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Wes Lassiter - Posted - 10/23/2009: 17:05:11
I started out on light, moved to medium , a couple of years back went to light again and now back to medium a la Scott Vestal and my new Stealth banjo.
I used to use 9.5 1st, 11 2nd, 12 3rd, 22B 4th and 9.5 fifth. I thought that was the stuff however after switching to Scott Vestals suggestion of 11 1st, 12 2nd, 13 3rd, 22 4th, and 11 1st I find my playing is much better and more direct with clearer notation mainly because the heavier strings force me to really sound the notes and dig in as opposed to just lightly playing and easily fretting the notes. I have also noted my tone is getting far clearer and sounding far more direct.
Any comments
Banjo Wes
All things excellent are difficult as they are rare.
Spinoza
Frebazak - Posted - 10/23/2009: 17:18:20
Interesting you should post this today. My banjo teacher stopped by (we traded banjos so I could fix a broken wall lug) and he was playing my MM and emailed me about the Mediums that were on it. He had trouble playing it (he uses medium light GHS) and suggested I switch to Medium lights. He said he would swap out strings and today when he dropped by and we swapped out banjo's... I had a whole bunch of trouble getting the feel back. The feel is different, the sound is different, it really confused me for a few minutes....nothing felt right for a wee bit. I actually play better with the lighter strings on it. Interesting .....
Robes
Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.
Ronald Reagan
Life is a Joke.....drop dead is the punch line.
A great Linguist
Some days you're the bug; some days you're the windshield.
Life...
lethegoodtimesroll - Posted - 10/23/2009: 17:47:09
The older I get the lighter the strings get.
steve davis - Posted - 10/23/2009: 18:33:07
I really like my 11 12 15 23br 11.
I can't pick them hard enough to rattle them.
I've enjoyed their tone and feel for about 30 years
No problem with speed or ease of fretting.
I used to run an 11 on the second,but increased that to 12
a couple of years ago for a better balance with the other strings.
Edited by - steve davis on 10/23/2009 18:35:36
David Ward - Posted - 10/23/2009: 19:26:06
GHS 145's 10-12-13-22-10 - These are the best string's I have every used!
"Blue Country Bluegrass"
japus - Posted - 10/23/2009: 20:23:50
Years ago I asked this same question..should I use light or medium strings!! Pat Costello answered, "Why Make it harder to play than it already is" ?
Over the years I have tried mediums and always returned to lights, right now I am using medium lights.
I suppose soon I will try the mediums again...I sure am happy I've never heard of heavy strings..
jimmy
The KIDD - Posted - 10/23/2009: 20:37:32
Good deal Wes!..Ive always wondered what 11's would sound like on my Jo..Now, I dont know about that 13 Why not a 14 to match the rest of the gauging?... I remember talkin with Scott about Bill K s weird gauging back in 98...I may go out tomorrow and buy me a couple 11's and try it out just to say I DID..LOL. That 13's got me spooked though. Ive played 14's for 20 yrs...Talk me into gettin a 13 will ya?...
John
http://www.myspace.com/johnkuhnbluegrass
howseth - Posted - 10/23/2009: 21:52:23
I commented on another string thread the other day - ones best string gauge may also depend on how you tune your banjo - particularly if you switch tunings a lot - if I usually tuned high I'd want lighter strings - if I tuned low - I 'd want heavier strings - it's about string tension for me. (My usual: 10,12,14,22w,10)
Howard
mvolcjak - Posted - 10/23/2009: 23:05:42
I went the other way. I use GHS (single strings - modified GHS medium set) 11,13,16,26,11. Heavy mediums?
I have 271/8 scales on my both banjos and found the 026 4th did better when droped to a "C" (no buzz) with 026 4th string. So my swithch from 024 to the 026 4th was a practical/playability decision
I also can pick "harder" (if needed) using a heavier gauge as well.
Bottom line - use what works for you. It probabaly took 10-15 years, (Black Diamond lights -everything else - current GHS singles) for me to find my ultimate (personal) string setup. Maybe I'm slow. Regardless, keep trying different strings/gauges until it feels right to you. Just because someone else uses a certain (string) setup, does not mean that this is what is optimium for you or your particular instrument.
Take it Easy ... MarK
Banjo40 - Posted - 10/23/2009: 23:37:37
I started using 11,12,13,24,11 early this year at the suggestion of a pro player that I know. I really like this combination and the 13 makes for some nice chokes.
Mike
The beatings will continue until morale improves
gdoc - Posted - 10/24/2009: 00:11:14
I used to own a 1925 Gibson Ball Bearing banjo.......oh so sweet. Wish I still had it, the best banjo I ever played. When I had it, I used the lightest strings I could, often even an 8 on the first and fifth. I loved the way that banjo sounded when I picked really hard, kind of "over drived the strings". Only problem was breaking them a lot, and I mean a lot.
