J-Walk - Posted - 09/06/2011:  19:28:36

I've put nylon (or Nylgut) strings on several of my banjos. In every case, I've never gone back to steel. They sound better (at least from behind), and they tend to be easier to play.

Is this normal? I'm sure there must be some banjos that sound/play better with steel strings.

My two main players still have steel strings, because I use them at jams and (I've been led to believe) steel strings have more volume. But I'm not totally convinced of that. Nylon strings seem to be just as loud as steel.

Tell us your experience with steel vs. nylon strings.

Edited by - J-Walk on 09/06/2011 19:29:04

aeroweenie - Posted - 09/06/2011:  19:57:19

I put nylon strings on my A-scale banjo. I don't have a back-to-back comparison, so I can't comment on loudness differences. All my previous experience (35+ years) has been with steel strings. The nylons felt very different to me but I quickly got used to them and I do find them easier to play. However, my thumb squeaks sometimes on the 5th string (never on the others) which is very annoying. Running my thumb through whats left of my hair fixes it for a while, perhaps I have a technique problem with the thumb. All in all, I have been pleased with the nylons and like the feel of the thicker (than steel) strings. I have thought about trying nylons on my 12" C. Lee but haven't yet.

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/06/2011:  20:04:49

I've converted 6 of my seven banjos to Nylgut over the past year or so. Every one of them sounds and feels better to me, and the intonation has been improved. They all seem to be just as loud as before as well. The only one I haven't converted is the Pete Seeger style long neck - simply because Nylgut strings don't seem to be long enough to put on it. One of these days I may again try the exercise of stretching the strings to fit - I tried that once and broke the first string, making it even shorter.

J-Walk - Posted - 09/06/2011:  20:19:52

Oh yeah, I forgot about the intonation improvement. That's always the case, in my experience.

Miguel MC Dowell - Posted - 09/06/2011:  20:38:01

I have Nylgut on my Prust tack-head and steel on my Gold Tone. The nylgut is easy on the nails and sounds just as loud as the steel strings do on my Gold Tone. I keep the steel on the Gold Tone just to use when trying to figure out a new song I hear or want to play back and play along with. Otherwise I would put nylgut on that one as well. Marc and John helped me with what tunings sounded best for the Prust with nylgut strings. I really like the tone of the nylgut.

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 09/06/2011:  20:44:48

All of my banjos have Nylgut and skin heads.
I have found that many of the older cheap openbacks
that sound pretty bad with plastic and steel become decent
players with skin and nylgut.

My Bowlin has gut rather than Nylgut on it.

banjered - Posted - 09/06/2011:  21:53:41

I leave steel on my jam banjo because I believe steel can handle changing keyes better. Otherwise, all nylgut. Banjered

RG - Posted - 09/07/2011:  00:10:17

For my style of playing I prefer steel...I do have Chris Sands heavy gauge nylon strings on my Bacon FF, SS Stewart Universal Favorite & my fretless w/ formica fretboard, but my other 7 banjos all have GHS mediums with a brass wound 4th string.  I also use a .012 gauge string for the 5th, usually a replaced 2nd string, an old trick I picked up from my friend the late Larry Brown.  Steel are definitely louder with my set-ups, but I'm sure you could get a thin bridge and really crank the head and get plenty of voulme with nylon/gut.  I use skin heads on all of my banjos with a Bart Veerman bridge.  In my opinion, the type of head, it's tension and the type of bridge and tailpiece combo contribute more to sound and volume than strings do. 

I really do not like nylgut strings or the sound I got out of them on my vintage banjos regardless of set-up, the Chris Sands sound 100% better than I could ever get the nylguts to sound.  I can tune the Sands' strings low or up to "A" with no problem and they stay in tune.  Nylguts might sound better on a minstrel type banjo but I have never liked the sound or feel of them on any banjo I have ever used them on.  

I think a lot of the perceived "problem" with steel strings is that folks use light gauge strings which can sound "thin" in my opinion, personally I wouldn't use anything less than mediums and I build my banjos that way (have never had a warped neck from using heavier gauge strings in over 35 years and leave my banjos tuned up to "A" & "D" all the time).  In the end, I prefer the sound that Hobart Smith, Wade Ward, Dink Roberts, Roscoe Holcomb, Doc Boggs, Creed Birchfield, Frank Cockerham, Clyde Davenport et. al. got out of their banjos, not much for "dark", "muddy" or "plunky" banjos, which does seem to be a trend with a lot of "new" time players these days...I like my banjars to ring... 

