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Cello banjo pluckers

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Everything about 4- and 5-string cello banjos -- gear, technique, music. Any and all experience levels welcome!

93 Members, Created 10/22/2011 -

Administrators: raharris (owner)

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From drmarx999 on 3/17/2017 4:57:24 PM

Okay, I asked banjo guru David Bandrowski (The Banjo Studio, New Orleans) about switching out the nylon top string on my Gold Tone Cello Banjo. He suggested that I experiment with strings from a standard tenor set. I'm happy to tell you that the regular metal D string works like a charm, and really opens up the sound of the instrument. Anybody try anything else?

3 Comments
	mike gregory says: 3/17/2017 6:06:09 PM I've tried weed whacker line, twisted nylon fishline, tennis racquet and badminton racquet cordage. But I'm not going to try describe the sounds, since I haven't had a cello banjo in the house for a couple of years. suffice it to say that it's an inexpensive variety of materials, if anybody else wants to run their own experiments. Sporting goods stores sell the racquet material, OR, thrift shops sometimes have racquets for a dollar or two. Happy hunting, for the sound you EACH individually prefer. No two EXACTLY alike.
	Devilx2 says: 4/27/2018 5:59:23 PM I asked Wayne at Gold Tone and he said mando Cello Strings all wound .070, .044, .034, .020
	dhergert says: 4/27/2019 11:11:44 AM I've got a CEB-5 and I'm using D'Addario XL Chromes (ECG25) electric guitar striongs in light gauge (specifically the .024w, .032w, .042w, .052w strings plus another .024w string for the short 5th string). These flatwounds produce a similar clear yet muted tone to the original nylon strings, but they last forever (or at least a very long time). I checked with GoldTone before using these strings and they were confident that the instrument was sufficiently built for steel string tension. I also ordered from them a couple of bone-capped bridges at that time, which I've been using with the steel strings. Keeping steel strings clean is important for tone and touch, but other than cleaning them these strings have been maintenance free and they sound great.
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