Since then loosing the Gibson, I have had 3 Stelling banjos, and never got that sound again. Loved the Stelling, don't get me wrong, but never found that sound. Moved up to regular light string gague.
I am selling my current Stelling (at Janet Davis Music, if your interested) and hope to buy either a Huber Lancaster or a Deering. In the intrum (sp?) I have a Deering Goodtime banjo. WHAT A GREAT LITTLE BANJO THIS IS!!!!!!!!! I want to try the extra light strings on it, as it has such a great tone..........inexpensive banjo or costly..... it sounds GREAT!
I love the POP of light strings.
gdoc
vtyankee5 - Posted - 10/24/2009: 03:09:30
quote:
Posted - 10/23/2009 : 18:33:07
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really like my 11 12 15 23br 11.
I can't pick them hard enough to rattle them.
I've enjoyed their tone and feel for about 30 years
No problem with speed or ease of fretting.
I used to run an 11 on the second,but increased that to 12
a couple of years ago for a better balance with the other strings.
Who makes a 23 bronze loop end string?
Thor - Posted - 10/24/2009: 04:07:15
It's interesting that you refer to Scott's Stealth strings as "mediums"...
Before I got my Stealth, I had played nothing but D'Addario J61 mediums:
.010 .012 .016 .023 .010
The set that came on my Stealth felt *way* too slinky for me-- especially with the .013 third string.
I've settled on Black Diamond "lights" N730L or N730B (black coated):
.010 .012 .014 .022 .010
... and I've found that these are the perfect gauges for me and my Stealth.
Wes Lassiter - Posted - 10/24/2009: 04:35:02
Last night while playing. I discovered that the fifth string was really ringing louder than usual. I tried easing up on my stroke. That messed up my timing. So I dropped it to a 10. The sound and tone was balanced again. Weird (huh)? Anyway to answer Thor they may not be mediums to you but they seem it to me. Playing a 13 seems like a steel yard compared to the 12 I recently use to play. The real point I am at least finding for myself is, I have found the heavier gauge strings in to comparison to the lights have improved my tone and intonation for I have to really note it out. Light gauge was so easy to note that I sometimes would move past the note resulting in loss of note clarity. HEY JOHN GO FOR THE 13, JUST TRY IT!
One more note this Stealth banjo I just bought is the finest playing and sounding instrument I have ever heard. As far as I am concerned there is no other.
Banjo Wes
All things excellent are difficult as they are rare.
Spinoza
steve davis - Posted - 10/24/2009: 07:14:50
quote:
Originally posted by vtyankee5
quote:
Posted - 10/23/2009 : 18:33:07
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I really like my 11 12 15 23br 11.
I can't pick them hard enough to rattle them.
I've enjoyed their tone and feel for about 30 years
No problem with speed or ease of fretting.
I used to run an 11 on the second,but increased that to 12
a couple of years ago for a better balance with the other strings.
Who makes a 23 bronze loop end string?
D'Addario LEO23PB...I usually use a 22 GHS,but I've had these D'Addarios kicking around for a while and put it on last change. I can't tell any real difference.
Jayme Stone - Posted - 10/24/2009: 08:15:09
after much experimentation, i've been using:
10 11.5 13 22 11
i find that combination to be a good balance between tone and playability. if they made an 13.5 for the third string, i'd use it!
www.jaymestone.com
www.woodhallmusic.com
1935tb-11 - Posted - 10/24/2009: 08:25:23
started out with GHS 9 1/2s
now using almost mediums 10 1/2s
with a JD20 4th string.
terry m
n.c.
Timendi causa est nescire
4 longs and 1 short=banjer ring
erstokke - Posted - 10/24/2009: 08:37:19
On my bluegrass RK R-80 I use AMB cryo Bill Evans Signature 10, 11, 13, 20jd, 10
Great sound, great playability, stays in tune.
On my Ome openback with Fiberskyn head I tried D’Addario J60 light which are 09, 10, 13, 20, 09
I think they were too light on that banjo. The AMB set that I use for bluegrass was much better, but next I am going back to the GHS mediums PF160 that I got from the previous owner of the banjo. They are 11, 13, 16, 26, 10.
I have found that manufacturers doesnt agree to what is light and what is medium. You have to look at the string gauges.
My banjo is pre-war. Pre the next war
Jan Erik from Norway
Poppy - Posted - 10/24/2009: 09:08:17
I have been using GHS PF-140 Crowe studios that are 9.5-11-12-w20-9.5 and love them, the only thing is they make my banjo REALLY bright when they are new. I have been thinking about trying the PF-175 .011-.012-.013-W022-.011 just to see how they feel and sound.
"What kind of man would live in a world where there is no daring? I don't believe in taking foolish chances, but nothing can be accomplished without taking any chance at all." -- Charles Lindberg
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