I like the deeper sound of the long neck played 'natural' without the capo on the 3rd fret. If I wanted G tuning could pick up the 26" scale banjo.
Has anyone build or does anyone play a long neck with the 5th string at the 5th fret instead of the 8th fret?
I have tried tuning the 5th string down to E but it makes it sloppy.
One of my next projects might be to build one like this. Any comments??
6 Comments |
 | boulderfolkie says:
9/17/2015 10:13:51 AM
The tech-savvy guys might suggest leaving the 5th where it is and using a heavier gauge set to prevent string-flop.
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 | John Gribble says:
9/17/2015 2:15:21 PM
The thicker fifth string was my first thought, too. .001 or .002 heavier would be all you need.
But really, what you're talking about is an instrument with a minstrel-length neck.
The old is new again.
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 | wizofos says:
9/17/2015 2:58:33 PM
John, never heard of a minstrel length neck but then there are a lot of things I have never heard of. Will have to look into it.
Never heard of string flop but as good a name as any.
Thanks for the ideas.
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 | Lew H says:
9/17/2015 3:14:03 PM
John has the answer to the 5th string problem. The John Hartford bluegrass model banjo (from Deering, I think) is made to be tuned to open E.
Regarding a new build: I had a neck made that is on what I call a "pony longneck." The neck is regular scale length, but the 5th string peg and position markers are all moved down three frets. It's tuned to open E, double A, etc., but like a longneck is at G (or double C) when capped up three frets. Here's the point. It needs extra heavy strings. I buy individual strings that are one notch thicker than mediums. That would be the .001 extra that John mentions. Normally I use GHS J.D. Crow strings that are in between light and medium, sort of.
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 | calypsojimmy says:
9/17/2015 6:56:25 PM
Over the past couple of decades, I have drifted away from making substantial modifications to instruments because they are not quite like I might want. I just look for another instrument that is just what I want, as is. The money I throw into those substantial modifications never comes back to me, should I sell the piece. And all too often the resulting instrument is still just a little bit "...not really what I am looking for." Of course banjos are a bit different than, say, guitars: popping on a neck does not necessarily mean that you can't put the old one back on, and the process is pretty straightforward. If you can make a new neck, what the heck, go for it. But the market for long-necks is limited enough... the resale market for a modified non-standard long-neck is probably tiny. Getting a heavier 5th string is a $1.50 experiment ... worth a try IMHO. Personally I dig those Deering Hartford banjos and I would love to have one, but they are pretty non-standard in their own right ... lots of dissimilarities with the usual long-necks, plus they are close to $4K new. Anyway good luck! It's great to see people still trying out new banjo designs.
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| wizofos says:
9/18/2015 4:53:50 AM
Thanks for your comment Jimmy, If you look at my home page you can see the wooden head that I just finished a month or so ago. I am into proto-typeing and research before committing to great expense on something. The wooden head was made from wood I had around my shop, some 20 year old maple flooring and a piece of walnut I scrounged off a scrap pile somewhere. Total cash cost about $35 or so.
As you say if you don't like a neck you can always replace it and with the single nut attachment technique that Rudy described a few months ago it only takes about a minute or less to replace a neck or rim.
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