Scrape - Posted - 06/28/2009:  09:36:25

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I've seen a lot of older tenor banjos that don't have truss rods. Were those designed for nylon strings? If so, did they use a pick/plectrum with the nylon strings?

-Rob

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jims38134 - Posted - 06/28/2009:  10:01:23

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My late 20s/early 30s B&D tenors do not have truss rods, nor did they use nylon strings. Necks still straight!
Jim

Emiel - Posted - 06/28/2009:  10:05:05

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Old tenor banjos were allready designed for steel strings.

Emiel

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mike gregory - Posted - 06/28/2009:  10:44:22

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If I recall correctly what I was told:
Tenor banjos were designed for steel strings
SPECIFICALLY so they could be heard amongst all the other instruments pounding out all that


RAGtime! SHAMEless music,
that'll grab YOUR son, YOUR daughter,
in the arms of the jungle...
Animial instinct............................
MASS HYSTERIA!

OH, we got trouble!!!!

For further information, please see the "Oh, NO" thread on the Banjo HangOut.

mike gregory - Posted - 06/28/2009:  10:45:43

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Of course, if you WANT to put nylon strings on your banjo, it is YOUR banjo.
Do what you wish with it.
It's all part of the Great Song.

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Edited by - mike gregory on 06/29/2009 05:27:43

jbalch - Posted - 06/28/2009:  12:07:16

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You can set up a short-scale tenor like a Baritone UKe...with nylon strings.




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rexhunt - Posted - 06/28/2009:  12:39:38

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the adjustable truss rod a patented invention belonging to Gibson? Other makers used various reinforcing methods that worked quite well for steel strings. As Mike and John have said, you can use nylon/gut if you want.

Rex

ballbanjos - Posted - 06/29/2009:  03:58:39

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I have a good buddy who plays Irish tenor--he uses a short scale openback with a 12" spunover rim and heavy nylon strings. I've not seen anyone else doing this, but the thing sounds great. Just because that's not the way they were originally designed doesn't mean they won't work that way!

Dave

Polle Flaunoe - Posted - 06/29/2009:  04:49:36

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Sorry Guys,

Here´s a statement from a top-player, top-luthier and leading banjo expert - Pardon my Blondness:

Adjustable truss rods are basicly poison for otherwise fine built banjo necks.

The longitudinal swingings/waves in a neck are essential for a fine sound of a banjo. When pre-stressed via a truss rod a neck can´t swing in a free/natural way.

When reinforcing a new or vintage neck - always use laminations with f.ex. ebony and/or a glued-in, non-pre-stressed leight weight steel or carbon bar.

Every top-luthier knows that - or should know that.

Regards

Polle

NYCJazz - Posted - 06/29/2009:  07:48:12

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quote:

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Originally posted by jims38134

My late 20s/early 30s B&D tenors do not have truss rods, nor did they use nylon strings. Necks still straight!
Jim

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My B&D has a truss rod... It's just not visible or adjustable.

My luthier took a strong magnet to the fingerboard of my #3, and it clamped down like nobodies business.

I'm planning to try a set of Nylgut strings on my openback Vega plectrum. I'm thinking that I can use some of the ukulele picking/strumming technique I learned from Roy Smeck.

This is a really good example of that technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcQYt7xvA8M