Newbie

[David Gillespie]

Greetings from the US. I am new to this forum! I am wondering how to find the tablature for the Georgia Melody on the YouTube channel? I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I play claw hammer only but would love to learn how to play classic style. Thanks to the nice man! I wish I knew your name to thank you personally! David Gillespie 

[Jody Stecher]

I was talking about a set as described by Richard in which the THIRD string was .017. 

Joel Hooks said:

Jody, .017 work great on standard size banjos.  Very loud and clear with excellent dynamic control.  

Many “modern” players who were weened on wire think they need heavy strings to simulate what they are used to.  I would argue that the classic banjo is a different instrument for the “old time” banjo.

It is this thinness that lead people to falsely believe that their original Vega nuts were cut for wire.

[Joel Hooks]

Yes, there is evidence that .016 was the size for larger banjos like the FVE 28.5.  BTW, I have three of these FVE banjos and I use .017s on those too.

[IAN SALTER]

W E Ballantine, in his tutor book, said that for banjos with 5, 6 and 7 strings, the 3rd string should be a violin 1st, E string, (which is certainly 'thin') and the 4th string should be violin 2nd, A string

The book does not have a publication date, but based on his preface and description of tuning for the three different string sets, it strikes me that it is a fairly early work. Maybe before 1890? He said that "the 1st should be a fine Banjo string D" and 'the 2nd should be a fine Banjo string slightly thicker than the first'. I find it interesting that he specified actual 'Banjo' strings and that they were thinner than violin strings.

[Joel Hooks]

Prior to strings manufactured specifically for banjo, the recommendation was usually for some combination of guitar and violin strings.  But one should exercise caution as presentism has influenced the strings of those instruments as well.  Since Segovia popularized playing with fingernails, and nylon strings created mass accessibility, Spanish guitar strings have become much thicker than what was used in the romantic period of Spanish guitar.

I’ve been told that violin strings have a similar situation now that twisted gut is no longer used and all strings are wound except for the wire first.

[Jody Stecher]

.016 inch diameter (not .017) for the third string on these banjos? What is the diameter of the 1st and 5th then?

Joel Hooks said:

Yes, there is evidence that .016 was the size for larger banjos like the FVE 28.5.  BTW, I have three of these FVE banjos and I use .017s on those too.

[Joel Hooks]

I speak in firsts, not thirds.

[IAN SALTER]

I don't believe that presentism factors into the manufacturing of the strings used by professional early music specialists on their instruments.

[Joel Hooks]

Ian… current trends with thick strings= presentism.  Our own personal experiences with wire tension being forced onto classic era banjos.

[Jody Stecher]

Sigh. But Richard and i were speaking of string #3: middle G. 

Joel Hooks said:

I speak in firsts, not thirds.

[Trapdoor2]

I like being present. The CE mediums (nylon) are my favorites. I just went thru an extensive set of trials using many different gauges...from Joel's spiderweb string set, Stewart set, etc, to the old Chris Sands "heavies". As far as I'm concerned, I'll stick with what sounds and feels right. The heck with hysterical precedence. ;^)

I also prefer Tab. I have hundreds of Classic pieces, more generated almost daily. If you want it, I probably got it...or can entabulate it in an hour or two.

[Joel Hooks]

I think that I might give the impression that I am being critical, at least it seems that people go in the defensive when this subject comes up.

People should do what they want, and use the strings that they want.

I am just sharing information, the best that we currently have, to document "period" sized strings.  This info might be meaningless to anyone that is not interested in historically informed performance (a very specialized form of living history).  To me that is great, you do you.

The reason I use "presentism" is when people will question the data, not with better historical data or documentation but because they, with their personal lifetime experience, think that the historical version is not correct.  That is forced justification of a personal interest. 

If you think the string sizes that SSS published in 1892 are not representative of that era, then show it with other and better data/documentation from that era.  If you believe that the strings that Fred Van Eps, Bill Bowen, Alex Magee, Burton Gedney, Cliff Spaulding, etc, used were "too light" to work with standard size banjos, then show me with historical documentation.  I mean, they did use those strings.  It is what it is. 

This is 2025, we are not living in 1892 or 1950, do what you want. I am certainly not attacking anyone for their string choice.

I am just providing historical information. Use it or don't. 

[IAN SALTER]

Joel, I understood what you were referring to and I was referring to an alternative.

My choice to follow Ballantine's instructions on 'The correct manner to string the Banjo', requires the use of custom made strings.