So I took a chance on reverb with a new seller (no feedback, just joined) and bought this Whyte Laydie that looks to be from 1911. Although it definitely has wear it’s structurally pretty solid.
Looking to replace the friction tuning pegs. Any other suggestions to get a vintage banjo set up for optimal play? Frets seem pretty worn but no buzz.
My only input is to take the steel strings off and switch to nylon. Those necks weren't made to handle the tension of steel strings.
You should switch to light nylon strings (you can order sets from member Joel Hooks or directly from LaBella). Do not replace the original tuners - they are better than geared tuners with when used with the strings your banjo was made for. Also, geared tuners are ugly, and it'd be a shame to irreparably modify an antique instrument.
Your bridge should be 1/2" tall. This will provide the fairly high action needed for the nylon strings.
Edited by - csacwp on 03/21/2025 18:57:45
I think steel strings are perfectly fine on old Whyte Laydie banjos. They have more substantial necks than many other old banjos. I know there is a "Nylon Only Club" out there...but some of their opinions are too rigid if you ask me.
With that in mind, if you want to replace the tuners I'd recommend getting the small shaft tuners from Bob Smakula. This way you won't have to enlarge the hole in the peg head. They work great! You can also get a new handle for the very cool original case from him.
If you do want nylon strings that is fine. And I'd agree to just keep the friction pegs you have on there.
But from my experience I like the sound of a Whyte Laydie with steel strings.
Edited by - Picklesfromvenice on 03/21/2025 23:46:16
Vega also made Whyte Laydie tenor banjos. They all had steel strings…
quote:
Originally posted by EmielVega also made Whyte Laydie tenor banjos. They all had steel strings…
This isn't a tenor banjo.
OP, the choice is yours. Can you keep steel strings on it? Yes. Will it survive another generation in good, playable condition? Likely not. Was it made for gut strings? Yes.
Edited by - csacwp on 03/22/2025 04:12:37
My 50+ years of personal experience with steel strings on Fairbanks and Vega Whyte Laydie banjos is there are no degradation issues with the higher tension.
On the small shaft tuners mentioned by Unraveling Creature; I only have a few sets of gold plated ABM planet banjo tuners with the 7.5 mm shaft left for sale. The nickel and aged nickel are sold out. I placed my last order for those tuners in 2020. ABM then told me that they would be the last batch of planetary tuners they would manufacture. When I contacted them a few months ago to ask if they would consider making me one more batch of 600 tuners, they just laughed. I guess they meant it.
In my early days of playing clawhammer banjo, the vintage banjos with friction tuners were what we had. I used steel strings with those instruments. Though fussy, I did manage to get in tune. I do prefer geared tuners when playing with steel strings.
All that said, give a set of LaBella 17's a shot. You may like them. And of not, it was only a $10 experiment.
Bob Smakula
smakulafrettedinstruments.com
Edited by - Bob Smakula on 03/22/2025 05:39:43
There's no substantial difference between this neck and later Vega necks that were built for steel strings, at least until the 1950s when truss rods came in. It's fine to stick with nylon because you like the sound, but as others have said, there's no reason why you can't stick with steel.
Though I do find that friction pegs cooperate better with nylon than steel strings.
quote:
Originally posted by Unraveling CreatureI think steel strings are perfectly fine on old Whyte Laydie banjos. They have more substantial necks than many other old banjos. I know there is a "Nylon Only Club" out there...but some of their opinions are too rigid if you ask me.
With that in mind, if you want to replace the tuners I'd recommend getting the small shaft tuners from Bob Smakula. This way you won't have to enlarge the hole in the peg head. They work great! You can also get a new handle for the very cool original case from him.
If you do want nylon strings that is fine. And I'd agree to just keep the friction pegs you have on there.
But from my experience I like the sound of a Whyte Laydie with steel strings.
I once believed the same thing, thinking people were too rigid and made up that folks are in some nylon club, I'm sure you can find some old posts of mine saying this exact thing. That was until I lost a Vega five string neck from 1917 and a Fairbanks neck from 1890 to to warping from steel strings. It happened the same week after years of steel string use. The folks who are saying this aren't saying because they are in some nylon club , they are saying it because it's true. Steel strings will warp your neck! Why risk it????
Although I have a strong preference in my playing for vintage Vega banjos with hide heads and Nylon strings, I generally try both on new to me banjos (providing, as with Vegas, I feel the neck will allow). Having tried it both ways on my 1911 WL, the choice (to me anyway) was Nylon. I suggest trying different strings, nylon and steel, and different bridges. Let the banjo make the choice!
quote:
Originally posted by kyleb
I once believed the same thing, thinking people were too rigid and made up that folks are in some nylon club, I'm sure you can find some old posts of mine saying this exact thing. That was until I lost a Vega five string neck from 1917 and a Fairbanks neck from 1890 to to warping from steel strings. It happened the same week after years of steel string use. The folks who are saying this aren't saying because they are in some nylon club , they are saying it because it's true. Steel strings will warp your neck! Why risk it????
Vega built their plectrum banjo necks identically to their five string necks, and they have mostly stayed straight under steel string tension for many years.
My experience (26 years of full time banjo restoration) is that Vega five string necks do not reliably warp under steel string tension. Do they warp sometimes? Yes, but they also sometimes do so when they have nylon or gut strings. I have not seen a correlation between steel strings and increased instances of neck bow.
I also have pretty good success correcting neck bow with heat.
Didn’t know the steel vs. nylon was such a hot topic. It looks like mine has been played for the better part of a century with steel strings, so I think the neck has proven reliable.
Although I do like Jeff’s advice of letting the banjo decide. Never played a nylon string banjo. Will be interested to hear the results.
Thanks for all the insight!
Your WL is a great find...lucky you. I have a 1924 Vega Regent 5 string that I bought in 1962. It has a maple neck pretty much identical to yours except for the inlays, etc. I've used nothing but steel strings on it for all the 63 years I've owned it and the neck is as straight and true as the day I bought it.
