THE IRISH TENOR BANJO -
EMPRESS OF INSTRUMENTS
by Bill Black
Comments, additions, etc. to: zouki (at) earthlink(dot)net
updated 12/18/08
INTRODUCTION
=============
While the information contained on the
following pages is designed to
make life a little easier for novice Irish traditional banjo
players, it does not pretend to be exhaustive. This publication
consists primarily of ideas that came to mind in response to queries
I had come across in various areas of the Internet. As such, it might
qualify more for a "FAQ" designation than anything else.
I welcome the comments and criticisms of the musical community, and
will update this material from time to time as worthwhile
suggestions are received.
Thanks to Bob Lusk and Mike Keyes for their input!
I. BANJO TYPES
==============
Banjos come in different shapes and sizes, and are used for different
types of music. Five-string banjos are popular with bluegrass and
old-time players, tenor banjos were the stringed backup instrument of
choice in the early recording days and remain popular in Dixieland
groups, plectrum (= long necked 4 string) banjos were also backup
instruments, tuned mostly C-G-B-D; there are fretless banjos, and
banjo-mandolins, and lovely little eight-string tenors called
banjoloons (I own the only one!)
The banjo of choice for most musicians wishing to use the instrument
for playing Irish traditional music is the tenor banjo. Tenor banjos
come in many shapes and sizes; the most common neck sizes are either
17- or 19-fret. A tenor banjo can be open-backed or equipped with a
resonator.
The tenor banjo in Irish traditional music is normally played strictly
as a melody instrument; chording is very rare but can be effective if
not overdone. The Irish tenor banjo is most often tuned to G-D-A-E
(bass to treble), one octave below the corresponding notes on the
fiddle or mandolin. You may encounter other tunings, but the G-D-A-E
arrangement is most popular because it enables the banjo player to play
any tunes that a fiddler or accordion player would be able to play.
I'll refer to the G-D-A-E tuning henceforth as "Irish tuning".
Note that for solo purposes, the original tenor tuning of C-G-D-A (= up
a 4th from G-D-A-E) may be used; Mick Moloney and Gerry O'Connor both
use this tuning from time to time. The higher pitches of the strings
result in a distinctly brighter sound, but the disadvantage in session
playing is the limitation on the notes in the low end. (I'll refer to
C-G-D-A as the "standard" tuning.)
If you have the opportunity to try both tunings, you should take it and
determine which is most suitable to your tastes and style of playing.
Keep in mind, however, that using standard tuning may require you to
make some changes in the way you play certain tunes ("Martin Wynne's
#1" or "#2" reels, for example, or "The Bush on the Hill" jig) that
call for notes not playable on your instrument. It's no big deal
because flute and whistle players do it all the time, but you may not
like the jumpy and unnatural effect of moving between octaves.
I personally prefer the Irish tuning because I like the power of the
heavier strings, but it remains a matter of taste. It should be pointed
out, however, that the fingerings for the two tunings are totally
different - that is, you can't put your finger on the same string or
fret in one tuning and expect to produce the same note as you would in
the other tuning. That's important to keep in mind: since switching
between tunings will quite likely become harder as your proficiency in
a particular tuning increases, you should decide fairly early in your
musical career which tuning you'll be spending the most time on.
II. BANJO ANATOMY
=================
Here's a list (in no particular order) of the essential bits and pieces
that are found on almost every banjo. I apologize in advance for
jumping around a bit, but trust me - it all makes sense eventually!
= neck =
The long piece that supports the strings and the fingerboard; attached
at its lower end to the pot. The peghead that holds the tuning pegs is
at the top, separated from the neck by a piece of bone or plastic
called a nut. The nut is slotted to keep the strings in place as they
cross over it.
Banjo necks are usually slightly tapered (= they're narrower at the nut
than at the last fret). I'm not sure what if any practical value this
tapering is supposed to have, although in bringing the strings closer
together it may seem to make fingering a little easier on the "busier"
frets between 1 and 7.
The strip of lighter-colored material than runs up the side of the neck
alongside the fingerboard is called binding. Its purpose is decorative
only, although some binding also has positioning dots that can help you
locate a fret. Not all banjos are fitted with binding.
= pot or rim =
The round piece attached to the bottom of the neck. It supports the
head. Can be made of solid wood or laminate, and can be flat-top or
arch-top depending on whether the banjo is equipped with a tone-ring
(of which more later).
Pots are frequently "out of round" on older banjos, which won't mean
anything until you try to replace a head (gory details to follow
later).
Pot diameters vary widely (ditto); the "standard" diameter is
eleven inches. Consider yourself fortunate if your banjo is that size!
If you hold a (good) banjo up sideways, you'll note that the pot and
the neck are slightly angled with regards to one another. This neck
angle helps maintain the proper string height and allows the pulling
force of the strings to be counteracted. The neck can be reset if
need be, but this is normally a job best left to a pro.
= frets =
The thin metal strips, usually slightly rounded, that cross the
fingerboard in various locations. Irregularly spaced to accommodate the
even-tempered scale (we won't go there). The purpose of the fret is to
"stop" the vibrating action of the string, and thus produce a pitch or
musical sound. Most frets perform this feat admirably, but older banjos
may suffer from frets that are either worn or loose. Neither of these
is usually a terminal condition but your sound will definitely suffer
unless corrected. Fret repairs should be handled by a pro.
= tailpiece =
The metal piece at the bottom of the banjo that holds the strings in
place. Can be plain or fancy (some are adjustable). Usually seated on
the tension hoop. Secured to the rim by various ingenious means that
depend on the make of the banjo. Adjustable tailpieces permit the
player to make significant changes in the string height (above the
fingerboard - this distance is also referred to as "the action"), and
can be well worth the few additional bucks they cost.
= head or skin =
The "membrane" that's stretched across the rim and is responsible for
the banjo's sound production. Can be made of plastic (Mylar) or
calfskin; the decision as to which material you should use depends on
the sound you want to reproduce. I think most of today's players
(except as always for a few die-hards, none of them Irish as far as I
know) prefer the plastic heads for their weather-resistant qualities,
their availability, and their general good behavior.