Edited by - RG on 09/07/2011 00:16:09

Tinfoot - Posted - 09/07/2011:  06:45:29

So in simple, direct words...

Nylgut is for the most part superior to steel in the majority of applications/settings (at least for clawhammer)?

Have yet to use Nylgut... hrm

Jason Wilkerson - Posted - 09/07/2011:  06:58:33

quote:

---

Originally posted by R.D. Lunceford

All of my banjos have Nylgut and skin heads.

I have found that many of the older cheap openbacks

that sound pretty bad with plastic and steel become decent

players with skin and nylgut.



My Bowlin has gut rather than Nylgut on it.

---

Where does one buy real gut strings?  Are they superior to Nylagut?  More or less durable?

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 09/07/2011:  07:12:30

The gut strings I use are Purr'll Gut and I got my supply from Sierra View Music operated by gourd banjo-maker Bob Thornburg. You'd have to check his website for availability.



Tom Berghan is probably in the know on good suppliers for gut strings. Additionally, I think they are available through Aquila who distributes/makes Nylgut strings.



As for superiority, Nylguts wear forever (except the wound silk and steel string which eventually comes unwound when used on a fretted banjo). Gut eventually frays. As for sound, it is a personal thing. I think Nylgut may be brighter and louder, but gut has a complexity of tone that Nylgut doesn't.



My Bowlin is tuned low (dADF#A vs. gDGBD) and is the only banjo I've used gut on. All of my standard pitched banjos sport Nylgut. In my experience, gut is susceptible to climate changes.



Tom and Rob MacKillop are accomplished lutenists with a lot of gut string experience. Hopefully they'll chime in with some advice.

Edited by - R.D. Lunceford on 09/07/2011 07:14:01

bFunk - Posted - 09/07/2011:  07:52:17

After putting nylgut on my Goodtime, I don't know that I'll ever go back to steel. As others have said, nylgut is a lot easier on the right hand nails. Not only do I feel like I could play forever, but my right hand seems faster (maybe due to lower string tension or bigger gauge of nylgut?). When I use steel strings, I end up losing some feel in my right hand nail.

One thing I did not like was the 5th string. Felt the tension was too low and it didn't have a lot of sustain. Also, when I would drop thumb to the 4th string after playing the 5th string, my thumb always seemed to mute the 5th string, whereas with steel strings I could be accurate enough that I could avoid touching the 5th string and allow it to ring.
After the nylgut 5th string broke, on a whim I put a steel string on and found it to be the perfect combination. Nylgut for the long strings, steel for the 5th.

-Bryce

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/07/2011:  08:51:54

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tinfoot

So in simple, direct words...



Nylgut is for the most part superior to steel in the majority of applications/settings (at least for clawhammer)?



Have yet to use Nylgut... hrm

---

I wouldn't say Nylgut is necessarily objectively superior to steel. It is so only if you prefer the sound and feel of Nylgut. I do, very much - but certainly there are many others who really dislike it - and, of course, there's also a huge number of banjo players who've never tried it - so they have no way of knowing if they like it or not.

ELWOOD - Posted - 09/07/2011:  09:21:12

A nylagut strung banjo with a skin head is a fine set up. My Buck-a-Bee thin rim (1890) likes a straight bridge. See photo attached. My 12 inch woody is Steel strings on renaissance head and a moon bridge is always well received. See photo attached.     You may agree, or not.

Edited by - ELWOOD on 09/07/2011 09:23:24

Ramseys a pair

beenjammin - Posted - 09/07/2011:  10:08:24

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the intonation improvement. That's always the case, in my experience."

well, i should probably chalk it up to user error but my experience is the opposite. It was only with one banjo, the nechville atlas, but i lost a significant amount of volume and intonation suffered considerably. I really liked the tone but it just didn't work out. on this banjo the steel strings are superior. but like i said, maybe someone else could have set it up better. some day i'll go the nylon way but not yet...

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/07/2011:  10:59:32

quote:

---

Originally posted by beenjammin

"Oh yeah, I forgot about the intonation improvement. That's always the case, in my experience."



well, i should probably chalk it up to user error but my experience is the opposite. It was only with one banjo, the nechville atlas, but i lost a significant amount of volume and intonation suffered considerably. I really liked the tone but it just didn't work out. on this banjo the steel strings are superior. but like i said, maybe someone else could have set it up better. some day i'll go the nylon way but not yet...

