Minstrel mountain banjo

[Toni Ruiz]

Hello,

I just want to transform a standart fretless mountain banjo with a calf skin head and violin pegs into a minstrel banjo. The neck scale is about 27" and I have a set of Heavy gauge Clifford Essex strings (0.24-0.29-0.33-0.30-0.24). I have a couple of questions.

Is it worth to try these strings to get a Low D tuning? What is the best material and height for the bridge?

Thanks a lot for your information,

Toni

[Steve Jeter]

Since nobody answered ,I will try, but I have extremely limited knowledge here.

If it was me, Id get some Aquila Classic Banjo nylguts, make yourself a 5/8 or so 2 foot bridge out of bass or pine and see what you can do.

 I dont think you can make it into a Minsterel banjo,, but that would get you closer ,  ...

[Toni Ruiz]

Thanks for your answer, Steve.

Exactly Nylgut classics are the strings that I am using right now. They are a bit floppy. For this reason I was thinking in to use a thicker ones like Clifford Essex heavies.

[Strumelia]

Mountain banjos have really small pots compared to Minstrel banjos, so you are never really going to get them close, though you can make them both sound 'plunky' with nylon strings for example.  The mountain banjo will always have a sharper snappy sound...like it should!  ;)

Though you want to use a Low D tuning, is it important to you to actually be in the key of D?- I mean, if you are not playing with other musicians perhaps you could use the Low D tuning but tune it up a whole step to "Low E tuning" just to get the tension up a bit.

I just tuned my mountain banjo (26" scale) down from standard G tuning one whole step to F.  Feels good there, and you have a longer scale, so maybe an E tuning (translated up from Low D) will work for you.

I think the Aquila Minstrel nylgut strings are a bit heavier than the Aquila Classical set, and if so, that might buy you a little bit more string tension.

[Bell Banjos]

27 inches is perfect. Throw some Minstrel Nylguts on it, from 'Bernunzio,' 8 bucks, free shipping. The best bridge material for this string set with its one metal wound string biting into the bridge is some old harder pine or poplar. With classic nylguts or any all-gut (real gut) set, any soft wood sounds best. Make the base of the bridge 3 times wider than the top. Unfortunately, as you 'lower' your bridge, your first indication that your action has bottomed out is string buzz from the fingerboard. Go in the bathroom, take your banjo, turn on the shower and let the bathroom steam up. As you notice your action slightly sinking, play hard with your newly cut bridge, if your strings only slightly rattle in this humidity, your bridge is good, ... that's the easy non-mathematical way to find your own banjo's bridge height.

[Strumelia]

Paul I used to use classical guitar hi-tension nylons on all my regular banjos for several years (best calluses I ever had).  That was before Nylgut was invented.  I also used all gut strings for several years too, but they got to be too expensive and frayed and broke all the time.  The guitar hi-tensions were great strings but very hard, now I find the Nylguts are more flexible but best of all they last much longer for me without breaking.  Good luck with your new strings!   :)

[Toni Ruiz]

Thanks to everyone for the wise advices. I think that it is a good idea to tune my mountain banjo in low E because I feel more tension on the strings. Is there any tutorial to make a minstrel bridge?

[Strumelia]

What's the bridge like that's on it now?

Who made your mountain banjo, by the way?

[Toni Ruiz]

My mountain banjo was made by John Peterson. Currently I have a maple bridge and I just want to try new wood. It is only curiosity.

[Strumelia]

My mtn banjo is by Peterson as well.

Mine came with the same type bridge as yours I imagine- a simple 2 footed maple.  I tried some other standard banjo bridges on it but they didn't sound any better.

I'd be interested in any tutorials on making minstrel bridges as well!

[Toni Ruiz]

My main motivation is to get a reasonable low E minstrel sound with a mountain banjo. Your reflections about minstrel banjos are very interesting.