Details on tightening or replacing heads can be found in the Banjo Maintenance section below. WARNING: replacing a
head, especially
on an older banjo whose pot may be out of round (i.e., not exactly
circular), can be a gut-wrenching and ultimately unsuccesful experience.
Or not. Details for an emergency head replacement are below.
= tension hoop =
The metal ring that sits on top of the rim and keeps the head fitted
firmly in place.
May be notched or grooved; no appreciable difference in what the banjo
sounds like either way. A grooved tension hoop will fit any banjo,
while the notches in a notched hoop will have to match the number of
bracket hooks that your banjo requires - see next entry.
= bracket hooks =
The round metal hooks that exert the downward pressure on the tension
hoop to ensure that the head stays tight. The number of hooks varies
from banjo to banjo; generally the cheaper the banjo, the fewer the
hooks. The most I've ever seen on one banjo is 28. The hooks, which are
threaded at the bottom, are normally held in place by means of bracket
shoes (the L-shaped pieces that are bolted to the rim - that's
the
purpose of those bolts that you see around the inside of the rim). Once
the hook is in place, a nut is tightened to pull the hook downward. The
hook in turn pulls down the tension hoop, which in turn acts upon the
head...the short version of all this: to tighten the head, you tighten
the nuts. Particulars of this routine procedure are provided in the Maintenance section.
You should note that there are some types of banjo that have a
different arrangement for maintaining the pressure on the head
involving what is referred to as "top tension". In this setup, the
bracket hooks pass through the rim, and are threaded into, not through,
the bracket shoes below. The hooks tighten from the hoop down -
unfortunately you need a special tool to manage this properly, since
the square tops of the hooks are not easy to maneuver with any kind of
normal wrench (and if your banjo has a hoop that includes a built-in
armrest, it's even harder to get at the tops of the hooks because
they're almost countersunk into that part of the hoop). I was given a
tightening tool by a kindly repair person a number of years ago, but I
have no idea where you'd locate one these days. (And a recent query to
the banjo user group on the Internet didn't help either.) STOP PRESS: I
have been advised that this "mystery tool" is nothing more exotic than
a wrench
for tightening drum heads, which means it should be available at any
drum supply source or large music store.
= dowel stick, coordinator rods
=
These are two systems for keeping the pot attached securely to the
neck. They are readily visible when you turn your banjo face down. The
dowel stick is a solid piece of wood that is either glued to or bolted
to the neck and bolted to the inside of the rim, while the coordinator
rods are thin metal rods that perform the same function (and have the
added virtue of being adjustable so that the neck angle can be
changed). Most dowel sticks have a brace arrangement at the end closest
to the neck that allows for a degree of flexibility in adjusting the
neck angle.
Perhaps this is the place to mention that serious adjustments to a
banjo's neck angle should be left to a professional. This is
particularly true if the string action suddenly changes on its own - it
could be a symptom of a bigger problem that you shouldn't be dealing
with.
= bridge =
The piece of wood - usually maple, occasionally with a layer of ebony
on top - that holds the strings away from the surface of the head as
they cross between the tailpiece and the fingerboard. The bridge is
responsible for transferring the string vibrations to the head, so
bridge configuration (and there are several) has a profound effect on a
banjo's sound. Like the nut at the top of the fingerboard, the bridge
is slotted to keep the strings evenly spaced as they cross. The height
of the bridge has a direct relationship to the action: normally the
higher the bridge, the higher the action. A bridge height can be
reduced for a more comfortable feel (see the section on maintenance
below), and also because excessive distance between the string and the
fingerboard can lead to intonation problems (= the note you expect to
hear just doesn't sound right, you can't play scales that sound any
good, etc.). Click here for more information about bridge height.
The placement of the bridge on the head (i.e., its position along the
diameter running between the end of the neck and the tailpiece) is very
important to the proper intonation of the strings. Click here for more
information about bridge placement.
= resonator =
Is the piece of (usually) wood that is attached to the back of the rim
on some banjos to enhance the sound. Resonators come in all shapes and
sizes - some are rounded, some are flat, some are "fitted" into the rim
while others are held in place by screws, etc. etc. Five-string banjos,
and some vintage tenor banjos, were never equipped with resonators, but
with the use of a stock resonator from a catalog and the appropriate
hardware, almost any banjo can be provided with one.
Resonators are removable and can be used at the player's discretion. I
like them for session playing, but if your banjo is equipped with one
and you or (more likely) your fellow musicians find the sound
overwhelming, stick a sock or a washcloth into the resonator area and
the sound will be deadened. A patent mute or "tone enhancer", available
from the supply houses, is more effective (and a lot more sanitary).
The other option, of course, is to remove the resonator entirely, a
procedure which usually consists of no more than removing a screw or
two (make sure you don't lose the screws).
= flange =
The metal rim that runs between the side of the pot and the inner edge
of the resonator is called a flange. It may be a solid piece (if the
resonator is original equipment), or it may be composed of individual
pieces that attach to the bracket hooks. The flange serves two purposes
- first, functional: it supports the hardware that actually attaches
the resonator to the pot, and second, cosmetic: it covers the space
between
the pot and the edge of the resonator that would otherwise be visible.
(On some banjos - some models of Vega, for example - where the
resonator attaches from the back by means of a screw and bracket
arrangement to the dowel stick, the flange serves only the cosmetic
purpose.)
= tuning pegs a/k/a tuners =
These are the four machines mounted on the peghead that keep the
tension on the strings and enable you to tune them properly. As you
will note, they are inserted upwards through the peghead; better models
are
normally anchored in place by means of a threaded sleeve. The post is
the piece on the upper surface of the peghead that the strings wrap
around and through. The string tension
is adjusted by turning the part of the tuner projecting below the
peghead. This motion is then transferred to the post and the string
attached to it.
There are two main types of tuners: the older direct-action friction
tuners and the more popular geared planetary tuners. Planetaries - or
any type of geared tuner - enable more precise tuning and eliminate the
slippage factor that occurs with most friction tuners. If you're very
lucky in your choice of banjo, the original friction tuners may work
for a while, but in my experience even the best of them will eventually
have problems dealing with the heavier gauge strings required by Irish
tuning. (The problems will probably take longer to manifest themselves
if you stay with standard tuning, but arrive they will.)
