Fifth String Tunnel Details 

I've done a few tunneled fifth banjo designs and can offer some insight as to their proper implementation. I have used various types of tubing and found most materials to be too soft, allowing the .010 inch steel string to wear a friction creating channel in the inside wall of the tubing over time. You do not want that. Most synthetic materials have the same problem with grooving the inside walls. I've found small gauge surgical stainless steel in micro sizes to be ideal tunnel material. I use 16 gauge micro tubing available from McMaster Carr at around 5 dollars for 12". This stuff is SMALL and fits in a channel routed between the fret tang and the bottom of the fret board before it is glued in place. It bends easily with a little care and has a really nice polished internal surface. I have played around with several path options as well and found the best path to run from an angled entry between the fourth and fifth frets (it resembles an elongated oval with a shiny edge when finished flush with the surface of the fret board), extending below the fret tangs and exiting through a slot cut in the bottom edge of the nut. The micro tubing end is flush with the rear face of the nut and in a plane just above the peg head overlay. It is IMPERITIVE for smooth tuning that you form the channel in a way that presents the minimal amount of bend and friction points between the fifth nut and the tuner post. It is not that difficult to do, but requires a little design and planning to implement it in an effective manner. Think of the ideal string path being a straight line from the fifth string nut to the tuner post and try to deviate as little as possible from that ideal line. I personally do not use a fifth string nut, so the fifth string exits the oval area and passes directly over the fifth fret. My setup works flawlessly and I use it on a couple different banjos that I gig out with regularly. (Short 23-1/2 inch scale double D and a 25-1/2 inch tuned to double C). A couple of twists give me option of going to G or A as needed.

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