Strings for Tradesman

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Enoch Banjo Group

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This is a group for people who play Enoch banjos.

116 Members, Created 1/29/2011 -

Administrators: Booger McGee (owner)

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From writerrad on 4/25/2016 10:40:03 AM

First I have unconditional love for my tradsman that I bought directly from kevin in 2007. I have carried it all over the world, used it for recordings, professional appearances, workshops at banjo camps, and academic conferences. I find I can play almost any kind of music I play between blues, early 20th century Gus Cannonny ragtime, and both two finger and frailing play with string bands. I have several more expensive and historical banjos that are nice but this is my most used all all around banjo.

I experimented using lighter strings on it at 010,. 012. 014 022 010, but just find they dont have enough bite to them.

Can anyone recommend any strings in between those and the standard PF160s that are recommended for this banjo.

I have had skin heads on the banjo now for about 2 years and find that suits me well. I do keep a tight head.

Any other string sizes used besides the PF 160s

3 Comments
Page47 says: 8/24/2016 6:00:35 AM I too love my fretless Tradesman. I just recently inlayed some side dots (cheater) and I'm having tons of fun with slides way up the neck. I buy singles D'Addario strings and I've settled on 11,13,16,24,11 for the Tradesman ... preferring the PB wound 24. I think that give good even tension and plenty of bite. Pretty close to the PF160s except with a lighter 4th and heavier 5th. I have a skin head and a 1/2" Fielding bridge and Fielding tailpiece ...
	writerrad says: 2/9/2021 8:36:39 AM Since that post years ago, I have tried lighter strings, especially the Almost Mediums and Medium-Lights rather than the 160s. What i find is that the more banjos one has the more you can let a banjo be itself. I also went from a calfskin to a Balch goatskin head, and it just seems to need larger strings fo4r more depth for frailing. I used to use it also for fingerstyle but that has gone on to my Tubaphone on one side, and an inexpensive RK dirty 30s rb on the other. Thinking of if there is anything between the 160s and medium lights that work especially with skin head tradesmen especially for claw hammer
	writerrad says: 2/9/2021 8:41:28 AM Plus, I think this is a wonderful wonderful banjo and more versatile than many others. I think the Dobson which I wish I owned, perfects the idea a bit further with its tone ring. The nice thing both with age and that I travel a lot, is that it is light. I once made the mistake of traveling to Europe for 4 months with a huge Tubaphone on a trip that started by going to St Petersberg Russia, and my back is still recovering, but I have taken my tradesman all over Europe, to Africa, Guatemala, Mexico, and across the US. It is the most versatile banjo around.
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