My recommendation is to remove the friction pegs and replace them with
a good set of planetary tuners as soon as possible after you're sure
that it's going to be long-term relationship between you and your
banjo.
Since the tuners are one of the elements of a banjo that can actually
cause pain and suffering to a player, there are more details on this
subject a little later on.
= tone rings =
These are various configurations of metal rim that are fitted between
the top of the rim and the head, and their purpose - as the name
implies - is to enhance the tone. Not all banjos have tone rings. The
engineers who designed these gizmos really let their imaginations run
wild - some of them have holes, some were fitted with ball bearings,
some are rolled brass, et cetera et cetera. The tone ring normally sits
happily in place doing its job without much fanfare; the only time you
are likely to have any contact with it is during the dreaded "head
changing
process" (more on this below).
It's important to know if your banjo is equipped with a tone ring, and
if so what type, before you order any heads, since these come in
different heights depending on whether or not they will have to be
fitted over a tone ring. The parts catalogs that you'll be likely to
order from have diagrams that help you through this little confusion
(and if
the diagrams don't help, a friendly customer service rep will).
= armrest =
A metal piece that extends out slightly over the head from the 7 to 9
o'clock position. There are several designs, usually involving the
armrest being secured to a couple of bracket hooks. As the name
implies, it's for resting your picking arm on - certainly not
essential, but an extra that many players like. If your yoke doesn't
have an armrest, you can order one from a catalog if you're so inclined.
= inlay =
Though technically not a banjo part, I'll mention the inlay in passing
- that's the decoration on the fingerboard and on the peghead. It's
usually done in mother-of-pearl or abalone on older banjos. Some banjos
are quite ornate, some are very plain. Inlay doesn't affect a banjo's
sound but it may affect its price. If you're lucky enough to have inlay
work on your banjo, check it occasionally as you wipe down the
fingerboard. That way you can catch broken or loose pieces that can be
repaired or replaced.
III. MORE ABOUT STRINGS
=======================
(A) Tunings
Once you have decided on the banjo of your dreams, you'll have to
decide how you want to string it. As mentioned earlier, the two most
common tunings for a tenor banjo are G-D-A-E and C-G-D-A, bass to
treble (i.e., away from you if you hold the neck in your left hand).
I'll repeat what I mentioned earlier: the GDAE tuning is the best way
to go for Irish music. It enables you to play each and every note that
a fiddler or box player can play; the heavier gauge strings make
ornamentations easier; the deeper sound will allow you to "hold your
own" even in the most accordion-heavy of sessions; it's the
natural tuning for a music whose primary keys are D, G, A minor and
major, and E minor.
The CGDA tuning has a long and respectable history in jazz and popular
music (find an old piece of 1920-era sheet music and you'll see the
banjo fingerings over the chords), but it's not what we players
of Irish trad need. Keep in mind, however, that tenor banjo string sets
that you can purchase in your local music store will always be
CGDA sets unless
they're designated as "Irish" or "Celtic" (see next paragraph).
(B) "Gauged Singles" or Packaged Sets?
There are two ways of getting the right strings for GDAE tuning:
purchasing them "the old-fashioned way" as individual "gauged single"
guitar strings, or - a fairly recent innovation - in packaged sets.
(1) Using guitar strings
------------------------------
Although this method of securing a supply of strings to fit your banjo
may be obsolete in today's Internet world, there still may be times -
emergencies mostly - when you'll have no choice but to purchase and use
guitar strings on your banjo. This is perfectly OK, nothing to be
ashamed of, but there are a few things you should keep in mind.
For most of my banjo playing career, the world of banjo strings has
been a CGDA world, and as a result I had no option but to purchase and
use guitar strings of the appropriate gauges to produce the feel
and sound that I wanted. There was generally no problem with this,
since even the smallest neighborhood music shop generally keeps a few
loose strings around, so that it was usually not necessary to buy whole
sets of guitar strings to get the right gauges.
Speaking of which ...
My personal choice of string gauges for GDAE Irish tuning are as
follows: E = .012 to .014; A = .020 (wound) to .022; D = .030 to
.032; G = .042 to .045. Nickel wound or phosphor bronze I find work
equally well, although I prefer the bright sound of the bronze. I have
not tried the new "polyweb" or "nanoweb" strings, nor am I likely to
until the prices come down a heck of a lot (like 80 percent or so).
Silk-and-steel will work in a pinch as well, but their inherent
softness doesn't provide max punch for a banjo.
The primary difficulty with using guitar strings - which are all
ball-end and not loop-end - is that not all banjo tailpieces are
designed
to accommodate anything but loop ends. Heretofore [great word!] this
situation required that the little ball
be removed from its restraining loop by means of hammer, chisel, vise,
pliers or vise-grip, patience, a steady hand, and a hell of a lot of
luck (there
might be easier ways to accomplish this onerous task, but I never ran
across one). And after all this, you might find that the
now-empty loop is too small
to do any good!
By the time you get finished with this foolishness, you wondered why
the heck you didn't just get a new tailpiece for a few bucks,
one that could handle ball-end as well as loop-end. But maybe you're a
purist who doesn't want to change anything on your banjo ...
To make a long story short: if your banjo tailpiece can deal with
ball-end strings, then guitar strings are perfectly suitable for use as
banjo strings.
If you're experimenting with individual strings, I'd recommend that if
you have the option (= a reliable source and plenty of disposable
income), you should string with the heavier gauges first.
If they feel a little tough to work with, move to the lighter gauges.
Again, it's a matter of feel, and only you know what feels best to you,
so feel free to experiment. You shouldn't stray too far from the
suggested gauges, however, since strings that vary too much up or down
from these gauges might be difficult to tune.
By the way: the bright lads and lassies out there - I was once one of
you! - who know that mandolins are also tuned GDAE might figure
that buying a set of mandolin strings is an easy fix to all this. After
all, it's the same tuning, even the smallest music stores stock mandolin
sets, and hey - you get two sets for the price of one. Can't miss,
right?
