Easiest Nylon String Knot for Banjo
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- čas přidán 4. 02. 2021
- This is the knot I've been using for years to quickly and effectively tie nylon strings to any tailpiece. Nylon strings open up tonal possibilities you might not have thought possible on your banjo.
The strings used in this video are Aquila Red 11b. I have no financial ties to this string company.
If you'd like to have access to hundreds of hours of banjo-related content, want to be part of a vibrant community that and support traditional acoustic artists please consider joining the Banjo Quest project here: www.patreon.com/tomcollins
Special thanks to Gordon Grunau for making this video possible! - Hudba
I haven't looked at the other comments to see if anyone else noted this but it was clear to this sailor instantly that the knot you tied was NOT a square knot. The knot you tied is called a simple overhand knot and the form you left it in is called an "eye" knot. It will work fine though there are better, less familiar knots to use. I've used Nylagut strings for many years on a banjo with a 12" pot and tune down to open F to better match my vocal range.
Yes! I was moving pretty fast in the video, and got my knots mixed up. My grandfather, a WW2 navy vet and Seabee, would have not been pleased! Thanks for chiming in with the info. Cheers to you!
Tom
Over the years I have acquired a handful of ancient gut and silk strings and they sound fantastic. I don't think nylon can compete.
these Aquila reds could definitely read "plasticky" in terms of tone. Once they break in, that edge softens a bit. What they lack in pure sonic beauty they make up for in convenience and availability. Great for the work-a-day banjoist!
Awesome, answered my exact questions. Thank you!
I usually have the Aquila Minstrel Strings on my banjo. I tune it to double B flat. Great sound. I've used gut, but they're expensive, and seem much more fragile than the nylgut. If I could afford $100.00 for a set of strings (or two for possible breakage) I'd always use them. Gut strings have some "grab" that eludes the nylgut. But one gets used to the nylgut, and they really are great. Thanks always Tom!
Thanks for your thoughts, Bradley! Yeah, gut just isn't practical for me for a number of reasons. I wish the synthetic strings had less "squeak" to them...my striking thumb can get real squeaky during double thumbing runs. That's really my only complaint!
One of the knot videos calls this a Poachers Knot.It`s a very reliable knot and not at all ugly .
Ooooh! Never heard of that knot name before. Thanks for posting!
@@FretlessFuryHowdy sir, I have a brand new Recording King OT25 Madison open back, has no tone ring..
Can I put a set of these reds on this banjo, do you know ??
I just bought it to play old time country folk songs and old time hymns...
I think I will take it in to the music store and see if the old guy there can set it up properly. I myself am having a time trying to tune it up with a snark tuner for some reason.
Plus I figure the steel strings that came on it are junk right ! I figure I should have it set up by someone who knows more about this,, but if I don't do it myself and throw more money at it, I will never learn right !
I think I better rewatch the videos on setting up a new banjo and dig in right...😊
What do ya think.
New wanna be here..
Watching for your reply.
Thankyou sir for your opinion.....
Your fan Harv
That is one beautiful banjo!
Thank you! It's an absolute joy to play. Cheers! Tom
@@FretlessFury Its always so great to play different banjos
thanks Tom...I did it ...the reds on my Ian Pattison 12" from Guelph, Ontario. The perfect mate for this wooden tone ring 12" too.
The absolute BEST knot for Nylon Strings that Ive ever found for attachment to the tailpiece is the BUNTLINE - simply a sliding, self-tightening loop - connected to the standing part by a "clove hitch" .... for self adjusting equal tension all though the loop on the 'post'.
For attachment to the tuning peg, the best is a non-slipping jam knot - put the string into the hole of the tuning (and with about 1-2" of excess length ... from the pot) and then put the tail of sting 'under' the initial part of the 'wrap' and then (while under some string tension) pull the tail 'straight up' while tensioning the string, then complete the winding ... the lock knot will be 'under' the wrap for a non-slip attachment to the tuning peg. Such also works very well with steel strings.
Thanks for the suggestion, Rich!
Thanks for the no-nonsense video. I swear when you start researching nylon strings you end up in the weirdest pocket of the banjo interweb.
Whew! Been there. It was trippy. Glad you made it out and found me. Pick on, MotionDad!! Pick on!
@@FretlessFury Stringed these on my Goodtime Americana today. Didn't have to modify a single thing except slightly bend the railroad spike that holds the 5th string. Sounds great, no regrets!
Yeah, baby! Nice!
