Banjo string advice

Subject: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 08:42 PM

It is time to restring the old openback Kingston 5 string. I know this because my fourth string has joined the dearly departed...The instrument is strung with nylon strings for a more mellow sound in "old time" and minstrel type songs. I frail upon it but every once in a great while do try some three finger on it. I want to retain the sound to an extent but am not against 'experimenting' with other string configurations. My first, second, and fifth string all measure .030" The third string measures .038" and the bronze wound fourth measures .042". The question is this: Has anyone had any experience in different size (diameter) string combinations. Thanks

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:05 PM

I "retroverted" an old Sears 5-string to Civil-War Minstrel configuration with fretless neck, calfskin head, gut strings,and friction pegs to recapture that old "plunkey" sound of the period. They used more primitive but effective styles back then including the "Stroke" and "Guitar" styles. Reprints of period instruction manuals are availabe for those wishing to learn these old - timey methods. Also, banjos were tuned around Ab, 2 1/2 steps lower than the modern "Bluegrass" tunings. If you have not tried gut, I'd reccomend it - but frets will damage them as will picks of any sort and they are NOT cheap! I get mine from BOSTON CATLINES. An old Bertram LEVEY album featured him on a nylon - strung 5-string, and he listed the nylon guitar strings to use as replacements for each string on the banjer. I wrote them down in one of my banjo books and could probably look 'em up if you'd like. In my youth, I strung up an old 5-string with a tennis - racket string for the bass and fishing leader in various guages for the trebles... and y'know, it didn't sound half bad!

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:16 PM

I was taught to play mostly in open G tuning but have of late experimented with some other tunings as well. Given that my banjo has frets and the fact that you say the gut strings are NOT cheap will probably preclude me from trying them just now. Uncle Jaque if you would be so kind, I would much appreciate your looking up the nylon replacement strings which you say you wrote in one of your banjo books...Thanks for the help...Banjer

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: catspaw49
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:23 PM

Tell ya' what General...........A lot of banjos sound better with no strings at all. Maybe you want to give that a shot huh?

You might try the Chris Sands strings in a medium gauge or a heavy. They say they're pretty good, better than LaBella anyway.

Okay. I just checked...Elderly has them at 8 bucks a set.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:30 PM

Elderly has nylon banjo string sets??? I checked with three music stores in our area and all denied the fact that anyone packaged Nylon sets for the banjo. That is why I thought that if i have to buy individual strings I might as well experiment a little with them. Huh...Most interesting...Thanks 'Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 09:40 PM

Hi Ray. Thanks for alerting me to this. Been very busy lately and it's cutting into my Mudcat time. I haven't had a nylon strung banjo for a few years, but I remember Paul Cadwell's tip about fishing line....It worked. I don't remember the guages (Paul strung his by the pounds it took to catch certain fish!!) but I used the thinnest line for the first and fifth, went a bit heavier for the second...bit heavier still for the third, and a silk and steel "A" for the fourth. Sounded good. Problem is you have enough left over to fish for eternity!

Hope all is well Ray

Rick

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 12:07 PM

Your local music stores are dead wrong. I had an old hunkajunk Asian banjo, from which I removed the back and decided to string with nylon. I searched the web and found a company that specializes in fretted instrument strings in Chicago. I'm not sure of the name of the company, but I BELIEVE it had the word Pacific in it.

In any case, they had Savarez nylon strings. Someone had recommended Savarez to me, with the further recommendation to use the hard "Yellow Card" super high-tension strings. Unfortunately, the old Hunkajunk (TM) banjo was such a comedown compared to my Ramsey Special that I've hardly touched it.

Sorry I can't give you the name of the string company or its URL. You probably can find it with your search engine, given some of the information above.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: GUEST,Fretless
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 12:14 PM

Pete Seeger included a fishing line weight gauge:banjo string conversion table in his How to Play the Five String Banjo. I don't have a copy handy, but now you've at least got the reference. He also warned that the problem in using nylon fishing line as banjo strings is that the line takes FOREVER to stretch out, which is my experience too. So unless you're ready to retune in mid-tune, and then retune again when you reach the next chorus, I would suggest that you stick with the already referenced commercial alternatives.

