Posted by Nick Purdin on January 26, 19103 at 13:28:29:
In Reply to: Banjo head tuning posted by Carolina fan on January 26, 19103 at 10:24:50:
A guy who made banjos told me when I asked the same question, that the head should be tightened until the nuts squeak like on an automobile wheel. While that is an exaggeration, it's mostly true that the sound transmits much better on a well tightened head. My explanation is that makes the tone ring vibrate in a way to more closely approximate what is going on at the bridge.