Oh yeah, the railroad spike. Been planning to go nylon but didnt consider that issue.@@MotionDadTV
@@harvdog5669 Hey .... sorry I missed this comment! Welcome to the world of banjos! First thing I might mention...."the old time sound" is not monolithic. There are lots and lots of tones that work wonderfully for old time tunes. Nylon, steel and everything in between. So find what you like, and feel free to explore! With the strings in this video, you shouldn't have to change out any parts at all (Aquila Red 11B strings). Resonators are just as "old timey" as anything else, so have no banjo shame! Just listen to Ola Belle Reed play her resonator banjo and you'll see that you're in good company. Enjoy your journey, and thanks for posting!
I've got a set of those reds on my fretless tackhead and I really love them.
Yeah, they're awesome! I wish they didn't break during install so readily! Once they're on though, and broken in a bit, they're totally gorgeous. Thanks for the comment, Nomad!!
Oh right on man i swear by nylgut strings they are the best, i like the new all nylgut (aquila-5b) and minstrel for anything with a longer neck, awesomely informative video
Hey Tom - I can't help but leaving a comment when I watch one of your videos. Always - without exception - I learn a thing or two. And so far it seems these are the keeper type of learnings. If not anything (which I doubt any of your video I watched was) at least you reassure my existing concepts. This is itself of great value. I have been already using this exact same simple knot that I learnt from some other knot tying videos. But as soon as I saw this video I ordered Aquila red for banjo. You didn't mention the model number. I only found AQ-11B for classic banjo. Everything else was ukulele or uke banjos. I figured this has to be it. I tried Aquila 1B and 7B before. The strings arrived today. Excited to find out how it sounds.
What a beautiful banjo with pretty sure Menzies Jamaican goat skin. I got some nice ones from him recently but this fuzzy black spotted ones are the best!!
Oh - wanted to share one thing I learnt to deal with the string edges left at the tail after the clippings. Those sharp edges can poke and bother for sure. I use a lighter or match stick and hold it for a couple seconds barely touching it and it forms a nice tiny spherical blob. They look nice and they won't poke. It needs a bit of practice though. I destroyed some of my strings in the beginning.
I have an 1890s Dobson with appropriate tailpiece, and it has holes to slide the strings through vice knobs for hooks like the “no knot” etc that are setup for loop ends. I use stopper knots, ashley for the 4th and estar for the others. Took me a bit to figure out a knot that wouldn’t slip through the holes. I enjoy playing my old banjo with nylguts, but definitely a different sound then the nylgut reds for the other strings (my 4th is a red) using Aquila B2s.
Ahhh, interesting! Yeah, this solution wouldn't work for you. Sounds like the stopper knots are just the ticket!
I'll be installing a set of Aquila reds as soon as UPS shows up with my new no knot tailpiece today. I'll keep you posted. They're going on a 60's Harmony Deluxe 30. I picked it up at a local pawnshop for $85. It looks like it's never been played.
I have a banjo with those same red strings you have with a bone slot bridge and a fiberskyn head. Tuned down to double A. Sounds like old recordings. I've recently put on a fluorocarbon 5th string.
Thank you!
You're welcome, Jenny! Thanks for watching!
I watched a video about ancient Greek lyre playing . The player mentioned sugarcane strings ! Maybe a shared common name for another plant fiber. Can't imagine they'd last very long.
Very interesting! Sugarcane is super fiberous, so I could see it being used for stout cordage. Thanks for the post!
Hi Tom, thanks for the video! I'm trying to transition my Goodtime Special to nylon strings but I can't find a new bridge that will work (I foolishly tried to sand down my ebony bridge myself and think I made a few nicks that may break the new nylon :( ) Any recommendations for a Nylon-friendly banjo bridge? I've tried Elderly and Joel Hooks website but they seem to be out of stock everywhere..
Banjos were gut strung up until the 1920s and early 1930s when they all went to steel as a rule, at least for new banjos. Gut (nylon) strung banjos give us the traditional banjo sound - they way they all sounded in the "old days". I prefer the old sound and have half of my banjos strung with nylon strings. The old ones don't need any mods, as they were made for gut strings. However, I got a steel string open back banjo just for modding for nylon strings - I cut the nut for the wider nylon strings and a home made "vintage" style bridge, plus I have my old banjos done with calfskin heads, and one Irish Tenor with a synthetic "calfskin" head (Elite brand) - most old banjos vary greatly on actual head size and I generally can't get a modern head to fit. I love the old cylinder and 78 records featuring Vess L. Ossman and Fred Van Eps playing gut strung traditional banjos.
