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In the 1990's, banjo players have seen development of many new & exciting products for the 5-string banjo. The Tennessee 20-Hole tone ring is among the latest developments in tone ring technology for the 5-string banjo. Based upon an earlier tone ring designed by Mark Taylor in the early 1 970's, the new Tennessee 20 far surpasses the original version. In fact, the new Tennessee 20 hole tone ring rivals or surpasses most of the tone rings we have tested through the years.
The new Tennessee 20 is a sand cast tone ring. During the past two years, the government's Y-12 nuclear facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee has helped Mark with the research & development of this new ring. The inspiration for the reissue of this tone ring actually began with a collaboration with Richard Kulesh (of the Kulesh tone ring fame), while Mark was looking for a new tone ring for the Rich & Taylor banjos.
We have tested the Tennessee 20 hole tone ring in several different makes, models & eras of banjos, including 1960's & 1970's RB250s, parts banjos & brand new banjos from a variety of manufacturers. We have also tested it in a banjo with which we have installed every tone ring we test, for comparison. We have achieved very consistent results with the Tennessee 20. Also, the feedback from other respected luthiers & musicians who have also tried this tone ring in their banjos has been similar.
The overall tone quality produced from this tone ring, is very crisp & clean. It also provides plenty of sustain without harsh overtones. The adjustment & set up of the banjo seems to be critical with this tone ring, particularly where the head tension is concerned. A little bit of change has a dramatic effect. The general consensus is that a fairly tight head tension is required to bring out the "cutting" power. It has an excellent bottom end to its tone quality, which seems to be present even with the head tightened to an A. If the head tension goes beyond that, overtones may tend to occur, particularly with the Weatherking head. However, when the head is backed off just before this point, the tone quality is clean & crisp. The tonal quality is also well balanced all the way up the fingerboard. We have found the best results when a 3-ply maple rim is cut especially for this tone ring, so the tone ring sits snugly on the rim; the ring should easily lift on or off the rim, and the fit is best if not extremely tight. On the banjo I use to test every tone ring, however, the banjo sounds & plays better than it ever has, in spite of the fact that the tone ring fit is fairly loose on the rim.
OVERALL EVALUATION: