Glad to see your still at it Scott. Some good info. I just happened across a old 60's supro banjo, in good condition. Ive been working at learning how to play it. Learning banjo after 30+ years of only guitar is interesting. Bryan, n.w. Indiana
I won a 6 string banjo on ebay yesterday with a whatever is needed to connect it to a pa/amp installed. i'll be doing the string thing when it arrives next week. i'd been after a six string or banjo for quite a while. my son and I are looking forward to playing it.
Thank you for this suggestion! I've been working on a "concept" project for a few years and envisioned a 6-string banjo carrying the majority of the melodies. If I had seen this video when you posted it in 2020, I would have been saved a good bit of money and frustration trying to achieve a decent result. After a tedious trial of various strings, heads, tunings, etc. I came to the realization that the wound strings were never going to sound good, but I can't say that I would've ever come to this conclusion. If we ever get this thing complete enough to record, your name will be in the "Thank you" list. If we don't... Thanks, Man!!!
Joe Clymer said that ain’t country boy ! Ah shucks I’m just joshing Scott you’re the best Man. Greetings from Mooresville In and I wish you and the family all the best
4:30 That's the Hey You Tuning which I've used on that same Banjitar (Electric version with Magnetic Pickup) in a Pink Floyd Tribute Band at Mandarin High called "Mustang Floyd" doing it through zoom, & lots of members. A big Rock Choir jamming on the Chapman Sticks.
Loving your videos. So just got my first 6-string banjo. Got a Drumdial and brought the head tension up to specs. Got a pack of 12-string Martin Lifespan 2.0 Treated Phosphor Bronze strings in Extra Light 10-47, and replaced the old ones. On this Martin set, the low E strings are both wound. Size are 0.027" and 0.047", phosphor bronze wound. Put the set on anyway, and the banjo sounds so much better. This now gives me an excuse to go try some different string sets (all unwound), and see how they differ. This string swapping thing isn't making me a better player. But it makes practicing much more fun. So hopefully I'll get better...eventually. Also found out on these Martin strings, the non-wound strings are simply tin plated steel, with no phosphor bronze. So I will probably buy cheaper sets til I find the ones I like. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. And I'm still enjoying all your video courses I bought. Keep 'em coming.
I have an Electric version of that same Banjitar too but I tune mine down a Half Step so that it's easier for me to sing the high notes without pushing my vocal to where I'd hurt myself.
Theo the Watcher You can also call it "Hey You Tuning" because it might make you think of this song:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ac9hDNsggE.html
1:26 When these Banjitars come from the factory to us they come with either 11s or 12s (for Acoustic Guitar) & that's great, whatever people like sounds Groovy. These Banjitars now come w/ a set of 10s which are highly recommended (10s or thinner) so that the Head Vibrates more freely.
Thanks for the tip, putting the 6 thinner strings from a 12 string guitar set on the banjo. I'm an absolute beginner on the banijtar, just bought one from someone (I'm a western guitar player) and find the sound of the banijatar 'different"
Hey Scott, that's the Hey You Tuning from Pink Floyd & if you were to play it on the 6 String Banjo in that Tuning it'll give you a sound that's very angelic. Interestingly I keep my Dean 6 String Banjo in its standard Guitar Tuning these days because the body of a 6 String Banjo tends to be a little bit bigger & deeper than a 5 String Banjo.
Cool!! Friend had one like that many years ago Japanese .. Penco.. Univox.. anyway got rid of it because that the regular acoustic strings. Love the conversion!
Thanks my friend. Yeah, it hit me to do this to it and it just made sense and it came to life and had to share. You know how that goes.......just like a kid.....gotta show everybody the really big dump you took before you flush it. lol I hope you are doing great. I actually remember the Penco brand, then the Univox stuff was all over the place back then. Always lovin't me those good ole days.
@@groovydjs very cool. I actually just sold a cool PENCO rickenbacker copy bass and have a PENCO Howard Robert's jazz copy ( not your type guitar) with oval hole. Penco's is nicer than Gibson with fancy Tailpiece.
Just found this video, excellent, I was bought a Tanglewood Union series Banjitar ,normal guitar strings , it was awful , I tried all sorts of string guages , nothing sounded right or even pleasant but this worked 👍👍👍,now it sounds a little bit banjo 'ey? at least but it's tone is also much better , I kept one wound string on bottom E (.026") for a little bass picking but it still keeps it's tone , thankyou for the video, appreciated 👍👍
Hi Scott you can play Hey you in this Nashville Tuning (E4, A3, D4, G4, B3, E4) cause it was used by no other musician than David Gilmour from Pink Floyd.
