HEAVY Banjo strings

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ARTISTE BANJOS NZ. www.banjos.co.nz Gold Tone & Recording King Stocked. NZsteve

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Administrators: NZsteve (owner)

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From NZsteve on 5/5/2016 6:45:28 PM

Heres one for discussion,

HiYall, here's an interesting one has anyone used 5 string heavy gauge banjo strings. I have come across some strings recently that I can only describe as heavy, outside of the “norm”, (do not have a micrometer)

Light: .095-.010-.013-.020-.095
Medium Light: .010- .011-.012-.020-.010
Medium: .010-.012-.016-.023-.010

(and light plus and almost medium) wow.

These may even be a 5 string banjo set made from guitar strings ball end, ok you can get ball end banjo strings.

Here's the thing, I understand that true 5 string heavy gauge can be used for “down tuning”, not something usually done ?, who has tried this, sounds interesting ! The physics of this look interesting.

OK when down tuned this reduces the stresses on the banjo and its component parts, if these heavy strings were not correctly used or used for standard tuning I would expect that in the near term that they would have adverse effects on the banjo and its components parts due to the high stress factors involved.

The guys using this technique obviously know this, is this technique used to any extent and by who ? these look pretty heavy for standard tuning ?

http://www.cliffordessex.net/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=5

5 Comments
	banjonz says: 5/5/2016 11:09:37 PM Most bluegrass pickers use light guage. Some use light/mediums. Very few use straight mediums. It varies amongst Clawhammer (frailers) players also. Some like lights, others light/mediums and still others mediums. It is just prersonal preference. I have never seen nor heard of any one using 'heavy' gauge. US picker John Hartford used to tune his banjo down quite low because he had a deep baritone voice. I have tried down tuning myself but with light gauge strings. Below 'E' the strings get too sloppy. as picker (both BG & CH) I would NEVER put heave strings on tuned up to pitch. The stress on the neck would be enormous IMHO! Some old time player (CH) use thicker gut strings for low tunings.
	NZsteve says: 5/6/2016 7:03:13 PM Hi Wayne, nice to hear from you hope you are keeping in good form. Yes there about 3 to 4, 5 string sets of "heavy" strings out there that I have been able to find, (not all that surprising) OME go 11/13/18/26/11. , the Clifford Essex 11/14/20/26/11 and states gDGDB !. This has to be inviting bad things to happen, surely even top end Planetary Tuners may not get there ?, guitar tuners would be OK but the stresses on the neck must be way over any designed, “chuckle”, limits. Imagine leaving this tuned up and in the wardrobe for a while ?.
	NZsteve says: 5/6/2016 7:09:09 PM Robin Hood, Robin hood, ... riding through the Glenn !. Yes well this gives away my age.
	gnat says: 5/10/2016 2:29:33 PM Where do folks buy their banjo strings from? Order internationally or is there a reasonably-priced domestic supplier? I like the JD Crowe signature GHS strings, want another couple of sets so I can change my strings before they clock the calendar :)
	NZsteve says: 5/10/2016 3:12:12 PM Hi Gnat, look at the next post just checked the freight from Elderly, looks OK.
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