gmohrs - Posted - 11/21/2011:  20:27:26

Thanks to the generosity of Wayne Norman (Mumble Peg), I finally have new tuners on my old Buckbee. I'm ready to install the Nylgut strings. I've never installed a set of these. Any special things I should watch out for? Will the No-knot tailpiece work as intended with these strings? Thanks.

f#dead - Posted - 11/21/2011:  20:45:29

Yes the no-knot is well suited to these strings.  Just practice the bowline knot.  Also make sure to reduce and eliminate any burrs or sharp edges that might nick or otherwise damage the strings during the change.  Tune them up to your regular tuning, play and expect to tune repeatedly for the next few days.  After that they can be durable, last a long time and bring new life and tone to any banjo. 

tdennis - Posted - 11/21/2011:  20:52:16

There are quite a few discussions in the archives about nylgut,  & their tendency to break.  They seem to very very sensitive to sharp edges, as well as breaking when stretched too quickly during tuning (especially the 5th).   Once they are up & running they give a terrific voice,  & feel great.  

Fathand - Posted - 11/22/2011:  04:37:16

Why would you need a bowline knot on a no knot tailpiece? Wasn't the idea of the tailpiece to eliminate making a knot?

youtube.com/watch?v=x0eQlcriwK...e=related 

quote:

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Originally posted by f#dead



 

Yes the no-knot is well suited to these strings.  Just practice the bowline knot.

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The Old Timer - Posted - 11/22/2011:  05:44:56

Fathand asks an excellent question. I just put Nylgut on my Chanterelle (with No Knot tailpiece) last month. In the end, I just tied nice little bowline loops and looped them over the studs. Took a day or so for them to stop stretching, but I'm perfectly happy.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 11/22/2011:  09:10:14

quote:

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Originally posted by Fathand

Why would you need a bowline knot on a no knot tailpiece? Wasn't the idea of the tailpiece to eliminate making a knot?

youtube.com/watch?v=x0eQlcriwK...e=related 

quote:

---

Originally posted by f#dead



 

Yes the no-knot is well suited to these strings.  Just practice the bowline knot.

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---

 Yup, no knot needed.

However, there are some modern reproductions where the string slots are not wide enough to properly accommodate the 3rd or 4th string. If you don't have a jewler's file handy, the best alternative is to tie a bowline knot and just lay it over the post.

Another alternative is to tie a basic "figure eight" knot animatedknots.com/fig8_/index....knots.com in the end of the string. Then, simply slip the string into the groove and let the knot act as a stopper. I've been using that method for years since I have fat fingers and often have trouble getting the strings to behave using the tailpiece as originally designed.

Fathand - Posted - 11/22/2011:  09:27:28

Bowlines, figure eights, if it wasn't ready to snow I would think of going sailing.

quote:

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Originally posted by trapdoor2

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fathand

Why would you need a bowline knot on a no knot tailpiece? Wasn't the idea of the tailpiece to eliminate making a knot?

youtube.com/watch?v=x0eQlcriwK...e=related 

quote:

---

Originally posted by f#dead



 

Yes the no-knot is well suited to these strings.  Just practice the bowline knot.

---

 

---

 Yup, no knot needed.

However, there are some modern reproductions where the string slots are not wide enough to properly accommodate the 3rd or 4th string. If you don't have a jewler's file handy, the best alternative is to tie a bowline knot and just lay it over the post.

Another alternative is to tie a basic "figure eight" knot animatedknots.com/fig8_/index....knots.com in the end of the string. Then, simply slip the string into the groove and let the knot act as a stopper. I've been using that method for years since I have fat fingers and often have trouble getting the strings to behave using the tailpiece as originally designed.

 

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greadore - Posted - 11/22/2011:  10:30:10

Have had the same problem as Trapdoor2. Either (1) the thicker strings wouldn't fit into the slot on the no-knot tailpiece or (2) wouldn't fit in the space between the slots where you wrap the string around to bring it down the neck to the tuner. Just ended up tying a knot in the end of the string and it worked well.

Jrbianchi - Posted - 11/22/2011:  17:12:22

Agreed - tying the knot in the end of the string and letting that work like a stopper is a tried and true method for me.  Takes no time at all for the string to settle at the tailpiece end when you do it that way.

banjered - Posted - 11/22/2011:  18:29:27

I tie an overhand stopper knott at the end of the string, then loop another overhand knott over the post such that it catches the stopper knott. Good for the unwound strings. For the fourth string, I use a bowling knott making sure that the double string part of the loop passes over the bend in the no-knott so that TWO strands handle the sharp bend rather than one strand. Has worked for years. Banjered

gmohrs - Posted - 11/22/2011:  21:33:37

I really wanted to use the No-Knot as it was designed to be used, but I decided to play it safe (the edges of the slots felt a little sharp to me) and go with the bowline knot. Thanks for the advice!

XXXris - Posted - 11/23/2011:  02:54:08

I find that they are so stretchy that after a few days of stretching, you have an unruly amount of string wound up on the pegs. After a couple of days, I quickly unwind the peg, pull it further through the hole, and then tune up again. Then stretch for a couple more days....