---

The bridge has to be moved when converting to Nylgut from steel. You have to use the harmonics to find precisely the right position. Once that's done, I find the notes to be more accurate as you move up the neck, compared with steel. This is especially noticeable with high action.

unclekurty - Posted - 09/07/2011:  11:55:03

I experiment with my banjos and try different combinations of heads, strings, bridges, tailpiece until I think I find the right sound the particular banjo. When I'm playing at home I usually grab one of my nylon strung banjos. But playing out I always use steel strung banjo. I change tuning just about every tune. On a nylon strung banjo I find that difficult. I do prefer the sound of steel strings though. I have a 50%/40%

One thing I haven't tried is putting pick ups on one of my nylon strung banjos to see how it might sound amplified. I use Trance Audio PU's: two FRAP type pick ups with the signal split between bass and treble. I get what I think is a fantastic sound for an amplified banjo. But I stray off topic.

ramjo - Posted - 09/07/2011:  12:02:51

I really, really like how my banjos sound when strung either with Nylguts or with steel. Whenever I string them with on type, I begin missing the sound with the other type. I just need more banjos.

corgies - Posted - 09/07/2011:  15:42:15

Ditto, ramjo!!

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 09/07/2011:  15:51:51

I prefer the sound of steel for most band/jam situations, and I certainly can't afford the effort to crank skin heads up and down. My hands do not like that kind of motion. Were I using skin heads I might have a different take on strings.

jduke - Posted - 09/07/2011:  18:21:40

I'm like unclekurty in that I like to let the banjo decide.  I enjoy playing both steel and nylon strings and have found that banjos (with some set-up alterations)  sound better one way or the other.  And ultimately, I want my banjos to sound the best that they can.

I currently have two steel strung banjos and one nylon strung banjo.  Whether I'm gigging, jamming or just playing at home,  I pick the banjo by however I feel that day, as I've never felt one banjo lends itself to a given situation better than the others in playability, sound or volume.

Jeff

Sultans of Claw - Posted - 09/07/2011:  18:24:38

I tend to be the kind of player who's in love with whatever I'm playing at the time. When I'm playing my banjo strung with Nylguts, I wonder why I play anything else, and then when I play my steel strung banjo, I know why.

mworden - Posted - 09/07/2011:  20:07:37

quote:

---

Originally posted by ramjo

I really, really like how my banjos sound when strung either with Nylguts or with steel. Whenever I string them with on type, I begin missing the sound with the other type. I just need more banjos.

---

I'm totally with Ramjo on this one.  I've got Nylguts on my 11" Romero with a skin head and I totally love the sound.  I don't find it "dark", "muddy" or "plunky" at all but rich and warm.  That said, I miss the ring I get on that instrument with steel strings.  I've got an old Goodtime strung up with OME mediums and but the sound just isn't cutting it for me these days.  I'm thinking of putting a Renaissance head on it to see if that brings it back where I want it to be.

The main downside I'm finding with the Nylguts is that sometimes when I get a little exuberant in my playing I'll pop one of the strings (usually the 5th; sometimes the 4th) out of the slot on the nut or the bridge.  I know that some folks deepen the grooves for nylon strings but I am really hesitant to do that because I don't know what the implications would be for going back to steel.  I'm considering contacting J Romero to see if I can get a second bridge and nut for nylons so I can just switch depending on what strings I want to use.  Of course, what I really need is a second Romero so I can have one with steel and one with nylon.  Oh, and a third for an A-scale....  uh oh.  

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/07/2011:  21:21:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by jduke

...

 Whether I'm gigging, jamming or just playing at home,  I pick the banjo by however I feel that day, as I've never felt one banjo lends itself to a given situation better than the others in playability, sound or volume.

Jeff

---

I find I'm just the opposite of this. My banjos are all very very distinct from each other, so I find that my repertoire is really divided among them. I have arrangements that are very specific to particular banjos (which can be a bit of a pain when I'm performing, since I like to bring around 5 different banjos with me, and only rarely play 2 in a row on the same banjo).

john fincher - Posted - 09/08/2011:  03:10:05

Sorry to show my ignorance but I've tried nylon strings a couple of times and they always break before I can get them to tension.  I use a Goldtone WL250S with a knownot tailpiece.

john bange - Posted - 09/08/2011:  07:47:45

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marc Nerenberg

I've converted 6 of my seven banjos to Nylgut over the past year or so. Every one of them sounds and feels better to me, and the intonation has been improved. They all seem to be just as loud as before as well. The only one I haven't converted is the Pete Seeger style long neck - simply because Nylgut strings don't seem to be long enough to put on it. One of these days I may again try the exercise of stretching the strings to fit - I tried that once and broke the first string, making it even shorter.

