Aquila Minstrel Banjo 5 strings - Nylgut with wound 4th, Full Set [7B]
$8.79
By: Stephen WellcomeDate Added: 01/18/2016
I just tried these on an old 19th-century banjo. Previously, I'd been using nylon guitar strings, but I wanted to see if strings designed for use on a banjo would make any difference. Short answer: I think it does. These strings seem to make a crisper sound than the guitar strings.
A couple of things: These strings stretch -- a lot! When I first put them on, I thought I'd be re-tightening them forever. They settled down after a day or two though. I've read elsewhere that they ought to be tightened slowly initially. Whether that actually matters or not I don't know, but I didn't rush the process. Another detail is that these strings have no end termination: no loop, no ball. You have to tie them to the banjo tailpiece. I used a timber hitch, which I believe is also used to attach nylon guitar strings to classical guitar bridges. At any rate, it works.
I like the way they feel. They fret well, and they feel good for frailing.
I deduct one star for lack of string terminators -- loops or balls -- but that's really a minor quibble.
These strings seem to make a crisper sound than the guitar strings.
A couple of things:
These strings stretch -- a lot! When I first put them on, I thought I'd be re-tightening them forever. They settled down after a day or two though. I've read elsewhere that they ought to be tightened slowly initially. Whether that actually matters or not I don't know, but I didn't rush the process.
Another detail is that these strings have no end termination: no loop, no ball. You have to tie them to the banjo tailpiece. I used a timber hitch, which I believe is also used to attach nylon guitar strings to classical guitar bridges. At any rate, it works.
I like the way they feel. They fret well, and they feel good for frailing.
I deduct one star for lack of string terminators -- loops or balls -- but that's really a minor quibble.