Surfbanjosurf - Posted - 05/16/2026:  10:05:36

Hi again
I know it's been asked a thousand times and I honestly have spent much time trying to find what I am after but still feel it eludes me.

I am changing from steel to nylon/nylgut. I have seen complaints of nylgut being a pain in the a* and even read of Adam hurt in banjo newsletter saying he finds them horribly bright and too much string noise.
Nylon is tempting - how far from nylgut in sound are they?
Or should I go classical guitar strings? Orrr fishing line?
I want a rich, mellow sound , far removed from the brightness and metallic of steel. I read that non steel tend to feel significantly floppier. I am not performing or recording I am learning and playing for enjoyment so don't have high requirements. Just non metallic and mellow but still rich enough to let the banjo sing.
Should note this will be on a claw hammer banjo primarily with a bit of finger picking now and again.

This could be on fiberskyn or renaissance.

Thank you!!!!

Bill Rogers - Posted - 05/16/2026:  12:46:17

First off, you need to find what sounds good to you—not me, not Adam Hurt or anyone else. That said, try different strings, types and gauges. You’ll have to spend probably more than you’d like. All I can tell you is my experience, which may be all wrong for you. Unlike Hurt, I wanted a fairly bright sound, but without the ring that steel strings bring. I finally settled on high-tension classical guitar strings; I couldn’t tell you the gauges, but I made up my own sets from single strings. They give me the sound I want, and importantly, enough tension so they don’t flop around when hit hard playing clawhammer. I never tried any of the nylon banjo strings, sets or singles. I remain basically a steel-string player, with only a couple of banjos set up with nylon. I encourage you to experiment away—it may take a while, but you’ll find the sound you want.

Surfbanjosurf - Posted - 05/16/2026:  13:06:59

Hi Bill
Cheers for your reply.
Yes agree sound is subjective, what seems to please some is infact actually offensive to my ears (thinking of modern pop or death metal).
How stable are the guitar strings on set up? And once settled? How do they differ from say Clifford Essex or Aquila classic banjo string in nylon?
Thanks again ??

ancient tones - Posted - 05/16/2026:  15:02:21

I recently changed a steel fretless banjo to Nylgut. My plan is to try several sets of the Nylgut to find what I like the best for feel and tone. My wife also went to Nygut and loves how it is more gentle on her fingers. As far as the tone, you can also adjust the head tension, and put stuff inside the rim. I'm super happy with the Banjo Bolster. It takes the clankiness away. You can adjust the position of the bolster within the rim. I use two sometimes for a mellower tone. Heavier Nylgut strings will give you more string tension. Yes, it takes quite a few playings until synthetic type strings tuning becomes more stable. I would not call it a pain. That's how it is. Good luck!

Edited by - ancient tones on 05/16/2026 15:03:28

dbrooks - Posted - 05/16/2026:  16:45:39

I think you will have to experiment with several sets of strings to find one that works for you.  I havebeen very happy with Nylgut.  I realize that there are other opinions.  Here's an old video of Nylgut mediums (or classic) on my Bay State 318. 

banjohangout.org/myhangout/vid...7#theVide

This is an old video. but I don't think I have changed strings more than once since then. I have Nylguts on 2 other Bay States.  I do have La Bella strings on an S.S. Stewart Thoroughbred.  They seem a bit floppy to me, but they are closer to what this banjo would have used., accoding to the classic banjo experts here on the Hangout.

If you try Nylguts, be careful to smoothe down any sharp edges because NYlguts ( and maybe other nylon strings) will break on a sharp edge.

David

John Yerxa - Posted - 05/16/2026:  23:35:05

I think a lot depends on what type of banjo you have. I love Nylgut on my 2 Stewarts which have thin clad rims. Have tried them on my Tubaphone and a couple of my block rims, not so much.

I use a classical guitar D string for the 4th.

Jon Borcherding - Posted - 05/17/2026:  08:07:46

I came to the banjo after 50 years of mediocre rhythm guitar playing. I've changed ALOT of guitar strings down through the years. My first banjo was a cheap asian unit with steel strings. I wasn't wild about the tone, but the novelty of playing a new instrument kept me interested for a few months. As soon as I learned a few chords I started the "tone quest". That quest continues today after more than 4 years of daily practice and countless sets of strings and a plethora of foreign objects stuffed into the banjo pot in search of the right tone.

What I have come to accept is my taste in banjo tone is still evolving. My ability to hear differences in tone is slowly improving, and my ability to elicit different tones from the instrument simply by the use of my hands is also changing and (hopefully) improving.

I now own too may banjos according to my wife and not quite enough banjos according to my own desires. All of them but one are currently strung with Nylgut. My current item to change is bridges. I got a two-foot bridge on one of my instruments and was surprised at the difference in tone. I could exhaust the entirety of Roget's Thesaurus in a vain attempt to describe the sonic improvement, but I think I would still come up short of an accurate definition of the sound I prefer at the moment.

Long story short... ok... less long: You have embarked on a journey in search of your own sound. You will probably be on the journey for a long time if not forever. Enjoy the journey because the destination is probably gonna change somewhere along the way.

Buy a couple sets of Nylguts. Get some nut files from StewMac and some very fine sandpaper. Get a few different bridges. Be very careful filing the nut because they are harder to replace than bridges. Get everything smooooooth, very smoooooth, but don't remove so much material that you change the action. There are several threads here about filing nut and bridge slots. Read those threads and then read them again.

Disclaimer: The rambling post above is nothing more than the half baked opinions of an inexperienced, amateur musician with too many banjos and a very indulgent spouse. Any advice is for entertainment purposes only. Play and modify the banjo at your own risk!

Laurence Diehl - Posted - 05/17/2026:  09:12:58

I think the tone you desire will be a function of setup rather than the strings. Loser head, heavier bridge, tail piece angle etc. strings have less effect on brightness.

Surfbanjosurf - Posted - 05/17/2026:  12:02:34

Wow everyone has replied with great input. Thanks very much.

Alot to think about. I know who I love to listen to and what sound I seek. Though you are right it is evolving with my playing and I can already see how learning right hand subtleties can affect tone too. I guess I love the gourd sound especially under the fingers of Adam hurt in the earth tones album, I also love the melodic approach of Lukas Pool and the way Ryan naveys banjos sound. But commiting to such an instrument would be to confine me too early on my journey and my lifestyle means skin heads unfortunately won't work.
Can I get my open back close to that earthy mellow bounce? I think I will try -
Clifford Essex classic set with the wound 4th.
Nylgut classic
La bella 17.

And will slacken the renaissance head a touch, swap out for an uncapped bridge and stuff the pot tho I don't like doing this so much as I feel it gives me less awareness of the right, right hand touch with all of it's sensitivities.
Cheers again !