---

 fishing line solves the length problem.  it is loud and clear and last a long long time.  I use a La Bella wound 4th string which I buy from Bernunzio in New York about 20 at a time.  they are long enough to use on a long neck banjo.  The weights I use are as heavy as I can find to compensate for the slack feel of the long scale.  40#5th,60#3rd,50#2nd and 40#or30# 1st...this works well for G tuning, E w/o capo...I'll never go back to steel...I hit them as hard as I want...never broke one yet. john

Strom Banjo 73 - Posted - 09/08/2011:  08:36:40

I've tried nylon strings on a few of my banjos. I've always used GHS I believe, but have a had a problem with the low D wound string. The winding always breaks and unravels before the strings get very old. Has anyone else had this problem? Are there other brands which I should be trying that last longer?

Thanks

Fivestral - Posted - 09/11/2011:  11:57:29

I put nylon on my old BUCKBEE mainly because the neck has been (twice) broken - just recently renewed it with La Bella set No.17 and been banging out Snowdrop in open C and it sounds great. Now going to put a set on another celluloid-pegged-vine-on-the-fingerboard 'nameless' US banjo of same period, Easily tuned once stretched, I find and keeps pitch pretty good. I play clawhammer with no picks. I have now found an outlet in UK sells nylon with nickel wound 4th, gonna try them maybe that'll last a bit longer than the La Bella silver-wound. I am playing these on Fyberskin heads and satisfied with sound, both in room and recorded. Anybody got opinion(s) on Renaissance heads?

Strom Banjo 73 - Posted - 09/14/2011:  12:39:39

I have a Renaissance head on my Richelieu open-back which has a bacon silver bell style tone-ring in it.  The renaissance is somewhere between a standard plastic head and a fiberskin head.  It's louder and crisper than the fiberskin and is much closer to the plastic end of things.  For me it's really more of a look than a sound difference.  I do like it though and hope that First Quality Music gets them back in stock soon.

chuckb - Posted - 09/15/2011:  12:27:50

John, are you using the knowknot as it was intended? If so, this is probably why the strings are breaking. The edges of the slots are too sharp. Aquila puts out some advice on using Nylgut, and sanding or honing the edges of the tailpiece is part of this. After I had strings break, I just used a knot like I do with other tailpieces--basically what you do with a classical guitar bridge. Trying to smooth out those little slots on the posts on the knownot is too time consuming for me.

farmer bob - Posted - 09/15/2011:  18:17:08

Before I tried nylon on banjo I thought they would sound too mellow like on classical guitar. I could not believe how bright , {Chris Sands} nylon strings sounded. I'm sold on nylons... For one thing you don't need to add a truss rod in the neck, making building necks faster and lighter. Another thing is because of the low tension, I can use inexpensive violin or viola pegs and easily tune the banjo. I'm presently building a steel string long neck for resale but if it were a keeper I would only use nylons ... Bob.

farmer bob - Posted - 09/16/2011:  06:43:57

An unexpected side effect of playing on nylon I found was playing two finger and occasionally three finger old time style without picks. I can play all day this way and my fingers never suffer...Bob...

Voyageur - Posted - 09/16/2011:  13:50:34

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sultans of Claw

I tend to be the kind of player who's in love with whatever I'm playing at the time. When I'm playing my banjo strung with Nylguts, I wonder why I play anything else, and then when I play my steel strung banjo, I know why.

---

I am like that, too. But I also find that some banjos do sound better with one or the other. I tried Nylgut on my Whyte Laydie and was disappointed; went back to steel (Ernie Ball Earthwood Frailing).

I have nylon strings (of course, no steel!) on my old George C. Dobson and it is sweet. I tried gut strings on it but they unraveled and fell apart really soon. An expensive experiment I won't repeat, at least with that brand of strings...

I have never tried Nylguts on my OME because I like to really whang away at it sometimes! I have a combination of OME and Ernie Ball strings on it that I like.

