Cirno - Posted - 09/06/2010:  10:53:37

Ok so I succesfully tuned the guitar to D G B D.

How do I add the High G-string? my guitar string will snap if I continue.
Can I go to any shop and ask them to restring it so I have a high g-string?

f#dead - Posted - 09/06/2010:  11:11:13

Hey Stev, you could have a spike installed at in the fifth fret space. That will allow you to pull that string down to rest on the fifth fret. Standard attachment to the tuner at the peghead. There is much information regarding "spikes" here in the BHO forum. That would be a minimal changes way to achieve the High G.
Good luck, have fun.

1four5 - Posted - 09/06/2010:  11:19:38

Restring the 5th with a .009 and tune up to high G. 12 string guitars have a full length high G string, no problems.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/06/2010:  12:17:09

The 12-string comment is dead-on but I wonder if .009 is still too thick.
Check the sizes of the 12-string packs at the store.

On a banjo, both the 1st and 5th strings are .009 (or .010 if mediums) but one is tuned to d and one to a higher g and the d is 5 frets longer like the guitar would require so I'd think you might have to go thinner.

mike gregory - Posted - 09/06/2010:  14:15:04

If you don't mind a hole in the fingerboard, a model railroad spike OR a small screw between the 4th & 5th frets, to tuck your .009 string under, will do the trick.

However:
IF any of my opinions were humble, it would be my humble opinion that the short 5th is a holdover from the days of horsehair strings.

The banjo I play most often has a plain old 0.010 string, same gauge as the first, running all the way from the tailpiece, over the bridge, to the top nut. Hasn't snapped yet. And, one capo does the job of putting EVERYTHNG into the key I want, with no fussing around with a sliding capo or model railroad spikes.

5stringpicker2 - Posted - 09/06/2010:  14:31:04

That's how I'd do it! I'm a fixin' to set one up the same way, Spike the 5th fret.

(I )===='---<::)

1four5 - Posted - 09/06/2010:  18:02:25

My Dobro is currently strung with the 5th string as a full length high G. I'm using an .009
My Telecaster currently has it's 6th string as a full length high G. I'm using an .009

steve davis - Posted - 09/06/2010:  18:33:32

My Dad's old Yamaha and a no name electric both have tiny holes in the
fretboard just behind frets 5 7 and 9 for when I go all banjo,all the time.

Grumpy1 - Posted - 09/06/2010:  23:02:11

Yup - set up my banjitar with the long string and spike. Works great.

doc fossey - Posted - 09/07/2010:  00:16:25

We have them for sale at docfossey.com. Check it out. It's amazing how different and how good 5 string banjo music sounds when played on a high-quality guitar.

Brian T - Posted - 09/07/2010:  08:11:32

My planned banjitar build was a bust. Aquaintance decided that she really needed to buy the guitar really badly for the price that I wanted 2 yrs ago. . . so away it went.
Still like to do this. A full length 5th string with some sort of a stop between F4 and F5 is the best adaptation I've heard of, yet.

minstrelmike - Posted - 09/07/2010:  10:21:03

Actually, if you wanted a 'real' banjo setup, you'd probably want to add spikes behind the 7th and 9th and maybe 10th frets, too.
For capoing.

mike gregory - Posted - 09/07/2010:  10:48:04

I agree, in principle, with Minstrelmike.

But, why bother with a "real" banjo setup?
It's not a real banjo.

Put on the full-length 5th, and one capo adjusts all strings simultaneously.

Brian T - Posted - 09/07/2010:  11:09:56

Well, that's true enough. I wanted something that looked different _and_ I had a nearly insane urge to Dremel-prune the frets then whack the guitar neck with my trusty router.
Maybe I should start looking for another guitar.

I have learned, though, that a router at 20k rpm is a lousy free-hand woodworking tool.