Banjo ukulele head material

[Freeman Keller]

I am in the process of putting a new head on a very old banjo ukulele. I can find both goat and calf skins (and instructions for installing) - which would be preferable and why? The old head was torn and has some signatures and drawings that were done by family members - it will be kept for its history.

[Simon Chadwick]

I have a question that perhaps should have its own discussion but it is related to this so I'll post it here.

Is it possible to repair a skin head?

I have a pair of very old tambourines whose head is made from an old vellum legal document with handwriting. One has a small (7mm) split. Can it be glued or patched?

I ask here because I wondered if this torn banjo head could be repaired to preserve its original designs on the instrument.

[Jon Whitney]

Goat and calf skin are both good but I think calf is a little less elastic and therefore probably better. LIke wood, skin is a natural substance and there is tremendous variability in thickness, elasticity, color, and consistency. It comes down to a matter of taste.

Simon, you should be able to CA glue a small patch of craft paper or vellum on you tambourine head with no ill effects. I haven't done this but I've read of it being done for banjos.

[Wayne Brown]

Freeman,
I restored a banjo uke a couple of years ago. The head needed to be replaced and it was a smaller size head than what we see today. I used a goat skin from a supplier of uke things from Texas (can't remember web site).
It worked out really well. The look of the skin was in keeping with the age of the banjo ukulele.