adam2180 - Posted - 03/21/2008:  10:54:17

I have decides to set up one of my banjos for nylon strings. I have no idea what kind of strings to try, any suggestions? Thanks

Adam
NS, Canada

adam2180 - Posted - 03/21/2008:  10:57:12

P.S I play mostly claw-hammer.

Adam
NS, Canada

dsr - Posted - 03/21/2008:  11:11:12

I use Nylgut from Elderly. But I too had the wound string starting to unravel after only about a month of casual playing. Other than that I like them!
Dennis

dhergert - Posted - 03/21/2008:  14:35:33

A number of us use fishing line. Here's a thread on this: http://www.banjohangout.org/forum/t...IC_ID=101788 .

Best,

-- Don
http://home.att.net/~dhergert
http://mysite.verizon.net/don_hergert

"If you must use your banjo as a snow shovel, do so:
only don't wonder if it sounds dull afterwards."
-- S.S. Stewart catalog, 1896.

BConk - Posted - 03/21/2008:  18:57:01

I play only Clawhammer and use only Savarez "Yellow Card" super high tension classical guitar strings. First four strings and then another first string to serve as the fifth. I've tried Chris Sands, LaBella's and Nylguts and greatly prefer the Savarez guitar strings.


http://www.nowhereradio.com/artists...4644&alid=-1

CoE15NJV - Posted - 03/21/2008:  19:17:39

I've taken Don's route and put nylon fishing line on my banjo. He's got a thread in the set-up and repair forum and tells which guage line he used. Now I almost think I have a new banjo (thanks Don...this has put my BAS in remission). After some stretching, they sound great.

SJB

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/21/2008:  20:56:45

I'm with BConk. High tension guitar strings, for me, are the only way to go. I can hit them as hard as I do my steel strings; I'm disinclined to want to change my right-hand approach for nylon strings.

Bill

The BellyCaster - Posted - 03/21/2008:  23:09:01

Nylgut! Turned my Whyte Laydie into a truly fine sounding banjo.

Bruce

Ronnie - Posted - 03/22/2008:  11:17:11

A local music store sells individual classical guitar strings. I build banjo sets from those. They work just fine.

www.bobbythompsonbanjo.com

daniel9 - Posted - 03/22/2008:  17:17:00

I recently started using nylgut when I bought a new banjo. I like the sound but have one problem and that is that the sustain seems significantly shorter than when I play on steel, especially on the 1st, and to a slightly lesser extent the 2nd, string. Is this normal? Are there ways to tinker with my setup to lengthen the sustain more to my taste?

Thanks.

Daniel


--
"Truth is our most valuable commodity -- let us economize." -- Mark Twain