Historical question about banjo strings

by Jody Stecher

on Wednesday

I'm finding that my recollection of the sequence and circumstances of the early use of metal strings on banjo is murky. Maybe the historians here can help.   In the 19th and early 20th century it was recommend that 5-string banjo players use violin strings. At some point the metal 1st string (E) became an option for violin and became more common than gut E.  Is this the origin of  the use by some banjo players—Joe Morley comes to mind – of the first banjo string being metal while the others were soft material?

My impression is that 4 string banjos (plectrum, tenor, and the tango banjo) were strung only with wire from the start.  Is the use of metal strings on plectrum banjos the precedent for their use of an entirely metal set of strings on 5-string banjo?  

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    Richard William Ineson

    I cannot remember the details but I am going to look for the article as I would like to see how it all worked. I also need to look for the photos of the Van Eps banjo fitted with vellum drying lights, I suppose that they were made by VE himself but it would be good to see his realisation of the idea. 


    Jody Stecher said:

    .Were there as many colors as frets?  Somewhere between 17 and 22 tiny flashing  light bulbs each of a different color is a fantastic thing to contemplate!  

    Richard William Ineson said:

    I have a feeling that there was another instructional article about decorative light (as opposed to vellum drying lights) installation on a banjo in the B.M.G probably in the 1930s. This system involved the installation of bare wires beneath the fingerboard (during construction presumably) which followed the course of each string, the frets were installed so as to make contact with these bare wires. Metal strings were used and this wiring system was connected to coloured light bulbs installed in the hoop/pot. Electricity was supplied from a 12 volt battery. As the performer played the banjo, the strings connected with the wires beneath the fingerboard via the frets, and this activated the coloured bulbs installed in the hoop/pot, the colour changing depending upon which fret was being utilised at a particular moment. I suppose that if you were playing the William Tell finale, the effect would have been quite spectacular.

    20 hours ago

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    Joel Hooks

    How did the humidity discussion get mixed up with this one?

    FVE made his light set using a piece of aluminum U stock.  He also added a "heat shield" made from an aluminum record recording blank.  For some reason owners have removed these, tossed them somewhere so that when they die their family do not know that they go together and trash the removed parts. 

    17 hours ago

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    Jody Stecher

    Maybe because the lights on this device were activated by *strings*? 

    Joel Hooks said:

    How did the humidity discussion get mixed up with this one?

    16 hours ago