Abstract
The American five-string banjo is unique among musical instruments in that many significant parameters that effect tone are easily adjusted. This is probably why so many banjo players fiddle with their banjo. The instrument is a combination of canonical vibrating systems, i.e., plucked strings that drive a circular, radiating, membrane. A structural dynamics model and experiment are used to characterize the sound and relate changes in sound to setup parameters. Three figures-of-merit, FOMs, are defined; they are loudness, brightness, and decay rate of the sound. The effects of a number of parameters on the FOMs are investigated analytically and experimentally. Among these are the loss factor and tension of the membrane, mass of the bridge, and the location on the string of the excitation. It is noted that the calculated effects of the changes agree with generally accepted setup practices.
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