Clever but wrong: while the notes are the same, they're an octave
apart. Mandolin strings are made for mandolin scale lengths, and can't
be adapted for use on a one-octave-lower tenor banjo (presuming that
they would even reach from the banjo tailpiece to the peghead, which
they probably wouldn't even on a short-neck banjo). But your idea's not
totally invalid ... read on!
(2) Banjo string sets
-------------------------
As mentioned above, my feeling is that CGDA sets are useless for Irish
trad playing - you can't tune them up far enough towards GDAE
without breaking them, and you can't tune them down without making them
feel like linguini. Some folks keep the CGDA strings on and
capo on the second fret, producing DAEB'. I guess this works OK if
you're not going to be playing any tunes that go lower than D, but
why bother?
Another alternative - if you're stuck with twenty sets of Uncle Bert's
CGDA strings that Aunt Minnie gave you after he passed away - is to
discard the A string and use the C, G, and D strings as the third,
second, and first strings respectively. If they're not 78 years old,
they should be able to stand being tuned up a step to D, A, and E. Once
that's done, you can add a G ~.040 fourth string from some other
source. Voila: GDAE tuning!
But substitutions and other fixes are pretty much things of the past
now that "Irish" or "Celtic" GDAE sets are being produced. This is
a recent development; up until a few years ago, there weren't a lot of
companies making these sets, but I see that two excellent
manufacturers, D'Addario and GHS, are now producing them. There are
other companies making them as well; a Google search turned
up 351 references in
response to "Irish tenor banjo strings".
I haven't tried the D'Addario or GHS sets myself, so I can't say
anything from personal experience. I did note that D'Addario's strings
seem to be a little on the light side - for example, their G is only
.036,
which to my mind would make it a bit flabby, especially on a
shorter-neck
banjo. The GHS strings tend to be heavier - in fact, I'd consider their
.024 A almost too heavy!
Here's a little cheapskatery that you might like:
GHS, John Pearse, and other companies also manufacture octave mandolin
sets that are
available from catalogs or online. These are intended for GDAE tuning,
so it's no coincidence that the string gauges of these
sets come very very close to the gauges I mention above (.012 - .020 -
.032 - .040 or thereabouts), meaning that octave mandolin strings are
perfect for use as banjo strings as well. Take into account the fact
that they are all loop-ended (even the heavier gauges),
and the fact that you're basically getting eight strings for the price
of four (well, more or less!), and you can begin to understand why I
have a few packages of these babies in my string drawer (naturally they
also work fine at the task for which the makers intended them, i.e.
stringing octave
mandolins).
(C) Putting on the strings
--------------------------------
Once you have selected your strings, getting them on the banjo is a
relatively simple proposition - once you've done it a few times. Here's
the procedure:
1. Start at the bottom of the banjo and position the loop end around
the tailpiece hook, making sure it's secure (I didn't say anything
about starting from the tailpiece end because I figured that nobody in
their right mind would try to put a string on starting with the tuning
peg...would they?) If you're stuck using ball-end strings, the ball
should be securely caught between two of the tailpiece hooks (some
tailpieces, not all, even have holes or little knobby things to
accommodate ball-end strings).
2. Thread the string through whatever holes or notches there may be
in your tailpiece (be a little careful here - forcing the string over a
rough edge may shorten its life)
3. Don't worry about the bridge for the time being - it doesn't even
have to be on the banjo during the initial stringing process.
4. Wrap the free end around the appropriate tuning peg a few times
from the inside (i.e. clockwise for the A and E strings,
counter-clockwise for the G and D strings), then insert it through the
hole (making sure that the coiled part is below the hole, or else the
whole thing will unravel). Ideally you should be able to remove most of
the slack from the string by this wrapping procedure, especially with
the lighter strings.
5. Before you start to tighten, give the bottom part of the string
(i.e., the part over the head) a slight tug to ensure that it's still
hooked onto the tailpiece. Nothing is more frustrating that twisting
the bejayzus out of a tuning peg only to discover that the string isn't
properly secured to the tailpiece - talk about wasted effort!
6. Once you're satisfied that the string is secure on the tailpiece,
and
you've removed as much slack as you can, you can start to tighten the
tuning peg. You can be as cautious as you like, but it generally takes
a number of healthy turns before the string approaches its proper
tension. Since you'll probably be tightening with your left hand, you
can check the string tension by keeping your right hand thumb on the
string somewhere in the vicinity of the nut (which can also serve to
minimize slack - remember, slack is your enemy because it might sneak
the loop or ball off the tailpiece!)
7. Once you get to a healthy tension, you can start to think about
tuning
(or about getting the bridge back on if you've removed it for the
string change). Some players prefer to let the new strings
stretch awhile before starting the tuning procedure - a good idea but
not always
practical for on-the-fly string changes (e.g. five minutes into a
two-hour gig).
One last item before we move on: a lot of players prefer to keep the
excess string (i.e., the length of string that was first to pass
through the hole in the tuning peg and is now just kind of hanging
around the peghead) on their instrument, usually but not always wrapped
in a coil of some sort. I personally don't like this idea - I view the
loose pieces of string as potentially dangerous to the eyes (and I wear
glasses!) If the idea is to keep some slack handy in case of a string
break, my feeling is that it would probably be better to keep a few
spare strings handy and pop a fresh one on as necessary, rather than
count on using the slack end of the damaged string.
(D) Correct Placement of the Bridge
----------------------------------------------
Because of the physical laws having to do with vibration of strings,
care must be taken to place the bridge in exactly the right position on
the head, or else you won't stand a chance of getting the strings to
tune properly. (If you're really hot to know more about the mathematics
of all this, consult the Harvard Dictionary of Music and prepare to
have
your head spinning shortly thereafter.)
The rule is that the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge must
equal the distance between the front (=fingerboard side) of the nut and
the 12th fret. If nut to 12th fret is 11 inches, then 12th fret to
bridge must be 11 inches as well.
Once you think the bridge is in position, you can check for sure by
playing harmonics, which are the bell-like tones produced by lightly
touching (NOT pressing down) each string at the 12th fret and plucking
it gently with your right hand thumb. If your bridge is correctly
positioned, the harmonics will be perfect octaves of the pitch of the
open string (if you don't trust your ear, an electronic tuner will be
a big help in verifying this).
