DublinLongNeck1993 says:
3/8/2025 10:46:36 AM

I’ve had good results with 12 gauge strings lowered down to open D and C tuning. And this was on a Tubaphone long neck. Gauges were 12 16 18 26 and 12. Hope this helps.

Seán

coalandice says:
3/8/2025 3:00:27 PM

What about nylon strings or fishing line?

dhergert says:
3/9/2025 10:00:17 AM

I can share fishing line experience with a couple of banjos that may help... I started using fishing line on a SS Stewart American Princess, a slightly short-scale late 1880s banjo, tuned to open G. Most monofilament fishing line is labeled by pound-test, not by gauge, so you have to experiment to find just the right weight. Testing involves finding the right tension so the strings don't break and so they don't buzz. Each string needs to be tested also to make sure it will work properly when tied with the tailpiece and the tuner post hole.

Tailpieces can be interesting -- my SS Stewart came to me with an earlier version of a no-knot (Elite) tailpiece, then later I was able to find an original Common Sense with a rosette and had to re-tie the strings for that.

Everything worked well and I use those strings to this day. Monofilament strings last a long, long time.

Then I tried to find monofilament strings for my cello banjo, tuned to octave-lower open G, and was unable to find a usable weight string that was thin enough to fit through the tuner post holes. Finally I gave up and purchased production chrome-steel metal strings for that banjo, which also last forever if kept clean, and sound passably ok considering the Renaissance head material and the octave of the strings. I would have liked to use monofilament, but just couldn't find it. I even tried sine relatively thin Kevlar-core monofilament double bass strings but they were also too thick for the tuner post holes.

Having had this experience with other banjos, for a long-neck banjo I'd be surprised if a monofilament string could be found that (a) would fit through the tuner post holes and (b) not buzz due to long scale length -- relief becomes an issue and even with a loose truss rod the long neck probably isn't going to be able to get enough relief to prevent buzzing with these lower tension strings tuned to C or D. A non-truss rod neck probably would probably also never naturally achieve sufficient relief. The only real way to get sufficient relief would be to plane the fingerboard for proper low-tension relief and then re-fret it, which for vintage instruments might not be a good thing.

If you are lucky enough to find monofilament strings that would work, you'll probably find they are very tolerant of worn frets. My SS Stewart came to me with seriously rutted frets from someone using "wire" strings with it, and the monofilament strings work wonderfully despite that.

FWIW, the tone of monofilament strings on a banjo mimics gut strings very nicely.

Best of luck with this!

TonyNyc says:
3/17/2025 11:24:59 AM

Thanks guys. I tried nylon on my 12 string. I may try again- you actually need 2 sets

Old Gray Coat
Linked by Bluesage 3 months ago: My first attempt at working out this great Tony Rice composition on the open long neck.

It lays our pretty well!

MP3: What Would The Prophets Say?
Linked by jbakervt 2 years ago: The religious basis of authority in the Middle East (or anywhere for that matter) is the source of a lot of suffering and is unsustainable. The violence is mostly perpetrated on women and children.

MP3: Ten Years On
Linked by jbakervt 2 years ago: A lament, written for the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Sadly there are still parents who are irresponsible or foolish, and parents who suffer as a result.

MP3: Take The Wheel
Linked by jbakervt 2 years ago: A song about mentorship, inspired by my mentor and HIS mentors too, that takes the form of the story of a ship’s mate being “shown the ropes”. The old sea captain may also have been a long-neck player

MP3: Old Rosin The Beau
Linked by jbakervt 2 years ago