bigguitarbrad - Posted - 02/21/2012:  20:56:21

Hi, I just picked up my new Gold Tone CEB-5 (5 string Cello Banjo). It came with the medium high tension wound nylon strings. Gold Tone does sell replacement sets and one can just order up special single string orders I'm sure. Why I'm writing is to ask if any of you out there use the Acquila Nylgut Minstrel strings for this instrument? I'm pretty sure that it's done but I'd appreciate any feedback. Please feel welcome to share any other 5 string cello banjo information that you think relevant. Thanks Brad

un5trung - Posted - 02/22/2012:  06:43:33

I've used nylgut strings on my own, 4-string cello (not a Gold Tone) and I wasn't impressed.  If you've using nygut before you it stretches, and I just couldn't get the right balance.  I think you need something stronger and I've been working with variety of banjo and guitar stings, both metal and nylon.  On my cello most metal strings produce an unwanted overtone.  The one exception is Thomastik-Infeld Plectum guitar.

I've been through a lot of different strings looking for something that works well, and right now I'm using GHS Doyle Dykes signature classical guitar strings with a wound 3rd string:

ghsstrings.com/strings/classic...classique

I use strings 5-4-3-2, which fit well for a c-g-d-a tuning.  The wound third is important to the overall tone; one bare string is enough.  I've tried using the 6-5-4-3 strings for the all-wound experience, and while the sound is good my experience has been that the 6th string (4 on a banjo) goes tone dead after a few months.  Not bad for the sound until then, however.

If you have a 5-string you can still adapt guitar strings; use the high E (first string on a guitar) for the 5th string on a banjo.

Sticking with the Gold Tone strings is a non-starter for me, and there are many, many different permutations one can try.  I too am curious to see what solutions others have reached (or tried!).

vrteach - Posted - 02/22/2012:  08:00:49

I used the stock strings that came with the CEB-5 when I bought it for I guess 3 years and was happy enough. If I recall correctly the 3rd and 4th were wound, and the rest plain nylon. But the 4th was beginning to fray so I decided to get a set of the medium strings directly from Goldtone. Kind of pricey (but I'm kind of cheap). Kind of interesting. All 5 strings in this set are wound, but I didn't bother replacing the original 5th string (what's the point--the deader the better). The wound strings have a great deal of finger-slide-squeek.

A friend of mine had flat-wound electric guitar strings on his CEB-5 for a while. He liked it at first, but then decided that the steel strings were too tiring to play for a long time, like a dance. The CEB-5 is an interesting, but niche, instrument. I use mine for the novelty and as a talking point in presentations on banjo history. I will also bring it to events where I know there will be plenty of other banjos, but only if I know that I won't have to carry it around much.

Edited by - vrteach on 02/22/2012 08:04:09

JanetB - Posted - 02/22/2012:  18:20:07

I'd email or call Paul Roberts, a BHO member and Gold Tone dealer who specializes in cello banjos.    His website banjocrazy.com might be of assistance.  My cello banjo is "in the mail."  Perhaps ours traveled overseas together!  I'm having medium strings put on to replace the standard ones which come on it, at Paul's suggestion, because I want to play out of open G tuning.  This should be a real adventure, as you already are experiencing.

Janet

bigguitarbrad - Posted - 02/22/2012:  18:37:03

Just spent a good chunk of this beautiful "summer" afternoon playing my new CEB-5 and I love it. It really is a unique instrument. Something Tony Trishka said about it on the Gold Tone website review, that being larger, it almost feels like one is playing in slow motion. The challenge is that because the banjo has sooooooo much sustain, it can really run away with you and muddy things up. So I'm playing with a shirt tucked into the drum, experimenting with muting and just playing lightly. I don't know how this will fit in an ensemble outing but as a solo or duet (see The Canote Brothers' "5 String Circus") instrument, I see lots of potential. I almost bailed out of the purchase cause it took  a bit more than 4 months for it to arrive, and I've been lusting for a fretless, but I'm really glad I stuck with it. It feels so right for me and my musical path.

Thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming if you're so inclined. Brad