans dude. Many Gretsch guitars have that sort of arm rest. It looks cool & it's better than a sharp corner.
Most banjos come with an armrest of some sort... this model doesn’t.
Jim, will a standard PB-604 Recording King Arm Rest fit the Dirty 30 without any modification, if I’m okay with it being at its highest level?
Wasn’t sure if the 30’s brackets are same distance apart as a normal 1 pc. flange banjo like the RK 35 etc.
Yes. It'll fit.
@@JimPankey Thanks for the quick reply! I’m getting a dirty 30 for my wife. She wants to give banjo a try, so I want to order a rest for it 👍
Hey Jim! Thanks for the video. You DO need three hands trying to get the armrest screw in. Why not just remove the "shoes" on those two brackets (or all the brackets) altogether? I don't see their functional purpose, just aesthetic?
I considered that, but the shoes give support for the brackets... the flange is fairly thin, and I think you'd notice it flex a bit without the shoes.
@@JimPankey Gotcha. That does make sense. I didn't realize the flange was thin. I was going to say that Recording King could have put the money into installing an armrest instead of the "shoes."
oh forgot to comment on your video .. 😝 this is my 150th comment on your channel..🥳 great video! Very helpful!
150!?! Thanks for each of them!
@@JimPankey yes 😅 if you click of my account logo in a comment, you can see it..
Hey Jim. I think I need one of these 🤔 loving my RK Dirty 30's but I have a small problem: none of the notes on the first fret play. They just thud. I can't play basic chords. I thought it was my noob clumsiness at first, but if I try individual notes in the first fret, I get a twangy kinda thud. Is the action too low or something?
Sounds like the action may be too low, or the truss rod needs to be adjusted. Would be good to get it to someone that can help you get it setup.
Just got an RKH-05 for Christmas last night. It was really late. :) First thing I noticed is I will need an armwrest. I see them on Amazon, any special recommendation? I want to make sure I get the right size. Also need a strap so any recommendations there? Will also be going through your videos to learn how to play it (been playing guitar for almost 50 years). Thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/-1gyITuEBnw/v-deo.html
I really don’t have much of a recommendation for straps other than leather.
Jim put some wristbands on your store page. Good comfort when playing and practicing.
Good suggestion, but don’t think I can add those. I’ll double check though.
Hey Jim! I’ve run through your learning Bluegrass Banjo series, and I’m loving the banjo so far! You’re easily the best teacher I’ve found so far. I’m a big fan of a lot of different types of music. And I was wondering, how could I learn to play songs that aren’t originally Banjo songs? Like certain guitar songs could be fun to learn, even if it doesn’t sound exactly like a guitar I’d love to play them. Any suggestions?
It's just a matter of taking the concepts I teach in my beginner series and applying them to whatever song you want to play. The licks/techniques/ideas are always the same - it's just a matter of putting them in the right order.
Jim..... What is your Honest Opinion / thoughts on the RKH-05 Banjo.... like you have in this video? PLEASE, Don't just say it's a nice banjo for the money.... I Need an honest assessment of the instrument... build quality, playability, component quality, POSSIBLE ISSUE'S to watch for, etc. Thank You in advance. OH!... PS; Are the strings that come with it... made in China, or are they one of the Name Brands from the US... ie; GHS, D'Addario, SIT, etc, etc. Thanks again. : )
The RKH-05 is a lot of banjo at the price point. It's not going to sound like a $2500 bluegrass banjo, but it does sound good. The neck profile is the same on it as on all the other Recording King banjos. The hardware is great; having normal hardware in this price point is really unheard of from other makers. The main issue that I have with the instrument is it doesn't come with an armrest , but that's easily remedied. I'm also not a fan of the Revebond material used for the fingerboard, but it does seem durable.
But, if I'm not supposed to mention anything about quality for the price, then don[t buy this banjo. Look at a banjo from Huber, Hatfield, Yates, or any of the other boutique builders - those all start around $3500. You're not going to get that sort of quality until you spend that amount of money.
The next option would be to look at the Recording King RK-35 or RK-75. I play both of those regularly on gigs.
It comes with D'Addario strings, but it could come strung up with baling wire as far as I'm concerned. Strings are cheap and everyone has their own preference.
Did you put a different head on your rkh-05?
Nope.
👌👏👏👏👏 awesome! This would help me a lot!
Thanks 😊
This worked for me on my Gibson RB 170. If you loosen the two hook nuts you will be attaching the arm rest to, you can slide the bar under the hooks (over the shoes) then tighten the arm rest down tighten the hook nuts and theres no need to cut the shoes. Just saying. It was easier for me and worked fine.
There is a lot more space on the 170 than this model... makes the job a lot easier
My arm is still newbie sore (where it leans into the arm rest) from practicing every day. I’m hoping that will change the longer I play. I’ve already developed some beautiful calluses from all of those slides. Hoping this is just part of the process. ☺️
There are some wooden armrest options that may be more comfortable.
I wear a Wilson wristband, try it.
Jim could you do a lesson on ‘mountain banjo’ from red dead redemption 2? Thank you!
I don’t even know what that is....
@@JimPankey okay I don’t think it has banjo in it anyway lol
What about just leaving those two shoes off? The hooks will still attach to and tighten onto the flange, they just wont be attached to the rim.
The flange would likely warp if you apply much tension at all. There needs to be something there to press against.
...but you could.
Over time... you would likely regret leaving them off. I wouldn't do it, myself..... I would do as Jim did on his "05"... plus I have the added ability to finish and buff the "foot" to a mirror / chrome like, finish so it would look like it was installed that way from the factory.
Learn a lot from watching your videos, great teacher, also I’m pretty sure your my cousin lol
Thanks for watching! I just might be!
I think you were Eddie Huitt’s banjo teacher he’s my uncle
Can you do a dueling banjos lesson
I did
Jim's "a man of many words"..... isn't he? 🤣 lol
FIRST
You’re about an hour late...
@@JimPankey oh
@@JimPankey :C