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 12:18 PM

Well Rick, the Mudcat logo with the catfish jumping out of the banjo is taking on a whole new neaning now. If you wanted a heavier 4th there's always weed trimmer line. Then your banjo could be used as entertainment, recreation, or a garden utensil.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 05:30 PM

I note that in my post above I neglected to say specifically that they sell Savarez strings in sets, and that you can buy singles too.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Cap't Bob
Date: 15 Sep 00 - 11:13 PM

A while back I bought some strings from a company called AQUILA they have gut strings and a type of string called "nylgut" which sounds a lot like a gut string but a lot less costly. Another advantage is that they last much longer. As far as I know all of their strings are 120 cm in length and when ordering you need to know the gauge. Very good folks to deal with. I bought the strings for a ukulele and was able to get two strings out of each 120 cm string. If you are interested go to their web page:

www.aquilausa.com

Cap't Bob

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 12:51 AM

On Pg. 51 of Pete SEEGER's "How to Play the 5-String Banjo" 3rd Ed. (1961) he mentions nylon strings: "...Paul Cadwell tells me he prefers to go to a sporting goods store and get nylon fishing leader. The 1st and 5th strings use the kind guaranteed for a 10 lb. fish. The 2nd a 15 lb. fish, the 3rd a 20 lb. fish. Much cheaper (than store-bought strings) though sometimes they take a while to stretch" (What about #4? I guess that's where the tennis racket comes in...) From the jacket notations on Bertram LEVEY "That Old Gut Feeling" Flying Fish Records 1982: 1st String: Salvarez Flaminco "E" (Guitar 1st) 2nd: La Bella Classical "B"; 3rd: La Bella Flamenco "G"; 4th: Salvarez Wound "D"; 5th: La Bella Classical "E" (Guitar 1st). I used some other brands with pretty good results. Some of the strings LEVY uses are bright orange, and were hardly appropriate for my Civil-War reenacting. I had to open up and deepen the slots in my bridge to allow for the larger diameter strings. Hope this helps out, Podnah! Have fun!

"Uncle Jaque"

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: GUEST,Kristi
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 01:26 AM

A little off subject, but the people responing on this thread seem to be a good resource. Our banjo player, JU Lee, is looking for a new old banjo. He has played an old SSStewart for as long as I have known him. He is looking for a newer one or a banjo of a similar age. Any ideas of where to look? Mugwumps didn't have anything? If I had to put a label on his style of playing, I would have to say southern claw hammer with a twist. Kristi Upsala www.geocities.com/upsala1

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 03:19 AM

Thanks Uncle Jaque for the lists of strings from your various sources. I use mine for CW reenacting as well. If you look in the picture resource you will find one of myself in camp at an event last year, taken by the old glass plate process camera. What unit do you reenact with and where?
Kristi, is this the same JU that earlier this year had a bout with cancer? Is his recovery going well? I don't know of any old banjos for sale at the present time but will keep eyes and ears open.

Thanks to all you other folks for your good advice. I will got today to a few of the shops in the area and seek out the one that seems to be the most helpful. I'll keep you all posted.

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Uncle Jaque
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 10:09 PM

Banjer: I'm with the 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry, Fife & Drum Corps (Field Music). http://www.powerlink.net/mcgill/

For really primo CW/Minstrel period reproduction banjos, go to George WUNDERLICH http://www.wunderbanjo.com/

George may be found on Sutler's Row at maost big reenactments. I don't go to many big out of state events any more. How do I get to that picture you mentioned?

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 10:20 PM

Hi Unc......You can see pictures of many 'Catters at the Mudcat Resources Page.....Go to the "Quick Links" at the top of the page and in the pull down menu you will find "Mudcat Resources"....Click on it and then click on PHOTOS.......The page also has some profiles and e-mails and a locator.

