Clockwork John - Posted - 11/10/2013:  20:06:29

I've decided to string one of my banjos with nylon, and I went with La Bella No. 17, because I could get them cheap... Are these decent, or am I gonna want to spend the extra for Nylgut or Aquilla Reds one of these days?

Noah Cline - Posted - 11/10/2013:  20:20:27

I've never tried the La Bella set, though I've had one banjo strung with their gut set.

I've also heard that the Chris Sands sets are good, too.

I can't complain about the Nylguts, having my gourd  strung with the minstrel set, and a mountain banjo and a Buckbee strung with the classical set, except that they like to stretch for a few days when first put on. Haven't tried the Aquila Reds, though.

Edited by - Noah Cline on 11/10/2013 20:21:16

jasper - Posted - 11/10/2013:  21:22:28

Best strings after breaking in , i've found to be Chris Sands. I like the heavies the best!

cbcarlisle - Posted - 11/10/2013:  22:21:26

You've got a bushel of apples, oranges, and peaches. The La Bellas are thin nylon strings: they're OK if you want a delicate sound or want to crank them up in pitch. Chris Sands are heavier gauge nylon strings intended for more serious players. Nylguts are a proprietary new material intended to duplicate the sound and reaction of traditional gut; they come in several different models. They all have advantages, disadvantages, and exponents. You won't know until you try them all. Much depends upon what and how you play.

Clockwork John - Posted - 11/11/2013:  00:03:57

Thanks. I definitely want to try all of them based on those descriptions.

I've got two openbacks, and I haven't decided yet which will be getting the nylon. One is mellow, warm and plunky. Quiet, perfect for playing alone or practicing when the wife and kid are in bed. The other is loud and punchy with a deep, crisp tone, quick decay. Not bright or shrill by any means, yet not at all muddy either... Maybe the La Bellas will be good on this banjo, just to bring it down a notch.

I may put nylon on both of my banjos, and/or try different options on one or both. I'm still exploring and learning... All I know is, right now I have two very different banjos, tone-wise, and I love them both for very different reasons.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 11/11/2013:  01:17:41

LaBellas were too floppy for me. Even using their 2nd string as a first and 3rd as a second they were simply like rubber bands.

I was not impressed with the one set of Aquila Nylguts I tried, but others like them. 

Chris Sands Classic Banjo Strings, which I get from Elderly Instruments are really good. I've had a set on Jackie-O (my avatar) for 4 years now and they still sound good.

J.B. Schall circa 1893

Jackie O

Brooklynbanjoboy - Posted - 11/11/2013:  02:33:58

I like Chris Sands strings.  Mediums are quite good.  Heavies have a lot of depth to them -- sometimes nylon strings require re-contouring nut grooves etc because they are thicker than heavy steel.  I've found the re-slotting to be worth it because I have rarely retreated from nylon back to steel. 

I like Aquila Nylagut.  I have used them since they came out, and managed to get some of the early market testing red versions though I haven't converted to the new red strings entirely.  I found they did offer a different sound, but since I didn't use them consistently -- merely in a test -- I can't characterize what those new Aquila's bring to the banjo. 

Play hard,

Lew

trapdoor2 - Posted - 11/11/2013:  05:23:04

Let's just say that I have a package of LaBella's folded in half and jammed under a door to hold it open.

I've begun to see some trends in the styles of play that some set preferences.

Clawhammer players tend to prefer the Sands sets. Makes sense to me, they're stout strings, high tension and feel somewhat more like steels under the fingers. Many classic-style players (three-finger) like them too, esp. if you tend to play hard and close to the bridge. Fishing line also seems to be a popular choice for clawhammer players. Again, it tends towards the hard, high-tension stuff.

For softer, more gut-like feel and sound, Nylguts are great and tend to attract clawhammer and three-finger players who want that. The Minstrel set is thicker in gauge and more suited to the lower tunings as found in the early era (1850-1890) of playing as well as those who wish to simply play in lowered tunings.

The Aquila RED set is somewhere in between. They're thinner and harder than standard nylguts and they have a coarser surface finish. They still sound a lot like gut to me but they feel and play slightly more like the Sands.

