Much has been written about banjo tone rings. What are they? What do they do? Why are there so many different types? Is one type better than the rest? Do I NEED one? Do I need to change the one I have to another type?

First, what are they and what do they do? Most banjos have wooden rims; a tone ring is a metallic or wooden ring that sits atop the rim. It is meant to add harmonic content to the sound produced by the banjo pot assembly. Tone rings have been around for over a hundred fifty years, in many forms and of many materials.

Why so many different types?

The material used to make a tone ring and its physical characteristics determine how and what it contributes to the banjo’s tone profile. Some of the most widely employed metallic rings and their applications are:

• “Flat-head” rings: With the head-bearing edge of the ring’s top located at the extreme edge, this most popular ring used on many banjos designed for Bluegrass or three-finger picking utilizes the entire surface of the banjo head. This feature offers the maximum vibrating surface area and thus the widest breadth of tone. They’re notable for their full-bodied tone palette and responsiveness to the picking hand.
• “Raised-head” or “arch-top” rings are cut so that the head rests on two separate bearing edges; one at the outer edge of the ring’s circumference and a second inboard of the outer edge that is slightly higher than the outer edge. This effectively reduces the primary vibrating surface of the head, resulting in an accentuation of the higher overtones produced. They’re preferred by three-finger players who like a more edgy or “cutting” tone from their banjo.
• “Whyte Layde”-style rings are popular on banjos used mainly by clawhammer-style pickers. These are a three-part all-metal design employing a rolled brass housing containing a scalloped ring sitting atop a ¼” rolled brass rod. They produce a nuanced tone with clear highs and a powerful mid-range. This design was first used on the Fairbanks banjos of the late nineteenth century.
• Tubaphone tone rings were produced concurrently with Whyte Layde rings by Vega in the early twentieth century. A sheet brass housing contains a tubular square-section ring with holes drilled around the inner surface, with a rolled brass ring on top. This ring is also prized by clawhammers stylists, but offers a fuller midrange and bottom-end tone than the Whyte Layde ring.

Wooden tone rings can be either a simple profiling done to the top of a rim, a ring made of a different tonewood glued onto the rim, or a separate wooden ring perched on top of the rim. Used mostly for clawhammer banjos, these rings enhance the smooth, mellow tone of these instruments which some call “woodies”.

Many other designs have come and gone during the past hundred-fifty years or so. Most of these were either ineffective or too costly and complicated to produce; thus, they’re gone. Choose the type used on your next banjo with a mind toward the kind of sound you’re after and the musical styles you play.

Gold Tone offers many parts available for direct purchase includes the stated tone rings. View our available tone rings here.