String height

[Richard Katz]

How high should the string be at the 12th fret in inches (not mm)? Using nylon strings here.

[Joel Hooks]

Most of mine are about 1/4" or slightly higher.  My Van Eps is 3/16" but that one is at a different level than my others.

[3iv8pyyhxxoiv]

I have the ex-Bill Bowen flush-fret banjo (with neck built by Fred Van Eps on an SS Stewart Thoroughbred pot),  and have the string height (measured from the top of the fret to the centre of the string at the 12th. fret) at 1/8th inch.  The banjo is virtually rattle-free with this low action unless I really belt it.....but I think it should be raised...perhaps by 1/32 in. Bridge height is 15/32 in.

[Joel Hooks]

It is not fair to compare the banjos built by FVE's hands to others, specially SSS banjos.

SSS banjos (and others of that time) were setup for a high action with a low bridge.  Bridges 1/2" or less with 1/4" high at the 12th was standard.  The strings that they were using were much thinner than what is being used today.  The original LaBella 17s were an accurate example of strings pre-wire on classic banjos but a thousandth smaller was not uncommon either (what FVE used).

Strings this light are now described as "cobwebs" or "over cooked spaghetti" in a post steel string world for 5-string banjo.  And unless you buy singles you can't get them any more as labella as decided to join the folk/clawhammer world (I guess they want to stay in business).  Their "17s" are now two thousandths up to "19s" with the same name as before.

John Field said:

I have the ex-Bill Bowen flush-fret banjo (with neck built by Fred Van Eps on an SS Stewart Thoroughbred pot),  and have the string height (measured from the top of the fret to the centre of the string at the 12th. fret) at 1/8th inch.  The banjo is virtually rattle-free with this low action unless I really belt it.....but I think it should be raised...perhaps by 1/32 in. Bridge height is 15/32 in.

[3iv8pyyhxxoiv]

Joel....agreed...the "high action, low bridge" set up is how I intend to string the SSS Orchestra I'm trying to restore right now.