Buying a banjo - technical advice from the experts at Eagle Music Shop

Banjos - Frequently asked questions

Author, Steve Noon 1988
I wrote this article during my Cleckheaton days with Dave Mallinson and David J Taylor after being asked so many questions about banjo set-ups by many banjo playing friends and customers. Steve.

How does your banjo ring?
What kind of banjo do I need?
Heads, skins, vellums ...Tell me about them?
Bridge, how does it affect the sound?
Tailpiece, how does this affect the sound?
Resonator, what is it's function?
Armrest, do I need one?
Strings, what type shoul I use?
Plectrums, picks, tell me about them?
Vellum, how do I fit a new one?

Eagle's answers

How does your banjo ring?
If you are a banjo player, you may already be afflicted by the “vellum pluckers’ disease”. A disease which leaves you constantly asking yourself, “It’s not quite sounding right, is it? Or is it?” If you haven’t yet been afflicted, the following hints, adjustments and modifications will help you through some of the traumas. A banjo is different from most other stringed instruments: you could think of it as a mechanical ‘drum’, with many adjustable parts. So, as a banjo player, it will help you to develop your D.I.Y. and mechanical skills, along with your musical ones.

What kind of banjo do I need?
Choosing a banjo... We have many books, tapes and videos to take you from beginner to advanced player. Please read on… You may ask “what kind of banjo do I need?” Here is a description of the most common banjos used today, and a simple explanation of the music they are chosen for.

THE TENOR BANJO… In the early 1900’s this banjo was designed and made for playing jazz music, it was tuned C4, G3, D2, A1 and either picked or strummed. This is the banjo that has been adapted for playing tunes in Irish and traditional music. In order to make the playing of fiddle tunes, jigs, reels etc. easy, we put heavier strings on the tenor banjo and ‘drop’ tune it to G4, D3, A2, E1. (The fiddle and mandolin are tuned to G4, D3, A2, E1, only an octave higher). Scales and tunes that are written for fiddle are now much easier to play. You can play the tunes on a ‘C’ or jazz tuned banjo, but it is much harder. Another golden rule when stringing ‘drop’ tuned banjos is ‘The shorter the scale length, the heavier the strings’. Tenor banjos come in standard scale (usually 19 fret) or short scale (usually 17 fret), the scale length is the distance between the nut and the bridge. They may be ‘open back’ or have a resonator fitted. The resonator was designed to increase the volume of the banjo. The resonator projects the sound forward.
View our tenor banjo instrument section here.

THE FIVE STRING BANJO… The earliest banjos that came from America (even earlier, from Africa!) reached maturity around the late 1800s. Many fine open back five-string banjos from this period can still be found today. The most popular five string models today have heavy tone rings and are fitted with a resonator. These banjos are chosen for playing bluegrass, folk and general banjo music. The most popular tuning is G (fifth drone string), D4, G3, B2, D1. Normally played with a plastic thumb pick and metal fingerpicks fitted to the first and second finger. Open back banjos have a more ‘gentle’ feel. They are a favourite type for frailing style. A point to note is that all five string banjo types can be used for bluegrass, frailing, old time and jazz. (In some cases you just tune the strings differently).
View our 5 string banjo instrument section here.

THE PLECTRUM BANJO… This banjo has a neck as long as the five-string banjo but is fitted with only four strings. The instrument is ideal for chord work. You can ‘pick’ or ‘strum’ using a plectrum.
View our plectrum banjo instrument section here.

Heads, skins, vellums ...Tell me about them?
The skin, vellum or head This can be adjusted and tensioned like a drum. The choice of skin and tension applied will give a different sound to the banjo.
a) Clear plastic This head will give the loudest, bright thin sound.
b) Plastic head spray finished This head will give slightly less volume than the above, but with more "body". These heads can be obtained with the sprayed on coating applied to the inside or the outside.
c) “Fiberskyn” plastic head This head will give less volume than the above heads but will give a rounder sound with much more body and depth. The sprayed on fibres are applied to the outside of the head to emulate a real vellum, but unlike the vellum, the fibre head is not affected by humidity.
d) Calf or goat skin vellum The vellum will give the traditional full bodied “mellow” sound, but remember that a vellum is affected by humidity and temperature. You can experiment with different heads and different head tensions to find your desired "personal" sound but remember, any adjustment on head tension will affect the height of the strings in relationship to the fingerboard, as the bridge moves with the head All the above heads and vellums are stock items.
View our banjo heads, skins & vellums section here.

Bridge, how does it affect the sound?
The bridge The bridge can alter the tone and the volume of your banjo. If you change your bridge from 1/2” to 5/8” you will get more volume. Don’t forget that this might, depending on your instrument, make the “action” (that is the distance you have to push the strings down to the frets) higher and more difficult. If you sand a bridge to give less area contact with the head, the tone will be “snappier”. You can also taper the bridge from the bass to the treble end to try to eliminate unwanted overtones and harmonics. Compensated 5 string bridges are also available. Maple and ebony bridges are supplied in various heights, also with bone inserts for a clearer sound. Remember, the bridge must be positioned on the head the same distance from the 12th fret as the 12th fret is from the nut. The bridge can be slightly angled to compensate for the heavier fourth string on a tenor or plectrum banjo, the distance at the fourth string thus being slightly greater than at the first string.
View our banjo bridges section here.

