Here's something you don't see often, an original Van Eps 5 string banjo complete with satellite dish, hole in the vellum, aluminum fingerboard extension, and a 28.5 inch scale. And at a price that reflects its rarity alas. I've seen a few Van Eps tenors for sale but not many five strings. http://bernunzio.com/products/0914098

I need some help in getting strings for my Piccolo 5 string banjo. Currently it has steel strings, but I don't want to damage the frets and was hoping someone out there knows the best nonmetal strings for this instrument. The piccolo was built to be tuned an octive above standard 5 string banjo pitch (sometimes to D rather than C). I like the string feel and tightness of the steel strings and would like strings that have a tight feel (not a soft and sloppy ukulele nylon feel) and maybe a bit war… Continue

Just in case you thought I'd disappeared...here's TAB for Cammeyer's "Handy Jack". Easy to do the TAB, not so easy to play well!
Handy Jack all.pdf

Here's a link to David Wade's Zither Banjo site...where you can hear good Ol' Olly Oakley running thru "Handy Jack".

http://www.zither-… Continue

i had never been a police ' inspector , yet i can say " they " are not the dulcimer or auto_harp players ; so " they " , who is it ?

It's not been easy getting Aquila gut strings for gCGBD tuning of late, so I found myself ordering the La Bella set. As I took them out of the packet I noticed that they certainly felt different to the Aquila gut, smoother, more nylon-like, which is odd...Anyway, I put them on - guess how long the first string lasted? I tuned them up and put the banjo aside. Five minutes later - pop! The first string broke in the middle. Jeez...

There is something they do in the processing that takes the longev… Continue