Minstrel Banjo

For enthusiasts of early banjo

This is kinda off our usual subject, but interesting, and does tie into Minstrel Era music in one section.
This came up in a discussion on early dulcimers.
http://www.19thcenturyguitar.com/index.php?option=com_content&v...
Paul

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A very interesting read, thank you Paul.
For guitar players in the group - if you have an suitable guitar and want to go hard-core (soft core?) you can get real gut guitar strings from Elderly instruments.
For guitar players in the group - if you have a suitable period guitar and want to go hard-core (soft-core?) you can get Aquila real gut guitar strings from Elderly instruments. About 25 bucks. Not recommended for Mac Wiseman.
Hi Ian, thank you for the info re gut strings, just might have a go. ( Might also buy a Mac Wiseman CD, like his songs and they could be useful) By Period Guitar, I take it that you do mean Classic Guitar style guitar?

Ian Bell said:
For guitar players in the group - if you have a suitable period guitar and want to go hard-core (soft-core?) you can get Aquila real gut guitar strings from Elderly instruments. About 25 bucks. Not recommended for Mac Wiseman.
Not classical guitar in the modern sense. I'm thinking more of what people often call "parlour" guitars, though I don't even know if that's the right term. I'm not a guitar scholar so I'm not sure what the technical distinctions might be. I think of the parlour guitars as having narrower necks than a real classical model. They also often have pin bridges. Maybe someone else can help me out here.

Sylvia Wynn Heckley said:
Hi Ian, thank you for the info re gut strings, just might have a go. ( Might also buy a Mac Wiseman CD, like his songs and they could be useful) By Period Guitar, I take it that you do mean Classic Guitar style guitar?

Ian Bell said:
For guitar players in the group - if you have a suitable period guitar and want to go hard-core (soft-core?) you can get Aquila real gut guitar strings from Elderly instruments. About 25 bucks. Not recommended for Mac Wiseman.
This came up in a discussion on early dulcimers.

Dang, that sounds like one of my rants. Off our usual subject? Can't imagine.

I have one of those period parlor guitars, or rather my wife does. 1870-ish. Maybe I'd better get her a set of these gut strings. Modern black nylon strings just don't look right on it -- although they sound OK, and haven't collapsed the soundboard. I haven't changed her strings in about 38 years, so it's probably overdue.

And btw I agree that the article is interesting.
Somewhere on the Internet Archive site (if you don't get distracted by the hours and hours of Grateful Dead concert recordings) are a number of Elias Howe Books including one that's full of simple guitar accompaniments for popular 19th century songs. It's probably worth having a look at.

razyn said:
This came up in a discussion on early dulcimers.

Dang, that sounds like one of my rants. Off our usual subject? Can't imagine.

I have one of those period parlor guitars, or rather my wife does. 1870-ish. Maybe I'd better get her a set of these gut strings. Modern black nylon strings just don't look right on it -- although they sound OK, and haven't collapsed the soundboard. I haven't changed her strings in about 38 years, so it's probably overdue.

And btw I agree that the article is interesting.

Hi Ian , thank you again for the info , found the Archive site and the book , think it could be useful. Didn't get side tracked by Grateful Dead (shhhhh, not sure who they are ) did get distracted by Howes Flagelot Book though. !
Ian Bell said:
Somewhere on the Internet Archive site (if you don't get distracted by the hours and hours of Grateful Dead concert recordings) are a number of Elias Howe Books including one that's full of simple guitar accompaniments for popular 19th century songs. It's probably worth having a look at.

razyn said:
This came up in a discussion on early dulcimers.

Dang, that sounds like one of my rants. Off our usual subject? Can't imagine.

I have one of those period parlor guitars, or rather my wife does. 1870-ish. Maybe I'd better get her a set of these gut strings. Modern black nylon strings just don't look right on it -- although they sound OK, and haven't collapsed the soundboard. I haven't changed her strings in about 38 years, so it's probably overdue.

And btw I agree that the article is interesting.

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