Once you've located the sweet spot, you should make a small but visible
pencil mark where the bridge feet touch the head to make sure that you
can find it again if you
have to remove the bridge for any reason. NOTE: for whatever reason,
you might find that moving the bridge very slightly away from the
mathematically-correct location - in
either direction - provides a more accurate sound. Don't be afraid to
experiment - if you get too lost, you can always re-measure
and start at the nut-to-12th fret reference point again.
Some folks - not yours truly, but what do I know? - will swear on a
stack of interdenominational Bibles that angling the bridge one way or
another will produce a positive effect on intonation. If you
want to experiment with this, be my guest (and if your banjo life is
more full as a result, please let me the details of what you did and
what result you achieved).
(E) Stringing an Older Banjo
-------------------------------------
Since the chances are excellent that you'll be working with an older
banjo, here are a few items relevant to stringing that should be
remembered:
1. The friction tuning pegs found on most older banjos are at best
tired and at worst useless, especially when they're forced to deal with
the heavier-gauge strings of the Irish tuning. Unless your yoke is a
fifteen-thousand-dollar museum piece, my recommendation would be to get
the friction pegs replaced by good planetary gear pegs as soon as
possible. The replacements are available from Stewart McDonald and
other catalogs, and the procedure is so simple that even I can do it
(biggest deal may involve enlarging the peg hole to 3/8" to accommodate
the new pegs). If you're too busy maintaining your stock portfolio to
fool around with drills, your local music shop will be glad to assist.
Fast-breaking news story dept.:
A fellow banjo person who was kind enough to read through the first
draft of this whatever-it-is tells me that "reproduction" geared tuners
are now available that don't require drilling (and hence would be
perfect for the fifteen-thousand-dollar museum piece referred to above).
You can save the old pegs for sentimental value if you have a lot of
room in your hope chest, but I'll bet dollars to doughnuts you never
give them another thought once you've got the new ones on. (The old
pegs are worth saving too if the banjo is an expensive one that might
have resale value as a collector's item.)
2. Another important thing to remember when re-stringing an older
banjo is the likelihood that the string slots on the bridge and the nut
will have to be enlarged to accommodate the heavier-gauge strings
you'll probably be using. (This problem won't arise if you insist on
using standard CGDA tenor strings.) A fine-toothed saw and a small
round file can be good investments for this purpose. The idea is to
enlarge the respective slots just enough so that the new heavier
strings sit comfortably in them ("comfortably" in this case meaning
that a minimum amount of string should be above the plane of the nut or
the bridge).
IV. BANJO MAINTENANCE
=========================
In general, banjos (like lop-eared rabbits) need lots of love but
(unlike lop-eared rabbits) a
minimum of care and feeding. Here are a few items you'll have to attend
to from time to time to keep your banjo happy and hard-working.
(A) Tightening the Head
-------------------------------
All banjo heads need tightening from time to time - that's a fact of
banjo life, nothing to be ashamed of. To perform this task, you should
have a bracket wrench (a small t-shaped tool that serves no other
purpose than to tighten banjo bracket nuts). I have used nut drivers
and small box wrenches on occasion, but these tools may scratch the
surface of the nut, so a bracket wrench would be a good investment.
Make sure however that it fits the nuts that go with your hooks - as
with most banjo parts, the nuts come in various sizes. 1/4" and 3/8"
seem to be the most common.
Since even a plastic head can be sensitive to rough handling, the
tightening procedure should be performed carefully.
[1] don't tighten the nuts until you hear squeaking, that horrible
sound that indicates you're in danger of stripping the thread. Tighten
them until you're satisfied with the feel (I know that's very
subjective, but you'll understand what I mean the first time you try
it). When you've tightened them all, go back and give one final
thumb-push just to make sure.
[2] To avoid damaging the head, you should partially tighten two or
three nuts, then go across the banjo and do the same to their opposite
numbers, back and forth until they're all finger tightened. If the
banjo head were a clock, you'd start off tightening 1,2,3, then do
7,8,9, then back to 4,5,6, then finally 10,11,12 (the order isn't
important). That way the pressure on the head is balanced. The final
tightening need not follow this rotation.
As with most human endeavors, there are alternate ways of accomplishing
this goal (for example, tightening the nuts sequentially
instead of in the "star" pattern recommended above - however this
method requires a fairly close monitoring of how the tension
hoop is "balancing" on the head).
(B) Replacing the Head
------------------------------
It may happen that you're faced with the necessity of replacing a head
on your usual banjo or on some little treasure that you've picked up at
a flea market (I'm still talking banjos here, guys). There are more
pleasant tasks than this, believe me, but you still should know how to
do it in case of an emergency.
[1] What Material?
Banjo heads, especially the 11" standard size, are available in
different materials, each of which produces a different sound: real
skin is "dark", fiberskin is "soft", frosted plastic is "bright",
mylar is "brassy". (All very subjective but you get the idea.) The same
banjo will - not surprisingly - sound totally different
depending on which head material is used.
If you've been playing a banjo with a particular type of head and you
love the sound, it's no-brainer time: replace the old head with a new
one of the same type. If however you have no particular
commitment one way or another and just want to get something on the
banjo so you can play it, my own recommendation would be frosted
plastic for a nice "middle" sound.
The "real skin" vs. "phony everything else" debate has a long and
distinguished pedigree dating to Neolithic times, but in the end it
comes down to personal taste and - equally important - convenience.
I regard real skin players like I regard funeral home directors - I
respect what they do but wouldn't want to be one. Know what I'm sayin'?
[2] Measurements
Step two in the planning to replace a banjo head is the determination
of the exact - and I mean exact, to 1/16 of an inch - diameter of the
pot. I have never figured out why any banjo maker would think his
product would be improved by the presence of a 10 and 9/16ths inch pot
(as opposed to the 11" standard), but enough of them did to make it a
problem.
The recommended way to approach this is to take four or five
measurements at different locations across the pot's diameter, then
come up with an average. Of course you'll have to measure across the
bottom of the pot, which means that if your banjo is equipped with a
resonator, now's the time to remove it.
