tenor banjo string gauges

[JeffD]

OK, not exactly a tenor guitar, but its tuned in fifths.

I am thinking of purchasing a Bacon and Day Senorita four string tenor banjo. Its about a 15 inch neck.

I want to tune this as an octave, GDAE? What string gauges would be best? The strings already on it are floppy when tuned down to the octave, and yet I broke a string trying to get to CGDA tuning. I don't know how the existing strings were intended to be tuned.

[John Flynn]

I have a 17 fret, 13.5" neck tenor tuned GDAE and I am very happy with GHS Custom Shop "Celtic Tenor Banjo" stings sold by Elderly. They sound good and last a long time. They are .014 - .042, with a wound A. According to the Universal String Tension Calculator, to get roughly the same tension on your longer necked instrument, the strings would be .040w-.030w-.023w-.013. If those exact gauges are not available, going .001 on the either side of those will not make that much difference. You could even vary by .002 on the bass strings.

[JeffD]

I have a 17 fret, 13.5" neck tenor tuned GDAE and I am very happy with GHS Custom Shop "Celtic Tenor Banjo" stings sold by Elderly. They sound good and last a long time. They are .014 - .042, with a wound A. According to the Universal String Tension Calculator, to get roughly the same tension on your longer necked instrument, the strings would be .040w-.030w-.023w-.013. If those exact gauges are not available, going .001 on the either side of those will not make that much difference. You could even vary by .002 on the bass strings.

I have seen them. I am going to try it. Thanks.

[Ted Eschliman]

I actually use D'Addario EXP74 coated mandolin strings on my Goodtime Tenor. 010, 015, 026w, 040w. Works amazingly well and plenty of string left over. 17 fret, but 21" scale.

[Clockwork John]

I actually use D'Addario EXP74 coated mandolin strings on my Goodtime Tenor. 010, 015, 026w, 040w. Works amazingly well and plenty of string left over. 17 fret, but 21" scale.

Interesting... So you get two sets for the price of one?

[JeffD]

Well wait, I think I misspoke. I don't think I mean scale, I mean 15" from nut to rim.

[John Flynn]

Well wait, I think I misspoke. I don't think I mean scale, I mean 15" from nut to rim.

I figured that. It's a 19 fret, right? About a 22.5 - 23" scale?

[Dolamon]

As there are almost ten different head diameters, the neck length is at best a distraction. Measure your fret board from the nut to the twelfth fret, then multiply it by two. That will give you the actual scale length. I have tenor strung instruments in which the scales run from 17 inch to almost twenty three inches. A one or two inch difference in length can make a big difference in your string choice and playability.

Trust me - the real scale length makes discussing the choice of strings much simpler. The 17 or 19 fret length description can be really misleading. ( A seventeen fret neck on a 12 inch (or larger) head could have an over 23 inches long scale.)

[Jim Garber]

John is referring to the convention of a short scale tenor banjo being called 17 fret (example: Vega Little Wonder) and a long scale 19 fret (example: B&D banjos). Jeff is acquiring a B&D so the assumption is 19 fret/longer scale.

[JeffD]

Yes 19th fret at the rim and 10 inches nut to 12 fret.

I have no idea how the previous owner tuned it or played it. But I would like to play it as an octave mandolin.

[Jim Garber]

The D'Addario Irish tenor banjo strings seem to be gauged a little lighter than the GHS and might be better for the longer scale.

[JeffD]

The D'Addario Irish tenor banjo strings seem to be gauged a little lighter than the GHS and might be better for the longer scale.

Does tuning it GDAE throw a wrench into the formula? Oh, never mind, I see now.

[JeffD]

Well I am having some J63i sent to me.

But until then, I tried a set of J63 (.009 .016 .023 .030) which I had in the drawer.

When tune to GDAE, the G string is too floppy. The others seem to be ok.

I look forward to the J63i.


BTW, I don't know how you banjo players do it. This thing is heavy. I have no idea how I am going to haul it around all the time.

[Jim Garber]

J63i is meant for GDAE tuning so should work better than the J63 set.