LaBella strings are loose and floppy and sound loose and floppy. Obviously, I didn't like 'em.  The best thing about 'em is that they're cheap. I've tried their gut sets and didn't like them either.

Clifford Essex sells guts that are very nice. Also very expensive. They also sell single 4ths (Weaver 4ths) that are addictive. Best set I've had so far is the Aquila RED set with the 4th swapped out for one of the CE Weaver 4ths. I'm playing classic style there though.

So, for me:

Best clawhammer set goes to the Sands Heavies.

Best Early Banjo goes to the Aquila Minstrels.

Best Classic set? Well, I'm still waffling there. I'm still very happy with the modified Aquila Red set but I do like Gut quite a bit. OTOH, most of my vintage banjos are currently strung with the Aquila "Classic" nylguts.

Conclusion: you're just going to have to try 'em all and decide for yourself...but you knew that already, didn't you?

RV6 - Posted - 11/11/2013:  05:40:28

I have Chris Sands mediums on my three open backs and like them quite a bit. I tried the Aquila Reds and didn't care for them. They stretched forever and broke a couple of times at the tailpiece on one of my homemade walnut tailpieces. I've never broken a Sands string on these tailpieces.

Bob

rudy - Posted - 11/11/2013:  05:48:25

One of my friends is running Aquila Reds (all red set) and swears by them.

Viper - Posted - 11/11/2013:  07:20:22

I found the La Bella's to break too easily. I liked the Nylgut Classicals OK, though a bit floppy for my tastes. I'd like to try the Minstrels some day. I currently have Chris Sands Heavies on my banjo and love them. 

Noah Cline - Posted - 11/11/2013:  14:57:36

quote:

---

Originally posted by trapdoor2

 

Let's just say that I have a package of LaBella's folded in half and jammed under a door to hold it open.

I've begun to see some trends in the styles of play that some set preferences.

Clawhammer players tend to prefer the Sands sets. Makes sense to me, they're stout strings, high tension and feel somewhat more like steels under the fingers. Many classic-style players (three-finger) like them too, esp. if you tend to play hard and close to the bridge. Fishing line also seems to be a popular choice for clawhammer players. Again, it tends towards the hard, high-tension stuff.

For softer, more gut-like feel and sound, Nylguts are great and tend to attract clawhammer and three-finger players who want that. The Minstrel set is thicker in gauge and more suited to the lower tunings as found in the early era (1850-1890) of playing as well as those who wish to simply play in lowered tunings.

The Aquila RED set is somewhere in between. They're thinner and harder than standard nylguts and they have a coarser surface finish. They still sound a lot like gut to me but they feel and play slightly more like the Sands.

LaBella strings are loose and floppy and sound loose and floppy. Obviously, I didn't like 'em.  The best thing about 'em is that they're cheap. I've tried their gut sets and didn't like them either.

Clifford Essex sells guts that are very nice. Also very expensive. They also sell single 4ths (Weaver 4ths) that are addictive. Best set I've had so far is the Aquila RED set with the 4th swapped out for one of the CE Weaver 4ths. I'm playing classic style there though.

So, for me:

Best clawhammer set goes to the Sands Heavies.

Best Early Banjo goes to the Aquila Minstrels.

Best Classic set? Well, I'm still waffling there. I'm still very happy with the modified Aquila Red set but I do like Gut quite a bit. OTOH, most of my vintage banjos are currently strung with the Aquila "Classic" nylguts.

Conclusion: you're just going to have to try 'em all and decide for yourself...but you knew that already, didn't you?

---

I've done went through two of their gut sets on my minstrel (the last set seemed to wear quicker even though I hardly played it), and I think I'll go back to Nylguts on it.

Edited by - Noah Cline on 11/11/2013 14:58:50

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 11/11/2013:  15:10:51

quote:

---

Originally posted by jasper

 

Best strings after breaking in , i've found to be Chris Sands. I like the heavies the best!

---

Ditto.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 11/11/2013:  18:44:53

quote:

---

Originally posted by R.D. Lunceford

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by jasper

 

Best strings after breaking in , i've found to be Chris Sands. I like the heavies the best!

---

Ditto.

---

Ditto Ditto, although my current strings are the Mediums and I have another set of Ms in the old banjo string box. So if I were to change today, I wouldn't need the Heavies for another 4 years!