I would like a banjo with wooden tone ring/rim that I'd put Nylguts on someday...

paco_rumblefish - Posted - 09/16/2011:  17:02:02

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjered

I leave steel on my jam banjo because I believe steel can handle changing keyes better. Otherwise, all nylgut. Banjered

---

 Is this the case?  Are nylguts hard to (re)tune?

hayesdt - Posted - 09/16/2011:  17:32:41

Took the plunge yesterday afternoon and put a set of nylgut strings on a Deering Goodtime open back -- now waiting a few days for them to stretch out a bit.  But in playing them today I do like the feel.  My one difficulty so far (perhaps I'll adjust as I play them more) is that I am unable to obtain the same degree of clarity with hammers on/off as with the steel strings.

Anyone else ever notice this?

Edited by - hayesdt on 09/16/2011 17:34:27

Marc Nerenberg - Posted - 09/16/2011:  17:52:01

quote:

---

Originally posted by paco_rumblefish

quote:

---

Originally posted by banjered

I leave steel on my jam banjo because I believe steel can handle changing keyes better. Otherwise, all nylgut. Banjered

---

 Is this the case?  Are nylguts hard to (re)tune?

---

I do find that NylGuts don't like to be changed to another note quite as easily or readily as steel. They tend to want to return toward the previous note a bit, and have to be fussed with a little bit more than steel to get them to want to stay at a new note. I think this 'problem' tends to disappear over time however, as the strings "settle in" to being re-tuned a lot.

OK-4 - Posted - 09/16/2011:  18:52:02

Almost off topic, but what do gut strings look or feel like? I have several old banjo strings that came from a batch of stuff from a luthier's estate. They ain't steel or nylon. Gut? They are woven sort of like twine. The brand name is La Bella.

On topic: Nylgut can definitely make a loud and snappy tone, loud enough to hurt my hears and call for a sock. The jury is still out on whether it is an improvement for an old banjo that I recently switched from steel. Different, nice, but not so sure about it.

chuckb - Posted - 09/19/2011:  09:07:29

One of the problems tuning nylon strings could be their larger diameter; I am pretty sure the makers cut the notches in the nut and bridge for steel. This could also cause intonation issues. I have had the problem mentioned of nylgut popping out of the bridge slot. I took a file to the slots and that problem has been solved. I haven't noticed any other problems from doing that, besides, briges are cheap. Oh, and i ahve also experienced the issues with the 5th string of my thumb slipping off and also muting it when I drop thumb.

john bange - Posted - 09/19/2011:  10:09:43

You really  do need to cut the notches on the nut.  If you don't, there will be tuning and intonation issues as well as string breakage.  Stew Mac sells the files and they will work on the bridge and 5th string  also.  If you have a Deering, you will need to replace the 5th string spike for a 1/8" bridge piece. The spike will cause breakage.  5th string capos (if you use one) are needed because spikes do not work too well there either.

It might sound like a lot of work but is is worth it!

cbcarlisle - Posted - 09/19/2011:  13:39:16

Has it occurred to anyone else that a century ago we were having this discussion...in Reverse?

(plus ca change...)

japus - Posted - 09/19/2011:  20:30:42

I went to nylgut on my Deering Vega, will not return to steel.

Nylgut's are easier to play, and sound so much nicer in my opinion.

Now am I going to replace steel with nylgut on my Hartford ??? 

john bange - Posted - 12/13/2011:  15:09:35

quote:

---

Originally posted by Marc Nerenberg

I've converted 6 of my seven banjos to Nylgut over the past year or so. Every one of them sounds and feels better to me, and the intonation has been improved. They all seem to be just as loud as before as well. The only one I haven't converted is the Pete Seeger style long neck - simply because Nylgut strings don't seem to be long enough to put on it. One of these days I may again try the exercise of stretching the strings to fit - I tried that once and broke the first string, making it even shorter.

---

 Marc,  length is the reason I went to fishing line for my long neck Vega...30#50#60#wound La Bella4th30#...1st string from left to right.  the volume is amazing and they last forever.  they are heavy enough gauge to not be sloppy and the La Bella is from a #17 set and is long enough. john

Bufo Bill - Posted - 12/14/2011:  08:04:15

For the poster who found hammer-ons  less powerful with nylon:- I found this when I first switched to nylon but persevere with it because I found I got more adept at producing the volume and tone required as I got used to the nylon strings. They play just fine now.

All the best from Bill.

deuceswilde - Posted - 12/14/2011:  10:44:55

Mostly it was about this time when they were discussing where to get gut strings.  Right after the turn of the century gut firsts (also the same as E strings on the violin) became unavailable.   WWI sealed the deal.  Gut was made in Russia, France, and Germany...  I don't think strings were high on their to do list.  