If you're lucky and your yoke is in good shape, the measurements will
be consistent no matter where you take them. The sad fact, however, is
that pots do go "out of round" over the years. Even if it looks OK to
your eye, you'll know you have a problem as soon as you try to put on
the head you were so sure was the correct size. The idea of averaging
measurements may succeed, or the pot may be so out of round that no
head will fit it correctly. That's the banjo equivalent of a terminal
disease, and the only fix - if you want to keep the banjo - is to buy a
new pot.
The sticky part of that solution, however, is the fact that today's
off-the-shelf pots are all 11" diameter, and if the rest of your banjo
(the tension hoop, the dowel stick) is designed for a smaller diameter
pot, you're in trouble unless you can locate someone who will
manufacture a pot that will fit your banjo. In the end, getting another
banjo is probably the smarter way to proceed.
[3] Off with the Old ...
But I digress - back to replacing the head. From henceforth we'll
operate on the presumption that you have a new head that will fit
snugly on the pot (and that, in ordering the new head, you finally
figured out what all that mumbo-jumbo about high and low crowns was all
about).
The basic procedure involves loosening the bracket hooks and removing
them from the tension hoop so that you can work it free of the rim,
after which you can remove the injured head.
Since presumably the existing head is already defective in some way,
you don't have to worry too much about rotation during the loosening
procedure. Also note that you don't have to remove the hooks from the
banjo - you can leave them dangling in their bracket shoes while you
work on the top, but they have a tendency to get in the way sometimes
(and make annoying jingly noises while they're doing so).
Occasionally the pot and the neck are so tightly joined that the head
won't come off until a space can be made for lifting it off. This could
be accomplished simply (for example, by loosening up the brace on the
dowel stick), or it may involve having to loosen the end-bolt, which
requires removing the tailpiece, etc. etc.You won't know until you
actually start the procedure, so just say a Hail Mary (or whatever
works in your belief system) and hope for the best.
If the pot and the neck are still too close to remove the head easily,
you might have to slack off on the coordinator rods or loosen the bolt
on the outside of the pot that holds the dowel stick in place. Either
of these actions should result in additional space being created between
the pot and the neck. If that doesn't seem to be happening,
congratulations - the procedure has just become complicated enough for
you to think of taking the whole thing to a competent technician who
will expect to be paid for doing the job correctly.
But let's say you lucked out and were able to separate the neck and the
pot enough to feel confident that the old head will come off. It will
probably take a few gentle but determined upwards hammer-taps
at spots around the bottom of the head to convince it to relax its
grasp (remember to wrap the hammer head in a piece of cloth, or use
a rubber-headed hammer, to avoid damaging the wood of the pot).
[4] ... On with the New!
Now you're ready to fit the new head on. If you've measured right and
are very very lucky, the new head will nestle snugly onto the top of
the pot and live there happily ever after. You might want to rub a
little vaseline (K-Y jelly works too, I hear) around the upper lip of
the pot to help the new head slide on more easily.
If there's a lot of resistance, you might try tapping lightly on the rim of the
head while it's in position over the pot. Whacking away vigorously can
only damage the head, so be gentle - and prepare to back
off if it doesn't seem to be working
Once the head is in place, you can replace the tension hoop -
carefully, so as to avoid pulling too much on the seam on the head
where the plastic joins the metal rim. No need to fit anything too
snugly at this point, because the tightening of the bracket hooks will
eventually take care of all that. If there's a quarter-inch or less
between the bottom of the tension hoop and the rim of the head, you're
in good shape.
Again, if you've measured right, the tension hoop should go on with a
minimum of difficulty. But - as mentioned - things can go wrong,
especially with older banjos whose various parts may have changed shape
over the years (not unlike ourselves). Sometimes rocking the hoop
gently from side to side on the head will aid the fitting process.
Hammer taps are dangerous but you might try a few gentle ones to see if
they help. Another trick is to try mounting the head and the
hoop on the pot together, rather than as separate pieces (I'm not sure
why this works, but it does).
(By the way, when you're replacing the tension hoop, make sure the
large notch goes flush up against the neck or else you'll have problems
with strings touching the hoop and creating a really interesting noise.
Once the main notch is lined up, the other notches will be more or less
where they're supposed to be, but don't worry about it - they'll move
into correct position once the tightening process begins.)
As soon as the tension hoop is seated snugly on the head - and you'll
be able to tell by seeing how much if any space there is between the
bottom of the hoop and the metal rim of the head - you can start
putting the hooks back, again utilizing the rotation method to balance
the pressure. No need for heavy wrenching at this point - finger tight
is adequate to keep the hooks firmly seated in their notches or
grooves. Once all the hooks are on, you can begin the (careful) wrench
tightening, and you're well on the way to a successful head
replacement! If you've done it correctly, and the Force is with you,
you shouldn't have to do it again for a long time.
(C) Adjusting the Bridge Height
-----------------------------------------
As you know by now, the height of the bridge controls how high the
strings lie above the head and the fingerboard. These distance are
important becuase of the effect they have on the intonation of the
string, which could be defined as the ability of the string to produce
the proper pitch in both open and closed positions.
Bridges are usually made of maple and are pretty sturdy, but
occasionally there will be an accident and one will snap. Or you'll
need a new one for the proverbial flea-market special you've just
picked up whose original bridge disappeared years ago. In either case,
you can obtain a bridge easily enough from one of the catalogs, but it
may need some adjusting to feel exactly right.
Off-the-shelf bridges come in two heights, 5/8" and 1/2". If you get a
5/8" bridge and it's too high, you can go down to the 1/2"; conversely,
if the 1/2" is too low, you can move up to the 5/8". The problem arises
when the ideal bridge height is somewhere between the two, or is lower
than 1/2" (it will rarely if ever be higher than 5/8").
I find that the easiest way of lowering a bridge is by rubbing the
bridge's supporting "feet" back and forth across a piece of medium
sandpaper secured on a table top or other flat surface until the new
lowered height is achieved. This method works more slowly than others,
and is better suited to minor adjustments, but has the benefit of
helping to ensure that you don't reduce the height to the point where
the bridge is useless. If you're skilled in the use of sanding machines
or shop tools like the Dremel, you may be able to speed the sanding
process considerably, but the last few milli-microns (or whatever they
are) should still be done by hand.