Tailpiece, how does this affect the sound?
The tailpiece The tailpiece plays a very important role in the tone and volume of your banjo. Its prime function is to anchor your strings. Its secondary function is to angle your strings to exert maximum pressure on the bridge in order that the bridge transmits sound into the banjo head. Adjustable “clam shell”, “Scruggs” type, “Kershner and “Nashville” types are available. Please enquire for prices.
View our banjo tail pieces section here.

Resonator, what is it's function?
The resonator If you fit a resonator to your banjo, it will have more volume and will project the sound forward. Without a resonator, your banjo will be quieter and sound more mellow. A “frailing” banjo would not have a resonator.

Armrest, do I need one?
The arm rest How can the arm rest affect the tone of a banjo? If an arm rest is fitted to your banjo, it can keep your arm from deadening the movement of the head, which could lower the potential volume of your instrument; also, it can he adjusted to alter the angle and position that you “attack” your strings, which brings in the... strings.
View our banjo armrest section here.

Strings, what type should I use?
Strings come in many different grades, materials and gauges, each of which gives a different sound and “feel” to your banjo. Experiment with all aspects to find your preferred tone and volume, but remember this brief note: thinner steel and nickel for more “clang” and “twang”, heavier wound bronze or phosphor bronze for a “warmer” sound with more body. Note that custom gauge sets can be made up at no extra cost Last but not least, the position that you strike your strings, what you strike them with and the pressure that YOU can exert accounts for much of your banjo’s tone and volume.
View our banjo strings section here.

Plectrums, picks, tell me about them?
Plectrums, picks etc If you are a plectrum player, experiment with different shapes, thicknesses and materials. The nylon picks give a softer sound, the harder the pick the “chunkier” the sound. Remember this brief note: the closer you pick to the bridge, the harder the sound. The further you pick from the bridge, the mellower the sound. The “old masters” prefer to use a tortoise shell plectrum: I prefer to see the shells on the backs of the tortoises! Fingerpicks and thumbpicks likewise come in all shapes and forms. Again, experiment, although you don’t have as much choice as you have with plectra. Bluegrass players go for metal fingerpicks for attack and volume.
View our banjo plectrums & picks section here.

Vellum, how do I fit a new one?
Please note - these instructions apply to natural skin vellums only! Fitting a plastic head is much simpler. Basically, all you need to make sure of when fitting a plastic head is that you apply equal tension gradually, all round the circumference of the head, tightening up hooks evenly and symmetrically. Now to the fitting of the natural vellum: The first thing to do is strip the instrument and you might find this a good opportunity to thoroughly clean all plated parts and remove all dust and dirt from inside the hoop. When the hoop is ready to receive the new vellum, soak the unstretched skin in clean cold water until it is soft and can be rolled - about five to ten minutes should prove sufficient - then lay the wet skin flat on a soft clean towel or cloth and roll it up so that the towel or cloth absorbs all superfluous moisture. Then lay the skin face side up (a rough side and/or a name stamp will be inside the banjo and thus facing down) on the spread-out towel or cloth, seeing there are no wrinkles in evidence.

Place the vellum-wire on the vellum (leaving an even surplus all round) and start to fold the vellum outside the wire over the wire, placing the banjo bezel in position as you go, to hold it. Then lift the vellum and bezel together and place on the banjo hoop. Gently ease into place and then fit six tension hooks in position-one each side of the tailpiece, one each side of the neck, one the centre of each side of the hoop. Now that the vellum and bezel are held in their proper position, gently ease the vellum up under the bezel; see that no folds or wrinkles appear where the vellum goes over the edge of the hoop. A well-fitted vellum should also have no folds in evidence where it laps around the vellum wire. You should now slightly press down in the centre of the vellum to allow a little “play” for subsequent tightening. Now slightly tighten each tension book, seeing that the bezel goes down evenly all around the hoop. After re-checking to see that no folds or wrinkles have appeared in the vellum under the bezel, tighten the tension hooks so that the vellum is evenly stretched across the hoop. The bezel should be a little higher on the hoop than it will be when the banjo is later assembled. Lay the components aside in a cool dry place for not less than twenty-four hours. If it can be left longer, so much the better. Under no circumstances should artificial heat be applied.

When the vellum is thoroughly dry-and here it should be emphasised that the exposed part of the vellum will dry quickly but the part under the bezel will take considerably longer - undo the tension hooks and remove the vellum from the hoop. If there are any signs of stickiness when removing the vellum, it indicates dampness and the vellum should be put on one side to allow for further drying. Trim off the surplus skin and sprinkle a little French chalk on the top on the hoop where the vellum rests. Replace the vellum on the banjo hoop and fit all the tension hooks and nuts, taking great care to apply tension evenly all round the hoop. Note that if tension is applied to the vellum whilst there are any signs of dampness, the skin will split. The correct tension of a vellum to give best results is for it to be as “tight as a board”, just giving to hard pressure of the thumb. If in doubt leave some give in it and consult an experienced banjoist. After a new vellum is fitted it will stretch slightly for a few days. Proper tension may be maintained by a quarter turn on each nut until the skin has its proper give. If you feel you need more help, don’t hesitate to call us.
View our banjo heads, skins & vellums section here.