Most 5-string banjoists did not want to go over to wire- there was no choice.  I say five string because it was around that time that folks began to hit their banjos with plectra.  That destroys gut strings.  Wire was cheap.  The quality of gut began to suffer as well.  

Folks just got fed up with poor quality, false and constantly breaking strings.  Eventually they could not even get them.  Wire won out.

We are lucky, that problem is gone.  With plastic strings, there is no reason for wire (unless you like to sound clanky).  Plastic strings are always true and last a very long time.  

I do like to replace them about once or twice a year.  I have no facts, but it seems that they lose their elasticity over time.  I am different in that I prefer softer strings.  I even like the LaBella strings.  Learn a strong attack with the right hand and stay near the bridge.  It aint wire, so don't play it like it is.

A thimble really helps to bring out the tone and clarity too (sorry, I had to plug 'em).

quote:

---

Originally posted by cbcarlisle

Has it occurred to anyone else that a century ago we were having this discussion...in Reverse?

(plus ca change...)

---

blessing1 - Posted - 12/15/2011:  21:05:43

     I've got a Goodtime strung with with the Minstrel gauge nylgut.  I didn't play it at all until making the switch but now play it regularly as I love the tone.  My only complaint on it, and I'd be interested to hear what other have to say, is that the lower string tension makes certain things more difficult.  I find this namely with drop thumbing and doing a double pull-off, though I don't use the later terribly often.  When playing at a higher tempo though, I find the slow response of the slack strings to be detrimental to playing certain passages the way I desire.  I've tried tightening the Minstrel strings way up to get the desired string tension, but their tone suffers a good deal when cranked up that high.  There is a certain pleasure in simplifying to what is doable with the set up I have, but I'd prefer to let my skill limit the play (which it surely does) rather than my banjo setup.  I do love singing with the low D&E tunings though.  Far easier for my voice. 

dangibson - Posted - 12/15/2011:  21:07:32

I've gone from steel to an all-Nylgut set (w/ skin head) on my Chuck Lee banjo. So far, no regrets. The change was prompted for the most part by my getting hooked on gut-strung, fretless, pre-war (Civil War, that is) banjos. I like the feel of those fat strings. Bernunzio sells the all-Nylgut string sets.

Yes, they took a while to stretch out. It wasn't that big a deal, and they're quite stable, now, as is the skin head. I don't use a fifth-string capo of any kind -- I just tune it up to pitch. So far, that has posed no problems. But, if the fifth string does break, I'll replace it with a 20# or 30# fishing line.

BTW, if you have friction tuners, gut, Nylgut, nylon, or fishing line is the only way to go.

Deuceswilde (aka Joel) is right about using a strong right-hand attack -- you don't have to beat it to death, but it does help to dig a little bit harder, although I prefer to play a little farther from the bridge than he does. Terry Bell mentioned on the Minstrel Banjo site, that pull-offs are easier with gut and Nylguts if you have a little more string clearance at the nut than with steel strings. I haven't tried that yet.

One last caution about Nylguts. Sharp edges are death to them. If you use one of the cheap No-knot tail pieces, thoroughly round off the edges, or replace it with something less lethal. Mine has a Bill Rikard tail piece, now -- it requires knots, but it won't slice the Nylgut.

Have fun.


Dan Gibson, Stroyteller/Banjoplayer
Dallas, TX; Burlington, NC
dangibson.net

Bart McNeil - Posted - 12/16/2011:  05:15:51

"BTW, if you have friction tuners, gut, Nylgut, nylon, or fishing line is the only way to go."

Not really.... Friction tuners hold very well with either steel or nylon strings... You simply have to learn how to use them to get the required friction without overtightening them. I have them on all four of my steel strung banjos which are between 50 and 100 years old and have not had a problem with them for several years. Given the cost differential between friction and geared tuners, friction tuners are well worth learning how to use.

JEA13 - Posted - 12/16/2011:  05:48:06

Anybody know of a clip where I could hear comparison of both types of strings played by same person, same banjo , and same tune?

tfaux - Posted - 12/16/2011:  06:27:37

We have a nice old American Princess set up with nylgut. Fine for playing in the parlor, if we had a parlor, but I mainly prefer a banjo with some bark, particularly in a room full of fiddles and trombones. Steel strings, Tubaphone TR, and a downward-pressure tailpiece here. Just like the old guys.