Experimenting with Your String Gauges

Subject: RE: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 08:28 PM

Good point Roger, I've noticed that if I don't have a thick strong bridge on, those heavier gauge strings can do a real number on my banjo.
I bet if I tried hard enough I could bend the neck concave with those heavier gauged strings creating a bow out of my banjo. Why I could shoot fiddle bows. Make a real lethal weapon out of the thing.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: GUEST,Roger in Baltimore
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 07:05 PM

Gee, Bonnie,

My first guitar was a Gibson nylon string. The plan was it would be easy on my fingers and that was true. But it wasn't loud enough. I experimented with steel strings and they were louder, but I wanted it to "boom" (I was an adolescent male, need I offer more explanation?). So I bought some heavy gauge steel strings and it really did "boom". That is, until the bridge lifted off the face of the guitar. I think the repair man was cursing under his breath when I brought it in for repair. I never put steel strings on it again.

Moral: Not all experiments are successful.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: GUEST,old man winter
Date: 19 Apr 01 - 06:53 PM

Bonnie, I used the light guage strings on my banjo when I first got but found it rather hard to play 'cause I was always bending them out of tune when I fretted. I now use the GHS mediums which have the .26 for the 4th string but I think the smallest one is a .012. I would agree that changing guages makes such a difference and I always have to try many brands and guages to find what I think is suitable. For a while I was using SIT Dark Royals heavy guage on my guitar which sounded amazing but just to damn strenuous. I went down to a medium and then to light as my playing style changed and now I get the best results with a mixed set that goes .056, .042, .032, .024, .017, .013 as I usually keep this guitar in DADGAD. I've got a sraight set of mediums on another. It is harder with the banjo though 'cause nobody ever stocks the kind of strings I want and always have to order them. I'm on my last set now and due for some new ones but the stores are always closed when I get home from work. Oh well, life is full of pain.

Subject: RE: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 07:29 PM

ooops I meant my 1st string is .010

Oh, and what I meant by my banjo being loud was the fact that is has a tubaphone tone ring. It seems quite loud so I quiet it down with some foam stuffed in the back. Also, less reverberation occurs with using the foam.
Having lighter gauges on my 1st and 2nd strings seems to make them less dominant and offers a nice balance in the overall tone.

Bonnie

Subject: RE: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 07:22 PM

Bonnie, tenor banjo sets suitable for the GDAE rather than the "standard" CGDA tuning can be hard or in some areas, impossible to find so I'd guess many of us who play this instrument have done a fair amount of experimenting.

When I got my new banjo, I settled on using the guages that were on it when I tried it which were 40w, 28w, 18w and 13. Seems to suit me.

Jon

Subject: Experimenting with Your String Gauges
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 18 Apr 01 - 07:13 PM

When I first started playing my open back banjo, I used light gauge strings because that is what the banjo came with when I bought it. I never realized that light gauge strings is often use for bluegrass and so most the banjos on demo in the music stores are strung with light gauge strings.
Then I started to experiment with medium gauge strings and found a significant difference in tone. My fingers had to toughen up a bit and it was more of a challenge to fret the note clearly, but worth the effort in the difference medium gauge strings offered in tone.

Then I started to really explore mixing and matching strings. I tried a bronze .026 gauge for my 4th string. Wow! like ringing a monastery prayer bell. It is more of a challenge to fret, but worth it.
Then I started to switch my first and second strings to lighter gauges because my banjo is loud enough, and the lighter strings are easier to play.
So now I have made up my own designer set of banjo strings. For now I am using the following:
5th string .012, 4th string bronze .026, 3rd string .013, 2nd string .011, 1st string .10
I recently put on a higher bridge that offers higher action. So by having some light strings I don't throw off the intonation so much.
Guess what I'm getting at it the value in creating your own mix and match string gauge sets.

I bet some of this stuff gets discovered by breaking a string and replacing it with what you had on hand, then discovering you love that replacement gauge string so much more!

Bonnie