The picture of my buddy Banj is something to behold.....and I'd hold it at a distance if I were you. Say, have you ever seen anyone blow up a possum's ass? Check out my pix and Rick Fielding's too. The possum in question, Cleigh O'Possum, also has a few pix there too.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 10:46 PM

Also.....Hey General....Hope you're keeping your head down and have your waders on. Gordon looks pretty strong on the rain possibility......They say there's a good chance of a high storm surge. Keep us posted huh?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 11:54 PM

Hi 'Spaw...weather here is fine right now. Had some rain earlier in the day. No wind to speak of as yet. We NEED all the rain we can get as we are still way below our normal rainfall fo the year and water tables are still critical. Watering restrictions still in place. Wind we don't need that much of, however. More rain is expected Sunday AM as Gordon passes some 150 miles west of us, making landfall about 200 miles north of us if he keeps on present heading. He should make landfall around Pensacola and the cross the upper pennisula into Ssouthern Georgia. Last reports had barometric pressure rising slightly, which indicates a weakening in the eye.
It is to laugh, (I do understand taking precautions), but already yesterday morning there were folks lined up at local stores buying up everything in sight! Water, all sorts of food...(does one eat more during a storm?)...food that needed preparation...(I thought that the whole idea was to have food on hand that didn't need electric power to prepare) At the local lumber yards plywood is a sought after commodity. The media has put so much hype on this (and other storms) that one day there WILL be a BIG one and no one will pay attention to the boy who cried wolf! That's what worries me. I've lived in Florida most all my life and have one of the best storm alert systems a person can have. Personal experience and my DOG...If we would watch our animals closely when weather threatens they would tell us much. If you get to know your animal and follow his/her instincts you will never get caught short. If ever a storm threatens us and Bear's tail droops and the hair on his back emulates a ridgeback, he becomes restless and doesn't eat, then I will get concerned very quickly! I firmly believe that if folks had heeded my advice hurricane Andrew would not have been as devastating. There is nothing anyone could have done in terms of property damage, but injuries and fatalities could have been much lower. Just to keep this thread on subject, my mother called and asked me if I was all set for the storm (more tonque in cheek than anything), I replied, "yep, I got my kerosene lantern and my banjo, it's missing a string but if the wind howls loud enough, who will notice?" Thanks for the concern, we will keep ya all posted.

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 16 Sep 00 - 11:57 PM

Come to think of it, if it comes to playing by lantern light, I'll just turn down the light and then NO ONE will know I'm missing a string!! (Me included)

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From:
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 04:53 AM

Hi ! EVERYBODY. Just read all the mails about banjo stringing, particular nylon stringing, or gut stringing, i'm french old time and classical style banjo player, my job is lute and banjo making? IN France, I've made many experiences with strings and i use carbon monofluorure strings, it like a nylon strings but there are polished, and the most interest is the weigh, there are thinner than common nylon strings, and THERE ARE HEAVIER also, the result is : you have thin strings for a good weight.Exemple; i use for my old classical banjo, 12" rim , string lenght.mm680 for 1st D 0.50 millimeters for 2nd B 0.57 mm. for 3rd G 0.69 mm. for 4th D or C NYLON BRONZE WOUNDED 122. and for the 5th G 0.50 mm. The result is a fantastic clear and bright sound.

If you want more informations please mail me at [e-mail] Bonjour from France!!!

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: Banjer
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 07:24 AM

WEATHER UPDATE

We are experiencing occasional gusts of wind, the strongest so far at about 51mph. Rain squalls on and off. Not much flooding at this time. Where we are is high and dry. We have good drainage so not much flooding in our area anyway. Most flood danger is at the coastline. We are about 10 miles inland. Expect to get a lot of sleep today! The closest the storm will get is when it passes by us in about 2 hours, 10AM EDT. Banjo playing well. I replaced just the 4th string for now. I am glad I waited because the information provided by GUEST Luths looks very interesting! Thanks

Subject: RE: Banjo string advice
From: GUEST,Arnie
Date: 17 Sep 00 - 10:51 AM

I've got a frettless banjo strung with nylon guitar strings, and the 4ht has wound bronze on nylon. The strings are a heavey gauge, but any lighter and they would be flopping around when I play. So I keep it tuned about a 5th lower than a regular banjo, because the tension is way too high at normal pitch.