Do you toe a knot after the fifth string peg?
Hi Tom, - I would like to see how you tie the strings at the other end, - to the tuner pegs. Be interesting to see if you do it any different from the usual.
Hey Chris, I thought of doing that, but it might have made the vid too long. I'll be doing some more string change vids in the future, and I'll address that. Best! Tom
@@FretlessFury Looking forward to that. Enjoy all your videos.
Followed your tip of playing over the scoop for one month, - go there automatically now. Think it actually improved my playing!
When playing with other instruments (guitar or fiddle ) do you capo up or what tunings do you use with the nylon strings?
Great question, Tom! It depends on the string set. For the Aquila reds I just stay in G and C, so I think of it more as a "solo set". With nylgut strings it is possible to tune to A and D, either at concert pitch, or and octave lower! I just got a banjo with a minstrel set of nylgut, so it sits in low A and D. I'll be doing some videos about it soon!
Hi Tom,
I have an original Deering Goodtime and have long wanted to put nylon string banjo. Do i need to make any other adjustments if i try the Reds? (strings of course LOL)
Great video brother.
You should be good to go with nothing but strings. I'd pick up two sets. Some of my Banjo Quest folks have experienced some breakages. Go slow, and make sure there are no obvious burrs in the bridge/tailpiece/nut slots. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!
Clifton Hicks recommends La Bella No. 17 for a Deering Goodtime. I'm going to try some on mine ; difficult to find them in the UK though ; had to buy some from Lordofthestrings in Holland.
Recently purchased a couple of sets of Aquila Legend Nylgut strings. I assume they’re actually Reds. The package code claims the 4th string is White, the 4th string sent is totally brown? All of the others are coded corrected red blue green yet claims the 4th is white, I received a separately packaged brown string I assume is the fourth, as the thin 5th is yellow. Also if I use the G tuning you said the Aquila red are fine which I plan tuning G. I like your sound a lot w/ the Aquila’s, yet another banjo video on these strings stated G was to high for Nylgut, D or C is ok. What gives? Any ideas? I’m swapping out my steels for the Nylgut to achieved a softer attack sound. I also plan on tuning the head down a bit to around 80# trq or so rather than 88 to 99+. I’m subscribing as the excellent clarity of video as well as you explanation style is measured and thorough. Btw your tying of the knot was the easiest I’ve come across. Thanks Tom! Eventually I may consider a fret less, again your demonstration of holding the neck in the groove of the hand was brilliant in that video.
I was confused by this too, but I noticed the bag the brown string comes in has a small white sticker on it. That's what the "white" is referring too. They definitely should have been clearer!
Thanks for the video Tom. Do you alter the bridge and nut in order to use nylons? I tried to fit a set of aquilas (not red) today and I snapped 3 of those puppies without even having tuned them too high.
The reds allow you to not alter bridge or nut slots, but if there are burrs in either you can break strings. For the white, thicker nylgut-style strings, the bridge and nut usually need to be altered to accommodate the larger diameter strings. Sorry to hear you broke strings! It happens to all of us. Perhaps you did something to anger the banjo gods, in which case you should play Cripple Creek every day for a week to regain their favor.
@@FretlessFury 😂😂
I agree nylon strings record much better then steel strings. I like Aquila strings to but their Red Series squeak if using right hand bare fingers.
My Reds squeak on my striking hand thumb! Definitely something you have to watch if you're recording.
@@FretlessFury Exactly. I`ve heard their new red series fixed this problem. Not sure. Putting a regular nylon string on the 5th string and keeping the reds on the other 4 is a good work around.
Tom, what bridge are you using on that banjo?
Hey Cameron, it’s a Bart Veerman Darkstar.
I’ve tried Aquila strings before. I like them but they seem to break easily . Never tried the red series though. ✌️
Just looking at responses from patrons on Banjo Quest, it looks like several have reported breakages with the Reds. Mine are going strong on two banjos. I did break one a few months ago, but it was very old. Let me know how they work for you!
I’ve tried these strings on my banjo that’s set up for steel, but the Aquila reds sit on the nut instead of in the groove and the intonation is really bad. Did you have these problems?
Hey Kalen....yes, on some banjos they sit a little proud on the nut. Intonation is always adjustable though, so maybe if you move the bridge a bit you can compensate? I guess it's all about how high the strings sit out of the slots. Good point!
@@FretlessFury Thanks for the reply. I think I’ll try another nylon string to see if it fits better. The reds don’t sit well enough in the nut. I will keep working on the intonation, but the thickness of the reds put it way out. I’m not sure I can compensate that much. I’m looking into the La Bella no. 17 for classic banjo. Have you tried these?