[JeffD]

J63i is meant for GDAE tuning so should work better than the J63 set.

I would guess. I just was anxious to get something going. Ah well, now I know what not to do.

[werbel]

Read a suggestion on a banjo oriented website to use octave mando strings when tuning GDAE and this has worked for me. I've not had good luck with banjo strings designated for the Irish tenor, due to the "floppy G string" problem. You also get two sets of strings for the price of one....

[BBarton]

I use Newtone Irish Tenor set -- 0.012, 0.018w, 0.028w, 0.038w -- for GDAE on a 19 fret TB with similar scale length, and I like 'em. I think only available in UK and Canada, but can be mail ordered -- in either nickel or phosphor bronze. A slightly heavier G string would be nice though. If you get an intonation problem with the G string, you can usually tweak the bridge location enough to correct. I think John Pearse also makes a heavier gauge Irish tenor set.

[Ed Goist]

Jeff, you might want to try these: GHS Celtic Tenor Banjo Strings.

However, I'd be concerned that the 42 gauge G-string might be too floppy on a 20" scale. According to the McDonald String Tension Calculator, one needs to have a 48 gauge G-string on a 20" scale to achieve at least 18# of tension, which is about my comfort level for floppiness on a tenor guitar (however things might be totally different on a banjo?).

So, I'd recommend getting the above set and maybe a single 48 gauge G-string if there is such a thing?

[Mike Snyder]

My 17-fret Orpheum has been a work in progress as far as strings until recently. Very floppy on the G and D strings. Now I use the D'Addario "Irish Banjo" set (a true misnomer) and save the .012 for a spare mandolin E string, then buy a .046 nickelwound single for the G. That's; .046, .036, .024, and .016. Might be a bit exessive on tension but we'll see. The floppiness is history, sound is good and it's still not as hard on the fingertips as the darned old mandolin. Just hope it doesn't become an issue with the neck. No trussrod, high tension.

[mikeyes]

You have a 20" scale if my math is correct which means a shorter scale banjo and shorter scale banjos often need a thicker gauge set of strings.

There are several considerations when choosing which set of strings will sound best on your banjo. The first is the "Floppy G String" problem which, in general, is only resolved by a thicker string. I say in general because your banjo's setup can make a huge difference in sound, especially if the head is not tight enough. You can also change the bridge and find happiness but if the G string remains floppy then a larger gauge is the answer.

The second consideration is playability. It sounds like you have a vintage entry level banjo. Sometimes these banjos languish in a hot environment like an attic with tension on the strings and the dowel stick's glue melts causing a problem with the neck set. Thicker strings can be a pain to play if the neck is not right. If this is so, you will have a high action that might need surgery from a good banjo luthier. Shorter neck banjos are not immune to bowing or twisting, but they suffer these problems a little less than the 23" ones do. If you slot the nut and are able to have a comfortable playing fretboard you should be OK.

Another aspect is that in spite of the memes ("short necks need larger gauge strings" for example) some banjos thrive on anything you use while others require a lot of experimenting to find the right combination. I have a wonderful TB-7 clone that only works with bronze strings (and then it is really great.) Put on a set of nickel plated strings and it is horrible. I have had a Vega Style M that worked with any set of strings I put on it including the usually underpowered J-63i set. So your banjo may, with a good setup, do well even with these strings.

Finally, your style of play makes a big difference. Pros such as Enda Scahill and Gerry O'Connor, noted for their speed among other things, do better with lighter gauge strings - Enda tunes ADGA and his low string is in the .32 range. Angelina Carberry, who plays quite differently uses a set of Martin guitar strings on her banjo and those are thicker.

In the end you play with the strings and setup that suits you and you will have to try a variety of strings to determine what your banjo wants and needs. What works for one banjo may not suit another and the only way to find out is to experiment until you find the optimum.

Mike Keyes

[Michael Eck]

I just put half a set of D'Addario Octave Mandolin strings on my '22 Bacon and I'm quite liking them. They're only a few hours old, with no gigs on them yet, but we'll see.

At the same time, I also attached a new Farquhar bridge, and I like that, too.