Nylon 5 srring banjo strings (different guages)

[Daniel PEARCE]

Hello. Apologies for the maybe obvious question, but can anyone tell me where I can order nylon strings (and a 4th wound) in different guages? It seems quite the task to track anything down online. Even the guages in a set are usually not labelled! I recently tried Strings and Things but haven't had a response yet so if anyone has an idea that would be great! I tend to use nylons 20, 24, 28, 28 wound and 24 5th.

[Daniel PEARCE]

Many thanks again to all your advice on this post! I currently have a thinner than normal set of strings designed for the zither banjos from Clifford Essex (UK) who I can recommend heartily. I eventually found they sell separate nylon strings which is great news and I have ordered some. The current zither set is rather light though and pulls the action up high, especially in the 12th fret. However the 3rd gut string has intrigued me and I'm warming to the idea of gut strings in general. Perhaps another topic though ...  

Apologies for my general confusion, as I was getting Strings Direct (UK company who only sell single strings in metal) mixed up with Strings by Mail!

[Ethan Schwartz]

Very good, I didn't know CE sells singles. I'm curious what you mean by the light strings pulling the action high. Is your bridge the correct height? 

[IAN SALTER]

Daniel, I get all of my banjo, guitar and fiddle, gut and wound silk strings from NRI String Shop in Stockport. Here is a link to a post I made about them, in 2017; I still use the same gauges. The phone number has changed to 07535877050 and it is Sue Challinor that now runs the business.

https://classic-banjo.ning.com/forum/topics/new-strings?commentId=2...

[Daniel PEARCE]

I guess because they're thin, move around more and buzz they don't sound right, so I end up tightening them (raising the pitch). Heavier ones can sit nearer the fretboard. This took a while to work out as I have been doing this for ages and forgot why I settled on the guages I did! Thanks for the Stockport shop details too. 

Ethan Schwartz said:

Very good, I didn't know CE sells singles. I'm curious what you mean by the light strings pulling the action high. Is your bridge the correct height? 

[Ethan Schwartz]

Ah I see what you mean; you're referring to how widely a string oscillates. That's more a function of tension/stiffness, not gauge. That's why wire strings can be very thin but still sit very close to the fretboard. 

Historical gauges for fingerstyle banjo were indeed quite thin. But they also played closer to the bridge than people today might assume. While they feel weird at first, there are definitely advantages to light strings in terms of agility and timbral/volume control. Just my 2 cents.