Another player recommended using a "microplane" a/k/a/ metal fingernail
file, available in the (blushes slightly) "beauty" section of
your local CVS, Walgreen's, Brooks, Sainsbury, Carrefour, etc
etc. (also good for removing the annoyingly sharp corners of the
bridge).
Note too that a bridge can also be raised, using shims of some thin but
durable material (balsa wood is good; label tape from a Dymo embossing
machine, an old credit card, etc.) This is at best an
emergency procedure, since it interposes another layer or layers of
material between the bridge and the head and will thereby
affect the sound to some extent, but it works - and sounds a heck of a
lot better than the strings buzzing against the frets
because the action's too low. (And it's quicker than doing a total neck
resetting, which you'll probably need eventually!)
(D) Enlarging Bridge or Nut Slots
-------------------------------------------
As I mentioned before, the conversion of a banjo whose life has been
spent in CGDA tuning to GDAE tuning involves widening the"slots"
(grooves where the strings sit) to accommodate the heavier
string gauges. These slots are on the nut and the bridge.
If your banjo is a high-quality instrument, this job is probably best
left to a professional, who will be equipped with the saws,
files, etc. to do the job correctly. If you have a yard-sale special
whose
past and future are of equal unconcern to you, you can get the job done
yourself using a small round file, a single-edged razor blade or
an Exacto knife, and a few emery boards to clean out the slot after
you've widened it.
The goal is to create a rounded groove in which the string can sit
comfortably (= top of string will be at same level as top of nut or
bridge). The slot should not be so wide as to allow the string to
"rattle" as it's vibrating.
Since the slot-widening process in one learned mainly though trial and
error, having a few scrap nuts or bridges around to practice on would
be very handy. Even better is finding a friendly luthier who
will let you watch as he does the job, although he's quite likely to be
using tools that you don't own (and will probably never
own!)
I guess the easiest way to sum up this situation is to say that if you
possess the interest and skill in doing something like this, give it a
shot, otherwise let a pro take care of it. (If worse absolutely
comes to worse, you can have the nut and bridge replaced - the parts
themselves aren't that costly).
(E) Recommended Tools
--------------------------------
The following is a list of the tools that I find handiest for routine
banjo maintenance. There's nothing listed below that you can't find
either from a catalog, online, or at your local hardware store.
= bracket wrench =
Convenient (but not necessary) for tightening the nuts on the bracket
hooks. Come in different sizes (1/4" for Gibsons, 9/32" for Vegas,
5/16" for most other manufacturers), so make sure you know what size
nuts you have (on your banjo, that is). Box wrenches, crescent
wrenches, and nut drivers will also serve this purpose. (Speaking of
box wrenches, you'll want a 3/8" for tightening the nuts on the
sleeves of machine tuning heads.)
= slot-head screwdriver =
Can't go wrong here! (I've never run across a Phillips head screw
anywhere on a vintage banjo, by the way.) Shorter is better than
longer, and a thinner slot head is preferable.
= wire cutter =
Necessary for trimming string tops and quick removal of old strings.
Doesn't have to be huge unless you're intending to use it for
ball-removal purposes as described above.
= sandpaper - medium and fine grade
Mainly for adjusting bridge heights as described above, also for
tidying up heads. I also keep a
few emery boards around for slot work (and for smoothing off the edges
of picks when they get hacked up). Remember that whatever you do with
the medium grade sandpaper should be finished up with the fine grade.
= steel wool - fine grade
Handy for various purposes. Some steel wool comes with a light coating
of oil already on it - avoid that if you can because there are times
(e.g., cleaning the head) when you don't want the oil.
= files =
A set of woodworker's files will always come in handy. A tapered round
file is especially useful for shaping and enlarging string slots in
nuts and on bridges.
= paintbrush =
I find a small paintbrush (1" width is plenty) handy for tidying up
after using steel wool, sandpaper, etc. and for general crud removal
purposes.
= toothbrush, medium or hard bristle
(new or used)
For general cleaning of head, fingerboard, etc.
= rubber-headed hammer =
Handy for helping change the minds of any pieces that may not wish to
relocate, e.g. a head tight on a rim, a bracket hook stuck in a shoe,
etc. Of course a metal-headed hammer will also serve the same purpose,
but there's a good chance that it will damage the whatever you're
working on unless you're prepared to cover it in something.
V. CLEANING the BANJO
-----------------------------------------
Does a clean banjo play any better than a scuzzy one? Actually it does,
particularly where the strings and the fingerboard are concerned. Here
are some tips for keeping your yoke looking and sounding good.
(A) The Strings
--------------------
Like anything else that's in contact with the real world, a banjo can
accumulate a certain amount of crud with regular use. The first place
that most people notice the grunge is on the strings, which spend their
working lives being pushed around by sweaty greasy yucky fingers. To
make your strings happier and give them a longer working life, you
should make a habit of wiping down the strings after each session of
playing. Nothing fancy, just a piece of soft cloth or paper towel, not
moistened. Make sure you get underneath the strings too (you'll be
surprised how much otherwise invisible crud you'll remove). There are
also some kits on the market (e.g., FastFret) that will help clean and
lubricate the strings.
Some players swear by rubbing alcohol, which is OK as long as it stays
on the strings but not OK if too much of it gets on the
fingerboard. Same holds true for silicone-based material.
Problems of this nature
can be minimized by sparing use of the liquid (i.e., no need to drench
the cloth), and also by protecting the fingerboard with a paper towel
or additional cloth as you work on the strings.
It's also effective to rub the strings down lightly with steel wool;
again, the fingerboard should be protected.
Whichever method you decide to use, however, the basic idea of wiping
down the strings (like backing up a hard drive, or flossing your teeth)
remains valuable even if we don't do it as often as we should...?
(B) The Fingerboard
--------------------------
Naturally the same glop that adheres so annoyingly to the strings can
be found on the fingerboard as well, especially behind the frets. There
are various cleaning products around that will help remove it (some
folks advise against using any silicone-based products on a fingerboard
- I'm not sure of the reason). If it's really tenacious, you can rub
gently with a piece of very fine steel wool until the gunk disappears.
