Forward to the Past:
Nechville Discovers the Secret of Time Travel!
Big news in
the world of banjos doesn't happen everyday. It wouldn't be a surprise to hear
about a new bridge, tone ring, or fingerpick, but when Tom Nechville announces a
new product you can expect something big.
The
traditional banjo world is still digesting Nechville's Helimount
- what many consider to be the most innovative redesign the banjo has ever seen.
Nevertheless, banjo players of all styles the world over have adopted
Nechville's common-sense engineering features, including Enterprise compensated bridges, Comfort Bevel hardwood armrests, and In-Line pivot tailpieces. Now Nechville is reaching out to all
lovers of the traditional banjo pot design and introducing the next phase of
development in the evolution of the banjo: The Historic Hybrid Banjo!
Making this
innovation possible is the all new Nechville
Flux Capacitor! Assisted by top-secret four-dimensional NASA design
software, our team of PhD physicists has uncovered the secret of time travel.
Head Quantum Mechanic Tom Nechville says, "This is the biggest breakthrough
since time began for banjoists! Now we're able to transport ourselves back to
1937, bringing along our favorite adjustable Helimount
neck to hook up with our favorite banjo pot of yesteryear."
Nechville
scientists are still somewhat "hush hush" about the details, but
leaving astrophysics aside for a moment, the central coupling mechanism that has
made possible the merging of the past and the present is called the Nechville Flux Capacitor. This crucial element allows the
full-functioning usefulness of a Nechville banjo neck to be employed on Pre-War
style single-piece flange or tube and plate-type banjo pots.
It has long
been a problem with traditional banjos that they are not adjustable. Even if you
are lucky enough to have a working truss rod, there is never enough
adjustability to use a tight head with a high bridge (a setup preferred by top
players). Nechville necks not only have two-way stainless steel adjustment
inside the neck, but feature an exclusive mounting system,
giving infinite adjustability to the height of the strings to accommodate all
styles of play and all bridge heights. The key to the quick-cam is a rounded
interface between the end of the neck and the radiused portion of Nechville's Helimount
frame. A single Allen screw fastens the neck and body with maximum surface area,
producing a super solid and stable, yet adjustable, neck mount.
Until now this useful feature was only available on Helimount banjos. Now, Nechville's Flux Capacitor is the breakthrough component making the marriage of
timescapes possible!
Hardware used
since the 1920s to hold a banjo neck to a body and keep the banjo pot round are
called coordinator rods. While they are not employed on a Helimount banjo, they are crucial to the stable connection of a
narrow neck to a heavy banjo body. In the case of Nechville's Historic
Hybrid Banjo, the Flux Capacitor
is firmly connected on the outside of the traditional pot to the existing
coordinator rods. The Flux Capacitor
therefore integrates with the pot assembly - becoming your time traveling
vehicle!
The final
alteration of time and space occurs at the instant of merging the Flux Capacitor with the elegantly engineered Nechville neck. The
perfect mating surface of the Flux
Capacitor matches the neck's, and when they make contact, dig out your
vintage picks and 1942 hat - and watch out! To get back to the future, simply
loosen the single Allen screw and replace your neck on your trusty Helimount frame.
What
Time Travel Means for the Banjo Player
Nechville
believes in never compromising on quality and quantity of sound. Common sense
and science agree that a more solid neck attachment is better. This is the
reason for the high-tech Flux Capacitor
to be mounted with a wider and greater surface area to the rim/tone ring
assembly. A more solid mounting is possible due to the unique shape of the Capacitor.
Equally
important is adjustability. Anyone choosing to alter the set-up of the banjo now
can do so instantly without putting any stress on the banjo pot at all. For
example, if you want to raise the action to play a few songs in the clawhammer
style, a
quick loosening and re-tightening of the neck will orient it at a new higher
playing action. It's also possible to install up to a 1-inch or more bridge
while maintaining low action. (This is similar to the set-up on Bela Fleck and
Noam Pickelny's banjos.)
Today's
fast-paced world also demands portability. Airline restrictions make it tough to
hand carry on a banjo case, but it's dangerous to check your banjo case as
luggage. The flexibility enabled by the Flux
Capacitor allows for instant breakdown of your banjo for stowing in a
handbag or suitcase.
Finally,
further enhancement of the vintage pot by the addition of a clip-on Nechville In-Line Tailpiece makes set-up a snap. With no other
disassembly having been needed, one simply re-applies the loose strings, clips
on the tailpiece, and tunes it up.
Nechville
recently delivered the first Historic
Hybrid to Bela Fleck. Fleck's all original 1934 single-piece flange archtop
now features a Nechville "Vintage" neck that resembles the banjo's
original one, and employs Nechville's new Flux
Capacitor.
What
Time Travel Means for Nechville Musical Products
Currently, Tom
Nechville is offering consultations on the feasibility of retro-fitting old
valuable pots on a case-by case basis. Does this mean that Nechville Musical
Products will come out with their own hook and nut-style banjo? Well, only time
will tell...
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