".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! "
Classic-Banjo
"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…"
"Another piece of the puzzle solved. Another puzzle piece: I have a vague impression (maybe false) that some players of gut or nylon-strung banjos used/use a heavier 5th string. The…"
"When wire strings became used more widely the fifth string was found to 'sing' long after it had been struck, which irritated some fastidious banjoists. The solution to this problem was to…"
"However I have found discussions about gut, metal, and "tropical" strings. (Rayon?) in a 1917 BMG"
"And that might be an argument for a heavier first rather than fifth. But I never heard of that. Anyway the problem I have with consulting random BMGs is that unlike the tutor books there is no…"
"One is much harder on the 1st string than the 5th.
For some British arguments for and against, I recommend the BMG's from during the Great war. Start with the 1917 year and then work…"
"It seems to have been a fairly common "deviation" to use a slightly bigger gauge for the 5th than the 1st. "
"I have suspicions regarding the talk about the 1st string being first.
My favorite excuse: they may have simply not mentioned the 5th as "everybody knows, you use the same string on both".…"
".....and since the thin 1st string was more subject to breakage than the others that would explain why it and only it was replaced with wire by the players mentioned. The 5th string was the same or…"
