mwc9725e - Posted - 12/04/2014:  10:44:06

I'm gravitating more and more toward finger picking. I'm finding that my right hand nails are suffering because of that -- splitting, mainly. I don't want to use picks, I hate using the things, for various reasons. My thought is to re-string my banjos with nylon strings, they're easy on the picking fingers and I like the sound of them on my two old banjos. A question I have is would the newer banjos sound ok with nylon strings? Seems like they would, because I think probably most of the sound is generated by the head of the banjo. Any opinions on this?

You might naturally ask why I don't just try it and see, but I really do dislike the chore of re-stringing a banjo, and I have several. Thanks for any opinion you can offer.

Emiel - Posted - 12/04/2014:  10:57:15

They will sound different, but still fine...

stevel - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:09:07

the nylons should last much longer than steel... so that's a win for you in the long run.

trapdoor2 - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:29:53

quote:

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Originally posted by stevel

the nylons should last much longer than steel... so that's a win for you in the long run.

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LOL. I tend to change my strings annually, whether they're steel or nylon.

They only issue with switching a steel-strung banjo over to nylons is that the nut generally needs wider grooves for the nylons...but I've done it without modification also. For me, the major change is to switch to a light bridge.

For nylon finger-picking, it is considered a "good thing" to not use your nails at all. Cut 'em back to the quick and use your fingertips. I tend to cut mine back to about 1/16" and get just a little nail in my picking.

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:34:54

Bill...they should work fine. I like monofilament fishing line. I buy it in bulk on Amazon. It's super cheap and you always have strings. I use 20, 30, 40 and 50 lb test, but of course you could go lighter or heavier depending on your own experimentation. I've had much better luck with fishing line than the expensive store bought nylon strings, relative to breakage. Rick

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:35:28

Remember however, you are going to have to tie the strings which complicates any switchover to nylon. Chris Sands Classic Banjo Strings are made of stronger nylon so they aren't as fat as equivalent pitches in other strings (guitar strings for example which I used for years).

I don't bother with the bowline business. I tie a small loop in the string with a square (reef) knot, and just slip it over the posts. When It comes to the thicker banjo strings (particularly the 3rd string) the square knot loop is considerably easier to tie. I've done bowlines. Bowlines are so 1980, ya know?

No-Knot tailpiece posts are quite close together. It can get very tight with the thick nylon strings. Sometimes I didn't feel like fighting that fight again and tied the 3rd string to the tailpiece bolt. It works. The string comes between two posts and up and over the top of the tailpiece just like the others.

I have Rickard Tailpieces on the 2 banjos I play the most. The posts are farther apart, making the job easier. Unfortunately those are my Jam Banjos - so they are string with steel, but if I decide to convert my Ramsey to nylon it will definitely get a Rickard tailpiece too.

My feeling from all the time I spent vacillating between Nylon and Steel on Jackie-O (my avatar) is that the volume level is the same but nylon has a softer attack - YMMV. None of the other nylon strung banjos I've owned ever went back and forth between the materials.

Edited by - oldwoodchuckb on 12/04/2014 11:36:29

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:37:04

Good point on nut....some people use two. Ive actually had to modify my bridges at times also. 

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:39:31

I'm with Tony on the Rickard tailpiece....very worthwhile investment.

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  11:43:51

PS....and sorry I keep jumping in but if I buy store bought nylons again it will be as Tony recommends....Chris Sands. I haven't tried them but have heard the are good strings and strong. I personally haven't had good luck with the others re breakage and I am cheap!!

mwc9725e - Posted - 12/04/2014:  12:35:52

I appreciate the help, folks. I seem to be leaning more and more toward 3-finger picking, at least until my old friend Arthur Itis raises his ugly head again. I guess at my age I shouldn't be leaning toward much of anything, but it's fun. I do have a motive, I usually use 3-finger picking on the guitar, so my banjo playing practice should augment my guitar playing practice, and vice versa. It also helps that I like the way 3-finger sounds, and that's the way I first started learning banjo ( I started with bluegrass banjo ). So I guess it's off to Elderly Instruments to order some strings. I have a bunch of fishing line, in the proper gauges, but my experience has been that the stretch time is very long, and I always seem to be retuning when I use fishline as banjo strings.

Thanks again.

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  12:45:53

Good luck Bill...anxious to hear how they work out.

rhillslc - Posted - 12/04/2014:  13:03:36

I use both steel strings and nylon strings on my Gold Tone WL-250.  The sounds are different, but I like both and periodically switch back and forth.  I currently have the banjo set up with a relatively tight Fiberskyn head (drum dial at 92), which I like for both steel and nylon.  (I know, I know . . . why buy a White Ladye tone ring and then mellow it with Fiberskyn?  Why buy a mellow Fiberskyn head and then crank it down 'til Steve Davis's dime won't even begin to fit under the ruler?  Because I like it that way on this banjo.  What can I say?)  This banjo retains its volume with nylon and the tight head, but the volume drops off quickly, and the tone sounds muffled, with lower head tension.

I use Chris Sands medium nylon strings with a Bart Veerman no-cap, light weight bridge with slots specifically cut for the Sands medium string gauges.  (I use a Sampson walnut bridge for steel strings on this banjo.)

The spaces between the posts on the original no-knot tailpiece were too narrow for nylon strings, so I replaced the tailpiece with a cammed no-knot from Elderly.  It works great with both steel (loops around the posts) and nylon (no loops at all -- it really does work with no knots), and it doesn't have the sharp edges of the original no-knot.

The slots in the original nut work OK with the nylon strings, but I did have to widen the slot in the 5th string pip slightly.  The 5th string pip still works with steel strings with no buzzing, so I don't have to switch either the nut or the pip to change between steel and nylon on this banjo.

The 5th string spikes are set for the gauge of the steel 5th string, but are a little too tight for nylon without nicking the string.  I have not wanted to mess with the spikes, so I suppose at some point I may try a suspender or other non-attached 5th string capo when using nylon strings.

john bange - Posted - 12/04/2014:  15:06:00

Guys!

you got to try nylon harp strings...they stop stretching in a couple of days...they are louder than fishing line and tensions feel like Sands or Aquilla heavies.

I like the Kirschner t/p best to add some down force...Stringbean45's all maple bridges work best for me.

maplevega - Posted - 12/04/2014:  15:37:26

Thanks John....never thought about using harp strings! Rick

mikehalloran - Posted - 12/04/2014:  16:52:37

D'Addario makes a new string called NylTech sold by Aquila as Super NylGut. They are more robust than NylGuts which can tear if you get a nick in the strings.

A good, strong string is the Savarez wound nylon on nylon.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 12/05/2014:  08:53:35

Bill (mwc9725e),

You can play most everything you currently clawhammer using 2 finger Index Lead style. It sounds great, you can learn stuff directly from clawhammer players without have to head translate to 3 finger, and you can read clawhammer tabs as if they were written for two finger. Changing that to 3 Finger I'm not sure what to do. I never did much with 3 finger anything.

Edited by - oldwoodchuckb on 12/05/2014 08:54:08