Minstrel Banjo

For enthusiasts of early banjo

Due to my limited range, I was starting to think of ways to accommodate it with the use of a capo, etc. I would try to find use an old-style capo but what do I do with the 5th string?
Anyone have experience with this? On my Sweeney model, the neck angles away the farther it gets from the peg. That turns that area into a difficult way of fixing a moveable bridge.
Has anyone (trying to save myself some time and sweat) tried using a moveable bridge on the skin?

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Comment by Strumelia on November 10, 2018 at 6:40pm

Hi Al.  Van you elaborate on what you mean by "your limited range"?  What tuning or range are you trying to achieve in this instance?
I ask this because I believe the majority of (fretted) banjo players I know tend to put a capo mostly on the 2nd fret and then retune only the 5th string up one step to match the 4 capoed strings.

Other banjo players use the model railroad spike type capo for the 5th string, but with your banjo's exaggerated neck angle and the nylon strings, this wouldn't be an option.

Comment by Al Smitley on November 10, 2018 at 7:07pm

I'm talking about "limited singing range".  Two frets MIGHT help.  Not sure I'd want to crank up the fifth string that much, though.  I have a Vega long neck which would be perfect but my interest is antebellum topical songs and would prefer to look the part.

Comment by Strumelia on November 12, 2018 at 9:56am

What keys are you wanting to sing in?

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