This is a topic that's been covered here in the past, and I've used the search function to read all about it.  That said, I'm having some trouble finding the right strings.  Here are my experiences so far (keep in mind I'm using an ebony topped 3-foot bridge as I haven't been able to swap that out yet):


First I tried Labella 17s.  These  had a great snap about them and were loud and punchy, but they felt way too loose.  My banjo has a 16'' scale length, and the 17s even felt to loose on another banjo of mine with a 17'' scale length.

Next I tried Labella Medium nylons.  These sounded mellow and weak, although the tension was somewhat better.

After this I decided to try Nylgut medium.  These had a lot more tension and had a ton of presence and volume.  They were really loud and ringing, but also had a bunch of annoying overtones and an overall hollow, biting sound.  Finally, I don't like the slick feel, and like other Nylgut sets I've used on different instruments, they take a very long time to stretch and stabilize.

I just finished putting on a set of Sands Heavy nylons.  To my surprise they feel loose than the Nylgut Medium set.  Like the Labella mediums, they are mellow, but they aren't as weak.  I wish they had the volume of the Nylguts since those really brought my banjo to life in that regard.  The Sands don't seem to have much bite or punch to them even when picking close to the bridge.  They do feel great and are very stable as far as tuning goes.  I'm amazed how little they had to stretch when I first put them on.

Anybody know what I should try next?  I've got sets of medium and extra light Sands ready to go, but I'm afraid they will be too loose feeling on my short scale length.  Maybe once I swap bridges for a Morley style the Sands Heavies will come to life and pack more of a punch?  Should I be this concerned about the volume of my banjo in the first place?

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John, I'll make your bridges this weekend (work is keeping me from the shop-- also I live in a house now that needs constant repairs). The " too loose" complaint comes up a lot. To that I suggest just practicing. One will not pick up a bow and violin the first time and be Paganini. Endlessly fooling with setup just take away from practice time. You have a killer banjo. The strings used were light compared to most nylon strings. I find the Labella strings to sound the best so I learned how to use them. With practice you will develops a touch that will allow for shading. These are different from tub banjos and require a different touch.

Well, you're doing the right thing by trying different string sets. Ultimately that choice will be yours and yours alone.

As Joel says, you need to give yourself time to adjust. I often find that new strings sound "off" or "odd" at first but over a period of a few weeks, I learn how to work with them. Of course, some don't make it very long at all...but I've been doing this for 35yrs, I know what I like.

Shorter scale banjos do respond differently to string choices than "regular" scale banjos. However, after much testing I found that I tend to prefer the same sets on my regular banjos as I do my banjeaurines.

That said, I'm far more picky about how a particular string feels vs how it sounds. I like a bit of bite in the string surface and I prefer "stiffer" over "looser". Standard Nylguts work quite well for me in that realm and my banjeaurines all wear 'em. I'm playing CE gut strings at the moment on my regular banjo.

Do wait for your Joel Hooks bridges. They are really excellent...and you'll be re-evaluating your string choices all over again.

Banjos with 16" and 17" scale lengths??

Yah, I forgot to ask about that, assumed he was talking about a banjeaurine or perhaps a piccolo banjo...or he just missed a digit and was talking 26" or 27" regular banjos.

Ian- one is a Tubaphone with a 26'' scale length, the other is a Gatcomb Standard with a 27'' scale length.

*Edit*  I completely missed a digit... I haven't had my coffee yet!

Goodness, my phone typing looks like gibberish.

Wire string bridges are tone killers.  As Ian told me when he was posting Van Eps recordings... have patience.

You will spend all this time attempting to get the banjo "LOUD" and then stuff rags in it to mute it when you are practising.  One thing to remember:  LOUD doesn't necessarily mean GOOD, just as FAST doesn't necessarily mean GOOD either.

My advice:  Check that the vellum is nice and tight and evenly tightened. The change the bridge for a plain wood one. (I prefer a two legged maple Morley style bridge, but have heard good reports on Joel's.)

THEN change strings to your liking, but remember that if you are just beginning Classic Style your RH finger technique, picking style and finger tip calluses will not yet have  developed and the tone is dependent not only on strings etc, but how and where you pick them.  As Marc says don't swap and change until you have got used to them.

One last piece of advice. If you are going to change things... change one thing at a time so that you can be 100% certain of which change causes what.  :-)

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