Have you ever tried to use one of those electronic tuners in the middle of a picking party? Or on stage in the middle
of a performance? Just when you need to drop that D string to C for a new tune, some guy with a mandolin starts
picking like crazy and the needle on your tuner races all over the place.
There are three solutions to this problem:
1 - Ask everyone to be quiet while you use your electronic tuner;
2 - Develop your sense of pitch;
3 - Use a clip-on pickup with your tuner.
The first solution is guaranteed to make you the least popular person in the jam session (and we banjo players need
all the help we can get!). As for the second, we all agree that one should develop a perfect sense of pitch to become
independent of those newfangled devices (and at the same time develop a lively stage patter to make up for the time
it takes to re-tune the two or three other strings to compensate for the one you just re-tuned!) But for most of us, we
need help while we hone those skills. Hence, solution number three, the subject of this article.
As of this writing, I am aware of three clip-on pickups on the market. Availability is extremely limited to date since
these are hand-made in a -,Cottage industry" effort. Few music stores carry these devices. Simple, but effective, these
"clip-ons" consist of a spring-loaded clip which you attach to your bridge and a 1/4" phone plug which you plug into
your tuner, each connected by a length of coaxial cable. The secret is in the clip, of course. Bonded somewhere to its
surface is a small piezoelectric crystal which generates an electric signal when it vibrates. When it is clipped to your
bridge, or any other part of your banjo, it picks up the vibrations in the instrument caused by the string motion. The
corresponding electric signal goes into the input side of your electronic tuner and you adjust the string so that the
needle reads true.
Simple, isn't it? And simple they appear. But not quite so simple to make, according to Evan Reilly of Cambridge,
Massachusetts. After nearly a year of testing and improving prototypes, he has developed his 'Perfect Tune Model II'
and now offers them for sale for $25 at bluegrass festivals in the Northeast and by mail order for an additional handling
charge (address below). Reilly incorporated comments and criticisms into the latest model of his pickup from such
notables as Blake Williams (and other members of Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys), Roland White and Pat Enright
(Nashville Bluegrass Band), Little Roy Lewis (Lewis Family) and Butch Baldassari (Weary Hearts). Reilly worked
on solving problems that arose from heavy usage and now believes his clip-on will stand up to the rigors of everyday
use by amateurs and professionals alike.
Perfect-Tune's ruggedness comes from its heavy solid copper spring-loaded clip, rubber coated contact surfaces (which
helps to avoid scratches on your banjo), soldered connections, and high quality Belden coaxial cable. Prototype testing
resulted in the incorporation of a number of features which will benefit future users. For example, the piezoelectric
crystal is soldered to inner surface of the clip, thereby protecting it from handling, and the cable is reinforced with an
extra rubber sleeve where it connects to the clip, a place vulnerable to breaking und heavy use.
Reilly's "Perfect-Tune Model II" is not the only clip-on pickup available however. Norm Walters of Torrance
California, was earlier in the market has been advertising a "crystal pick-up" in BNL for several months. This unit
comes with simple instructions and extra order blanks, a good idea since many people ask me, "Where did you get that
thing?" The Walters pick-up is similar the Perfect-Tune, except the type of clip, which is a standard alligator clip with
narrow jaws. The piezoelectric crystal bonded to the tail of the clip. The Walters unit costs $14.95 post paid (s address
below).
The third model is the "ISO-CLIP" also advertised in BNL, This is a nicely finished unit with the cable molded into
the 1/4" phone plug and a rubber sleeve over an alligator clip to protect the crystal. Ron Van Ness makes these units
in Texas and offers them for mail order sale at $15 post paid (see address below). Ron writes that most of his sales to
date have been in his local area by people seeing others use the ISO-CLIP.
I purchased a Walters pickup more than a year ago, and a Perfect Tune about six months ago, and have been using both in my banjo tuning since then. I recently obtained the improved Model II from Reilly and an ISO-CLIP just in time to review for this article. All three models have worked very well for me, although banjo players will still need
to turn the banjo head away from nearby loud sources; the head acts like a very responsive membrane, picking up
airborne sound and feeding back vibrations to the bridge where the pickup is attached. This confuses some tuners that
have difficulty discriminating between signal and noise.
A solution to this problem for banjo players was found by the mandolin player in my band. He found that it works just
as well if you place the clip between your banjo/mandolin/guitar and your body. The pick-up responds to the vibrations
of the back of the instrument with no need to clip it on. Since the back of the resonator of a banjo is less responsive
than the head, you are less likely to pick up other sounds on stage. Moreover, this approach solves another pesky
problem for banjo players; you can avoid having to squeeze open the little clips. with fingers made clumsy by picks!
After using the Walters unit for a time I needed to modify it somewhat. I filed down the sharp teeth of the alligator
clip and coated the gripping surface with rubber to prevent scratching my bridge. My "improvement" led to another
problem: it tends to slip off the bridge. Another improvement I plan to make is to add a rubber sleeve at the cable
connection to the clip where it gets a lot of bending. A criticism from a guitar-player was that the alligator clip (my
so-called improved version) would not stay attached to the saddle while she tuned. Norm Walters plans an updated
model which may incorporate some of these improvements.
The ISO-CLIP has a robust spring which grips well, but it also has the sharp teeth which tend to leave scratches.
Reilly's clip has protective material over the gripping surfaces and a strong spring to prevent accidental detachment.
Again, a criticism from my friend (these picky guitar pickers!) who found that the short rounded gripping surfaces of
the Perfect-Tune would not fit between the strings on the saddle.
Comparing the three, the Perfect-Tune Model II appears to be the most rugged construction, the ISO-CLIP has the
most finished appearance and the Walters unit is the most compact. The first two appear to be more suited for the kind
of heavy use given by musicians on the road, but as mentioned above, Walters has plans to upgrade his clip from the
one I tested. They can be purchased by sending check or money order for the requisite amount to the addresses listed
below. Alternative sources may be available that I am not aware of. It sure would be helpful if music stores would
carry these pick-ups. Keep a lookout in BNL's classified section.
(This article re-printed with permission of the publisher. Visit the Banjo Newsletter Homepage: BNL.)