I have a 17 fret short-scale tenor banjo, and was wondering if it would be possible to tue it down from GDAE to CGDA and what I would need to do that. Thanx in advance!
The standard tenor banjo tuning is CGDA, a 4th _above_ GDAE.
If you want to try it, just buy a d'addario j63 tenor banjo set. If you want the change to be permanent you might change the nut and bridge to better accommodate the lighter strings.
If you really want CGDA below GDAE, go to some online string tension calculator like this one: http://www.pacificsites.net/~dog/StringTensionApplet.html
and find the string gauges for low CGDA that give the (more or less) same tension that the strings you currently have.
You probably will have to modify the nut and bridge to accommodate the heavier strings.
shortscales need relatively heavy strings to work well at GDAE. the gauges required for CGDA below GDAE would be very heavy indeed and probably sound dreadful
a cittern or bouzouki with 26" scale would be a better prospect for low CGDA tuning
"so its the tuning its at right now-GDAE- is below standard?"
Yes, one could say that. Tenor banjos where originally made for CGDA-tuning. But irish musicians have retuned them for GDAE at least since the seventies. Many tenor banjos have been adjusted to work for irish tuning (nut and bridge slots, etc), but all older instruments where originally made for CGDA.
//Lars
tenor banjo!
tenor banjo!
I have a 17 fret short-scale tenor banjo, and was wondering if it would be possible to tue it down from GDAE to CGDA and what I would need to do that. Thanx in advance!
# Posted on May 2nd 2009 by steve...r
Re: tenor banjo!
The standard tenor banjo tuning is CGDA, a 4th _above_ GDAE.
If you want to try it, just buy a d'addario j63 tenor banjo set. If you want the change to be permanent you might change the nut and bridge to better accommodate the lighter strings.
If you really want CGDA below GDAE, go to some online string tension calculator like this one:
http://www.pacificsites.net/~dog/StringTensionApplet.html
and find the string gauges for low CGDA that give the (more or less) same tension that the strings you currently have.
You probably will have to modify the nut and bridge to accommodate the heavier strings.
# Posted on May 2nd 2009 by Ramiro
Re: tenor banjo!
Steve:
What would be the advantage of CGDA? Would it be worth a major modification to your banjo beyond simply changing strings?
M
# Posted on May 3rd 2009 by Micheál
Re: tenor banjo!
shortscales need relatively heavy strings to work well at GDAE. the gauges required for CGDA below GDAE would be very heavy indeed and probably sound dreadful
a cittern or bouzouki with 26" scale would be a better prospect for low CGDA tuning
# Posted on May 3rd 2009 by millionyears_bc
Re: tenor banjo!
so its the tuning its at right now-GDAE- is below standard?
# Posted on May 4th 2009 by steve...r
Re: tenor banjo!
"so its the tuning its at right now-GDAE- is below standard?"
Yes, one could say that. Tenor banjos where originally made for CGDA-tuning. But irish musicians have retuned them for GDAE at least since the seventies. Many tenor banjos have been adjusted to work for irish tuning (nut and bridge slots, etc), but all older instruments where originally made for CGDA.
//Lars
# Posted on May 4th 2009 by lars