Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/20/2021:  16:52:15

I went to purchase some Aquila Reds and noticed for banjo there are two -4 different Aquila Red strings sets



can someone tell me what the differences are in the Aquila Red normal tension for banjo and the Aquila Red medium tension for banjo



thanks for reading

Edited by - Don Smith1959 on 09/20/2021 17:03:56

Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/21/2021:  11:42:59

WOW 211 reads and no response yet
I guess I am not the only one out there that has
no clue as to the differences in them

A Drum On A Stick - Posted - 09/21/2021:  12:12:28

quote:

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Originally posted by Don Smith1959

I went to purchase some Aquila Reds and noticed for banjo there are two -4 different Aquila Red strings sets



can someone tell me what the differences are in the Aquila Red normal tension for banjo and the Aquila Red medium tension for banjo



thanks for reading

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Looking at their site, I don't see any tension options.  I wonder of normal and medium are the same thing. 

aquilacorde.com/en/shop/modern...ss-banjo/

The shop you're looking at, does it have the number codes?  I find that's the best way with Aquila.  Figure out the code you want and shop for that specifically.  11B is what I got for my banjo.

Edited by - A Drum On A Stick on 09/21/2021 12:14:03

Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/21/2021:  14:23:09

quote:

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Originally posted by A Drum On A Stick

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Looking at their site, I don't see any tension options.  I wonder of normal and medium are the same thing. 

aquilacorde.com/en/shop/modern...ss-banjo/

The shop you're looking at, does it have the number codes?  I find that's the best way with Aquila.  Figure out the code you want and shop for that specifically.  11B is what I got for my banjo.

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Well I was not at a store physically i was actually looking on line at different sites

the Aquila Reds I was referring to had different numbers AQ-11B were listed as medium tension the Normal tension was listed as just 11B i am starting to think they are the same string.

 its just really confusing, what is making me think there is a difference is the prices for each was different on the same site and it was that way every search i did

sorry had to edit from 13B to 11B

Edited by - Don Smith1959 on 09/21/2021 14:26:53

kww - Posted - 09/21/2021:  14:24:30

quote:

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Originally posted by Don Smith1959

quote:

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Originally posted by A Drum On A Stick

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Looking at their site, I don't see any tension options.  I wonder of normal and medium are the same thing. 

aquilacorde.com/en/shop/modern...ss-banjo/

The shop you're looking at, does it have the number codes?  I find that's the best way with Aquila.  Figure out the code you want and shop for that specifically.  11B is what I got for my banjo.

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Well I was not at a store physically i was actually looking on line at different sites

the Aquila Reds I was referring to had different numbers AQ-13B were listed as medium tension the Normal tension was listed as just 13B i am starting to think they are the same string.

 its just really confusing, what is making me think there is a difference is the prices for each was different on the same site and it was that way every search i did

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Ditto on the recommendation to look only at the number codes.

Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/21/2021:  14:34:09

Thank's A Drum On A Stick and kww

Red Squirrel - Posted - 09/22/2021:  11:16:29

Not sure, but know the mediums have had problems breaking in the past for me at standard G tuning. I have deburred my tuning machines and use a No-Knot tailpiece.



I've always bought the All-Nylgut mediums for mine, and several years ago they got the idea to change the 4th to a red. They always broke and I ended up using a classical guitar string. No one was happy they messed with the set, and they eventually went back to offering an all-Nygut set for folks like me.



That was several years ago, so I I imagine they've gotten better. But I haven't tried them, so I thought I'd offer fair warning.

Edited by - Red Squirrel on 09/22/2021 11:18:09

A Drum On A Stick - Posted - 09/22/2021:  11:23:56

quote:

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Originally posted by Red Squirrel

Not sure, but know the mediums have had problems breaking in the past for me at standard G tuning. I have deburred my tuning machines and use a No-Knot tailpiece.



I've always bought the All-Nylgut mediums for mine, and several years ago they got the idea to change the 4th to a red. They always broke and I ended up using a classical guitar string. No one was happy they messed with the set, and they eventually went back to offering an all-Nygut set for folks like me.



That was several years ago, so I I imagine they've gotten better. But I haven't tried them, so I thought I'd offer fair warning.

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I bought the all-red pack after enjoying the one with only the red bass string. 

While the bass string never broke, two of the other reds did.  So now I'm half red half nylgut.  I'm leaving the others for a while as an experiment to see how long they last.

It's too bad since I like their sound on my banjo uke and uke.

Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/22/2021:  13:09:20

Well we shall see

I ordered 4 sets of the ones labeled normal tension

I have packs of the regular Aquila to put on if I have issues with the reds



I hope the reds work out because I am wanting them for a banjo that the strings literally dis appear over the finger board because of the fingerboard overlay that I elected to go with my hopes are the Aquila reds will stand out 

Edited by - Don Smith1959 on 09/22/2021 13:11:57

geoB - Posted - 09/23/2021:  01:49:55

The reds are stiffer, probably as described best by classical guitar string makers as "hard tension"



I don't use aquila on banjo, only on ukelele and I have a roundback mandolin that also has them installed. And as such have no experience with a banjo 5th string of nylon.



My classical guitar is strung with d'addario pro arte nylons, and after years of playing "gut" I have become experienced with the properties, both good and bad.

Personally, I like the reds. 

Edited by - geoB on 09/23/2021 01:53:09

Don Smith1959 - Posted - 09/23/2021:  02:34:42

quote:

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Originally posted by geoB

The reds are stiffer, probably as described best by classical guitar string makers as "hard tension"



I don't use aquila on banjo, only on ukelele and I have a roundback mandolin that also has them installed. And as such have no experience with a banjo 5th string of nylon.



My classical guitar is strung with d'addario pro arte nylons, and after years of playing "gut" I have become experienced with the properties, both good and bad.

Personally, I like the reds. 

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Thanks for the info

mikehalloran - Posted - 09/23/2021:  16:02:33

The Reds are loaded with powdered copper to increase density. Aquila got this idea from Renaissance paintings that showed red gut strings in lower courses of lutes and other instruments. Research revealed that this red came from gut loaded with powdered cinnabar, the ore that yields mercury and its oxides — a bit way too dangerous for modern musical strings.

Anyway, the copper loaded plastic is fragile even compared to regular NylGut that, though resistant to wear, tears quite easily if scratched or nicked (a property it shares with glass).