How to string nylon strings on a banjo?

[pgilmor]

Hey everyone, I've played guitar for a while and I think it's time to add an instrument. I'd like to learn banjo, specifically with nylon strings, and I was wondering how to string them. "The Guy At The Shop" (and it's a great shop) recommended a Deering Good Time open back as a good starter, and I tend to believe him as they have quite a grand selection to choose from.

The Good Time has little hooks that you hook the strings onto. Is it really as simple as making some sort of loop with standard guitar strings and going with that, or should I be looking for special banjo strings that are pre-configured?

Also, the salesman, who is a very well rounded stringed-instrument player of quite a high skill level, (he plays'em all and people come to see him) expressed a bias towards higher tension strings just for the feel, which on nylon string guitar I also prefer.
Is this something that translates?

Thanks, Pat

[Fire&Rain]

Ummmm, I have never heard of nylon strings on a banjo...

[syrynx]

Originally Posted by pgilmor

Is it really as simple as making some sort of loop with standard guitar strings and going with that, or should I be looking for special banjo strings that are pre-configured?

Pat, no personal experience, but I found this: Deering Goodtime Open-back Banjo Gut String Conversion

The strings are knotted to the tailpiece using a knot fisherman often use to tie nylon fishing line leaders to their hook. The Nylon plain strings last for years. Most players find they only need to replace the wound 4th string perhaps every 12 to 24 months.

I also found Aquila Nylgut banjo strings in half a dozen variations at Elderly Instruments. I have no connection with manufacturers or vendors.

Originally Posted by Fire&Rain

Ummmm, I have never heard of nylon strings on a banjo...

Classic Banjo

The 5-string classic banjo style evolved in the mid-19th century. By the century's end, the banjo had been adopted by the musical worlds of urban sophisticates and the working class in North America and England. Composers wrote elaborate pieces as well as lighter music for both professional and amateur banjoists. The banjo became a popular instrument for musical soirees and parlor performances. A three-finger picking technique was employed, but unlike the picking styles of bluegrass banjo, the classic banjoist played a gut-strung banjo and did not use fingerpicks.

[pgilmor]

Thanks John, great links! I figured I'd have to raise the action a little and maybe file out the nut slots. Glad to see they actually make strings with a higher tension.

[Cone Head]

Originally Posted by Fire&Rain

Ummmm, I have never heard of nylon strings on a banjo...

Banjos were strung with gut strings until the 1890s/early 1900s.
Contemporary nylon substitutes are still widely used by people playing 'classic' banjo and fretless clawhammer mountain styles.


There's more to banjo than bluegrass.

[Fire&Rain]

Originally Posted by Cone Head

Banjos were strung with gut strings until the 1890s/early 1900s.
Contemporary nylon substitutes are still widely used by people playing 'classic' banjo and fretless clawhammer mountain styles.

There's more to banjo than bluegrass.

Thanks for the history lesson, Cone Head. And I thought bluegrass was "classic" banjo! Guess you are never too old to learn...

[Cone Head]

Originally Posted by Fire&Rain

And I thought bluegrass was "classic" banjo!

If you want a good history lesson, I would strongly suggest you watch this documentary about the banjo's history in American music. Lots of good stuff here:

[stephen mills]

Hi strummers and pluckers
and Hi Pgil.

Really the guy in the shop should have said to you was " yes you certainly can use nylon, it just depends on the style and sound you require".

Wire strung banjos have the hooks and normally ( in Europe) the nylon strung banjos have small metal beads that replace the hooks. WHY, because it is very common for nylon strings to chafe through when attached to hooks.

There you go. A ' good' will offer you to change the hooks for beads

Hope this helps
S

[Cone Head]

nylon string banjo tailpiece

[stephen mills]

Originally Posted by Cone Head

nylon string banjo tailpiece

Hi strummers and pluckers
and Cone

YES YES YES

Nice one Cone

You are absolutely correct

S