majikgator - Posted - 11/19/2009:  08:49:38

well i finally made the big move and put light guage strings on my one and only banjo so that i could try it that way tuning it up to A or double D and in fact it plays and sounds much better now in those tunings than it did before when i either capoed to or tuned up to with medium guage strings although i need to find an odd ball guage for my fifth string (a whole other story), but no matter for now, unfortunately the banjo now sounds and feels lousy when tuned down, so my need for a second banjo is still pretty much a problem, for now i guess i'll just be happy that the majority of tunes i play i can now play in the key it was meant for, just too bad the tunes i am listening to the most lately are in C and G (blues), funny how that works. My thanks to those at the forum that told me that was what they did.

tomberghan - Posted - 11/19/2009:  09:03:48

That's cool Majikgator! Congratulations! Good story.
I would like to have an A-scale open back 5 string myself someday. Maybe I will finally venture into buying all of the parts separately and assembling one myself. It is much more affordable that way. I see on the BHO that a lot of players do just that.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 11/19/2009:  10:26:38

I've got a Reiter A-scale that has a skin and Nylgut classicals on it.
Were my situation a bit different, I could see it being my main/only banjo.
I paid $700 for it half-a dozen years ago.

Taste in tone is subjective, but the skin and Nylguts eliminate all of the harshness and twanginess.

Bill Rogers - Posted - 11/19/2009:  12:20:06

How light are your strings? I string my A banjo (26 5/8" scale) .010x2, .012, .014 and .022w. It holds up okay when tuned down. There is no problem tuning those strings up to A or double-D, although they are heavier than what most folks call "light." My G banjo has a set that's .001 heavier all across except that the 1st and 5th have .0115 gauge.

ramjo - Posted - 11/19/2009:  12:32:46

When you say it sounds better, I'm curious: how much of that do you attribute to the banjo just responding to less tension, how much to you're changing your technique according to the new feel, and how much to new effects (like snaps or pops) you're getting out of the way the lighter strings respond to your technique. When I go back and forth between gauges, I don't seem to change my technique too much, especially at first. But I'm much more likely to get snaps out of drop thumbs with lighter strings. So for that the banjo sounds different.

majikgator - Posted - 11/19/2009:  12:36:35

Bill the lights are 9 - 20 like some BG players use the ones advertised light in sets are usually and brother that's light and it's a different feel to be sure.
Ramjo - i am finding i am having to change my technique a little bit, i like the light guage strings for a lot of things, easier to get a fretboard slap, slides seem more distinct which is nice as i am working out of Brad Leftwich's Round Peak book right now, my bass string runs have to be very precise now to be sure but that's a good thing, but in general the medium guage strings just sounded too taught tuned up and capoed up it sounded too toy like, and the light guage strings sound far too thin tuned to G or double C, but i am picky (very) about tone.
Yes R.D. the Bart Reiter A-scale is the banjo i have had my eye on for a long time now, seems like a perfect scale to me, i could see tuning one down to G and Double C for sure and when i have heard recordings made with them they sounded great, a very basic banjo not much different except scale (and neck wood) from what i have now. i just don't know about those nylgut classicals i still have a set lying around, i put a set on and took them off as soon as they finished streching out, just too flimsy i need a little more tension than that, it's quite an adjustment for me just using the light guage ernie ball steel strings on it now, by the way that is a banjo string i don't hear anyone on BHO talking about but they don't seem to be widely available ,but i have liked the earthwood ernie ball strings on every kind of instrument i have used them on, although i think GHS will be my next try on my banjo.
Tomberghan, i would love to have a workshop and build banjos but i don't see that happening in this life for me, but no reason why you shouldn't have a go at it, but where would you find shorter scale banjo necks say 24 - 25" unless they were custom and actually other than buying just a rough neck stock, i don't know where you would buy like a complete banjo neck with fretboard and all, seems like a liitle woodworking would be needed and i don't have the tools or space, there a lot of great old pots to be found by just buying antique tenor and plectrum banjos because they can be found dirt cheap and again some woodworking fitting them to another neck, there's more involved than a wrench, guess you know all of that though, best luck to you.
As i just got the sack at my weekend gig playing at a resteraunt and not likely to get that one back until spring, money is even tighter so this banjo is definitely looking like the one and only, however it might make it a good time to put that skin head i've had sitting around on as i won't be needing the banjo for work for a long time and i can polish up some on guitar as the skin stretches in right.

Edited by - majikgator on 11/19/2009 12:52:30

ramjo - Posted - 11/19/2009:  13:00:38

majik, all these options sound like hours of fun and fulfilling picking for not a whole lot of investment. I was interested in what you say about the Ernie Ball strings--I used to use those on my electric guitar. Since I've had banjos, though, I used D'Addario meds. and then GHS lights which are about the same gauge. Sets with PB fourth string because my first teacher used that type of set--said the PB was warmer (weird because most people think PB is brighter). When I got my Ome, it came with Ome light nickle strings--the ones with pipe cleaners on the end. I really like those, but they're $9.00 at Elderly.

majikgator - Posted - 11/19/2009:  13:32:01

Ramjo, i am thinking about nickel, i want a fairly harsh sound on my fourth string, by that i mean not soft, too soft and that light of guage reminds me of ARRGGHH silk and steel guitar strings, this ernie ball wound fourth seems a bit soft and i have too hit it fairly hard to get a distinct note out of it, i'll see as it wers a couple more days, i DO NOT LIKE D'ADDARIO banjo (or any other) strings however so our taste may differ, i bought a set of D'Addarios recently and had a long two weeks of agony with them bfore ripping them off and puting on some EB mediums then the lights a couple days ago. i guess when your playing is as bad as mine you really ask a lot out of your strings.

ramjo - Posted - 11/19/2009:  14:42:37

Nah, I don't like D'Addarios either. I used to use them on acoustic guitar 15 years ago when I changed strings often and they were cheap. I had two banjo sets (one light, one med) when I was looking for a pb set and hadn't found GHS yet. I can't comment too intelligently on the Ome strings since I've not used them on any other banjo (and my Ome hasn't had other strings on it yet.) I wouldn't characterize the 4th string as being harsh on this Jubileee; whether it's a characteristic of the banjo or the strings (or, most likely, both) all strings are nicely balanced and articulate.

majikgator - Posted - 11/19/2009:  14:54:28

good i think i will like the nickel

banjered - Posted - 11/19/2009:  14:57:13

Humm. The all-in-one banjo. Isn't Reiter's short scale 24&3/4" as contrasted to some "A" scales around 23"? I assume he does that so you can float between A/D scales and G without a capo. Ramsey's are 25&1/2," not that much different. Was 26& 1/4" the closest scale to a "standard" for the last 50 years? Before that weren't 27" and 28" scales commonly used?

I use a Tradesman which is working just fine, 25& 1/2" scale. I use a capo for A&D. I am not that too terribly concerned about tone because in a jam situation that's what you get, jam. Especially if there is more than one banjo. And with all the notes flying around I just drop my fifth string down to F# for A&D, which is still in their scales. I have a Ramsey Standard with minstrel strings tuned down from G to E which I use for farmer's market solo playing/singing. I am also messing with a Saga pony banjo tuned to high D (dADF#A) with light nylon strings, hoping to find a fiddler some day to back singing. It works well because it doesn't overwhelm my not too loud voice.

So three banjos with three very different voices is what I've done...so far. Another 20-30 years and I should have it all figured out on my goal to becoming a clawhammer banjo prodigy by 90. Have fun! TC