The steel wool can be used dry, but you can put a drop of light
furniture polish or light mineral oil on it to brighten up the
fingerboard as you clean it (remember to wipe off any excess liquid
that may remain).
Be careful of using steel wool around any inlays that may be loose -
you don't want to break the inlay by catching it on a piece of wool
fiber. (It's not hard to reset the loose inlay piece using Elmer's glue
- just
remember to wipe off the excess glue once the piece is back where it
should be. You can clamp it lightly into place - with a piece of thin
wood or cloth between the clamp and the inlay - and should be good to
go within a few hours.)
Another player recommends using naphtha to keep fingerboards gunk-free.
When I expressed horror at the idea of working with naphtha
in the relatively confined space that is my workshop, he reminded me
that I didn't necessarily need a 55-gallon drum of the stuff -
cigarette lighter fuel is naphtha and a few-ounce can of it is pretty
manageable (but ventilation is still something to keep in mind).
According to him, the stuff de-greases and de-gunks very well and will
not affect a finish. I haven't tried it yet but it certainly sounds
reasonable.
(C) The Brightwork
-------------------------
The bright metal on a banjo (tension hoop, hooks, tailpiece, flange
pieces, armrest, etc.) should be cleaned every so often to preserve it
from rust and corrosion and to ensure that the banjo looks its best.
There are different methods of accomplishing this: some players use
gun-cleaning cloths or metal-polishing cloths, both of which have the
virtue of being pre-moistened and easy to work with. Preparations like
Brasso will also work, but can be messy. If there's obvious gunk on the
metal (like drops of Guinness, for example), a gentle rub of some fine
steel wool can usually loosen the offending material without damaging
the surface.
(D) The Head
------------------
Considering what it goes through in the course of its musical life,
it's not unreasonable to expect a banjo head of either type, plastic or
skin, to get a little grimy from time to time. Light dirt should come
off with a damp cloth, but believe it or not, one of the best ways of
cleaning more determined grime from a banjo head is toothbrush and
toothpaste! Don't use a lot of water and don't worry much about
flossing first (joke) - put a dab of toothpaste on the brush and go
after bad old Mr. Dirt. Use a circular motion, and wipe off with a damp
cloth when you're finished.
For more serious grime, you may want to rub the affected area of the
head gently with a
piece of fine steel wool or fine sandpaper. You can also use these
materials to smooth out the surface of the head near the bridge - if
you play like I do and support your right hand with the little finger
resting on the head, you may have had the experience of playing on a
new frosted head and having friction burn all the skin off your little
finger (I actually shed blood on another guy's banjo one time without
realizing it!)
Usually two or three minutes' work with the sandpaper or steel wool
will smooth the surface nicely. Your little finger will be forever
grateful. (But keep a few band-aids in your banjo case anyway ...)
(E) The Wood
------------------
If your banjo gets dull-looking, you might try wiping it with a cloth
or a small paint-brush lightly dipped in lemon oil (don't apply the oil
directly to the banjo). This should brighten the wood finish
noticeably. If the surface is really grimy, you could try an
application of a cleaner like Murphy's Oil Soap - that and a little
elbow grease should suffice; if not, you can always try a light rubbing
with a piece of fine steel wool (this is not recommended for a finished
area).
Remember always to remove any excess oil or soap from the banjo when
you're finished. (Having a roll of trusty paper towels near your work
area is also highly recommended.)
VI. RESOURCES
----------------------------
The following is a very sketchy list of resources that may be of
assistance to a banjo player, primarily in the area of parts and
repairs.
I originally created this "helpful hints" website in 1998 or so. In the
intervening years, the Internet - and search engines like Google - have
made the job of locating various supply houses, repair facilities, and
so forth much easier. (A Google search on "banjo" listed 21,800,000
hits, so the information is out there!)
Listed below is a sample of the resources that I have had occasion to
use over the years; it is by no means a complete list, but rather a
point of departure:
> Stewart Macdonald [www.stewmac.com,
800.848.2273]
Good all-purpose catalog for banjos and other string instruments.
Selection has been reduced over the years, and you're starting to see
cheesy parts made in China (bracket hooks, for example). But still an
excellent resource, especially for tools. (Ohio somewhere)
> Elderly Instruments [www.elderly.com,
517.372.7890]
Excellent selection of parts (especially weird-sized heads) plus
strings, instruments, books, etc. Printed catalog available. (Lansing
MI)
> Music Emporium [www.themusicemporium.com,
617.860.0049]
For instruments, repairs, general expertise (owner's personal banjo
collection is to die for). Nice folks to deal with as well. Located in
the Boston area.
> Jim Boyce [www.schoonerflagpoles.com/jcboyceguitar.html;
508.563.9494]
A first-class luthier (and personal friend) here in the Falmouth Mass.
area. Jim built my banjoloon (8-string tenor banjo) and handles all
aspects of instrument building and repair. Also stocks other types of
string instruments.
> Sandy's Music [www.sandysmusic.com,
617.491.2812]
Good all-purpose acoustic music shop in the Boston area. Not afraid to
handle banjos.
> Bernunzio Vintage Instruments [www.bernunzio.com]
When you're ready to move up in quality. These
folks buy, sell, trade and consign vintage guitars, banjos, mandolins,
ukuleles and other
rare American stringed instruments. I sold a bunch of banjos to them
four years ago and was impressed by their straight dealing. Located
in lovely Rochester, NY.
> bulk string suppliers
Loads of them out there but you could start with www.juststrings.com, www.fqms.com, or www.bigcitystrings.com.
On the Internet:
> alt.banjo
This is one of the banjo user groups on the Internet. It's oriented
more towards non-Irish playing styles, but occasionally a valuable
discussion will get going. You can view the latest material by going to
Google, clicking on "Groups", and typing in alt.banjo in the
selection box. You have to join the group to post anything.
> www.irish-banjo.com
Frank Nordberg's Irish banjo site.
> www.banjosessions.com
Mel Bay site; has an Irish banjo tutorial running.
> www.thesession.org
A source of "occasional banjo wisdom"; also tunes
> www.banjohangout.org
All things banjo and occasional ITM content; heavy on building and
maintaining banjos