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 exclusive mounting system 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...
For more information on the new Nechville Flux Capacitor, contact Tom Nechville directly at: tom@nechville.com.
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