Hi Tom, sorry this isn't a Nylon String question but could you please recommend a Steel set and gauge for Clawhammer it's for an Ozark open back, hoping to upgrade to a Vega soon. Great Video's mate! Charlie
I would recommend GHS PF 160. I have them on 3 of my 4 banjos and love them. About to try the Aquila reds on a short scale banjo I just bought, but I currently have the PF160 set on that as well.
@@stevebutler9205 Hi Steve, Thanks a lot, I'll order a set of GHS PF 160's. All the best! Charlie
Martin medium (V730). I tried it on one of my 12" and I liked it. But I also like D'Addario phosphor bronze EJ55 medium.
You forgot the most important reason why you should try, historical practice lol. The first major banjoing was done on Gut strings by players who were generally also classical guitarists and mandolin player. But another option for the modern instruments we have now rather than just nylon, gut or synthetic nylgut are carbon fiber strings. I'm not sure of any making banjo sets of carbon fiber strings, but it is becoming a common thing for classical guitarists to use now. They have more resonance generally and are much louder than nylon as a material. I know some string makers sell early music carbon fiber strings, so meant for stringing up a Lute of Vihuilla, but they are sold individually by diameter. So you could match them up to the size of the reds, approximately carbons are slightly thinner usually, and then set a banjo up with similarly sized carbon fiber strings. This could help with higher tunings and some of the downsides you said you've found with nylon, and it could also help with notes in higher registers do to the difference in resonance in carbon fiber versus nylon as a material. I know there are a few that sell individual strings by their diameter gauge, but the one I've used for other things like putting a slightly smaller G string on my guitar have been Savarez
The short riff you play here sounds like Jody Stecher's Young Napolean.
Oops, I meant Young Rapoleon
Hi I'm a beginner
Can I put those string on my spectrum banjo tuned in CGBD?
I don't see why not, Sophie! Go ahead and try it and report back here.
Well now that's just great, problem is I've got a bunch of loose hangin strings since you didn't show how to tie the other ends?
This video is a targeted look at tailpiece knots. There are literally hundreds of videos already online dealing with how to wind strings on posts (do it as you normally would for any stringed instrument). No point in duplicating efforts. Good luck!
Is there a reason not to use a simple slipknot? (I'm going to try a set of Nylguts on a banjo with a no-knot tailpiece, if that helps)
That could totally work. I haven't tried it. Give it a shot, and report back here!
@@FretlessFury The slipknots seem to work. On the other hand, I discovered my tailpiece isn't a true no-knot, so the Nylguts don't fit. Waiting on a new tailpiece, should be here in a few days...
@@M_C79 Thanks for reporting back here! Glad it worked out for you.
it sounds like gut stiings
I've got Aquila 5B's, and looping doesn't work with my 4th string; it pulls loose. I had to use a bowline knot.
That works, briarroot! The bowline is a good alternative. Hopefully others who have 5B's will see your comment. Thanks for posting! Tom
That is a good knot but really hard on traditional nylgut 4th string, its really thick
good point, Brandon. I think if the gauges get too heavy, you might have to resort to a fisherman's style knot. The string sets I use work well with this method.
*actually an overhand knot, but thank you still!
Ha!!! I only caught that myself after the video was up. You are 100% correct! Thanks for the comment, Tom
@@FretlessFury Sorry, just the Boy Scout in me 😅. Thank you for the help!
I like nylons in that they sound great and it is easier for the fretless work I am getting into like here: czcams.com/video/4xeSUTd7MeM/video.html
But I find myself cutting them off in favor of steel because I prefer the volume
wow thanks..you know i think the original banjo strings were made out of sheep guts i think.
you weren't in the navy were you?
Appreciate the tip but that isn't a square knot, it is an overhand knot on a bight.
Yeah, a couple of folks have pointed that out. I should have known better, but the vid has helped a lot of folks so I'm just leaving it up mistake and all! Best, Tom
Dear sir. Every knot weakens the chord you put it in by a certain percentage. The knot you just used has the worst weakening of all knots!
If I were fishing, or climbing, I would agree with you. The banjo is a low-tension environment, and in 20+ years of using this knot, I've never had a string break at the knot (though I've had them break at the nut slots due to rough cuts). The beauty of this simple knot is that it's easy and quick to tie with no fuss ... even for beginners. If there are knot-nerds out there who don't trust this knot, that's totally cool. This video isn't for them anyway. As always, horses for courses!