Impressions on the Gold Tone Cripple Creek Irish Tenor Banjo

[David Casal]

Two weeks ago I got the CCIT of gold tone, I'm tuning GDAE with a digital tuner guitar at 440hz, but I have the feeling that the strings are not all tense than they should.
is this normal?, or have to change strings on a closer?

thank you

[catmandu2]

Is this a standard commercial GDAE string set? Otherwise, what are the gauges of the strings you're using?

[David Casal]

which came with the banjo, I could not tell exactly the gauges but they seems 012 .016 .024w .036w in comparition with the acustic guitar ones

[catmandu2]

Well, that's a common interval set.

[mikeyes]

Two weeks ago I got the CCIT of gold tone, I'm tuning GDAE with a digital tuner guitar at 440hz, but I have the feeling that the strings are not all tense than they should.
is this normal?, or have to change strings on a closer?

thank you

Dave,

Subjective feeling of tension is related to several different things including string gauge and setup. If the strings are the D'Addario J63i set (which you seem to be using, 36-12 or so), then they are a little too small (most of the time, if varies with each instrument) for a 17 fret banjo. Tension is dependent on string gauge, height of the bridge, scale length and to some extent head tension. If your instrument sounds good, then it is OK. If the G string sounds "floppy" then you need to get a higher gauge string or tighten the head a little.

There are some banjos in which the tensions are OK but they just feel different. Playability and tone are the two big factors (assuming all four string tensions are in the same ballpark - sometimes one string is way off and that can also cause some problems with feel.)

Also make sure you haven't tuned the banjo an octave lower than it should be (which is an octave below a mandolin.)

[David Casal]

thats the key, the G string sounds as you said "floppy", it's like being tuned two or three tone lower.
i tensioned the head, but just a little, because it seems the bridge is pulling down too much

[Steve L]

I think the Gold Tone CCIT is a very good banjo for the money. It was my first tenor and I have a couple of others I like a bit more, it's still very usefull and sounds and plays very well. I wish now I had gotten a 19 fret neck, but I can deal with what I've got.

I've been having good luck with the following gauge strings: 13/22w/32w/42w