21:03 A Nashville Tuned 6 String Guitar (or Double High Strung 12 String) can do the same thing if you have a Nashville Tuned Banjitar down one track and a Standard Tuned Banjitar down another track.
I just saw a picture of an 83’ (I think?) Telecaster Elite with what looked p90 style pickups, I don’t remember you reviewing one, would be pretty neat to see your shoot a video of one!
Groovy Music Lessons If you just strum it sounds kinda Half Banjo, Half Vihuela which is great because in a few weeks I have a gig with a Spanish group that's without a Vihuela player.
I have had a R W Jameson for a few years and it has never dawn on me to put a set of octive strings from a set of 12-strings set. Off to the music store in the morning
@@groovydjs Hello Scott, Oscar Stern here. One of the groovy things about this tuning is that it allowed me to play:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ac9hDNsggE.html Hey You by Pink Floyd on the Banjitar because it was actually written in that Tuning. I thought, let's add a Banjitar cover of Hey You by Pink Floyd because this seems like the right tuning for that song. Happy safe new year & #StayHealthy.
Some great ideas.... I have had many five string banjos that sounded more like a guitar than a banjo,,,, Used to drive me nuts.... I've had Gibsons, Odes, and others but I love my Washburn most of all.....
@@groovydjs Hi there, that tuning you have on a 6 String Banjo is called Hey You tuning cause you'll hear it in that song. This tuning will work with guitar too, which is why Guitar tutorials work on the Banjitar too.
Over 20 years ago, a friend helped me build a 6 string banjo as follows: I bought a cheap 5 string banjo online, and using a aluminum block he machined, connected the banjo body to a Tele neck. Not having a 6 string tail piece, I ran the high E and B strings out of the first hole, then across the bridge. It worked fine, but as you stated, still sounded very muddy. What I did next was take another D and G string tuned 2 steps up and replaced the original low E and A strings. Yours sounds much better, so I'm going to follow your advice. I do wish you would add a link to the Amazon site to add the pickups. Thanks, good job.
I got a 6 string Gold Tone many years ago. tried tuning it like a guitar and didn't like it. Then tuned it open G or open D and it was better. It came with heavy baritone strings. too stiff. I then went to my guitar string using .12 to .56 because of the long neck I put a capo on the 2nd fret for the open G and D tuning. finally a nice sound. Then a friend came up with a tuning on the 2nd fret capo GADADG That turned it into something akin to an Irish tenor banjo. Loved it and could uncapo for C or capo up for other keys. But your string choice sounds great. If tuned to open G a 5 string banjo picker would easily make there way and there would be a great thumbing A string for the D chord. With a banjo like mine they could easily play in F by taking the capo off.
Tested same famous-make 6-string vs. 5 string. Their 6 sounded as bad as my cheap one. Took your advice an it sounded like a real banjo, even before I tuned it! Thanks a buuuuunch!
Hey, my pleasure. I'm glad that it worked out for you. It sure makes a difference when it doesn't sound like a junky guitar and FINALLY starts to sound what it SHOULD HAVE been meant to sound like all along. It would be groovy if the makers of these 6 strings would include this tuning and stringing as an option. Play well Elam.
If you were to compare a Nashville Tuned/High Strung Banjitar (with the Octave Higher Low E String as the 6th String, and Octave4+.006 High B), to a Standard 6 String Acoustic or Electric Guitar strung the same way, you'd be able to hear right away that the Banjitar is actually louder in Volume than the Guitar because the Drum-like body is acting like a really loud amplifier.
This seems like a great idea. looking to pick up a 6 string banjo. Do they all use regular ball end acoustic strings or do you need to find the loop end strings? This is a super idea with the strings.
Groovy Music Lessons Hi Scott Grove this tuning is the Pink Floyd "Hey You Tuning" where strings 3-5 are an Octave higher & the 2 E Strings are in unison which makes this Banjitar sound both Banjo-like & Angelic for this song:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ac9hDNsggE.html that it makes me just wanna sing while I play. A lot of people didn't realize that the Banjitar was originally used in Early Jazz Music as a way for Guitarists to be heard over other instruments because they didn't have Guitar amps back in those days. So Guitarists picked up a Banjitar, started Strumming it, & the Drum like body acted like a really loud amp making it easier for Guitarists to compete with the Horns. The Banjitar kinda a 6 String version of its 4 String Cousin the 4 String Plectrum Banjo (and its little Brother the Tenor Banjo) because 1) all the strings are full length (no short strings on any of these), & 2) they're all played with a Plectrum. Did you know Django Reinhardt played the Banjitar as his 1st Guitar?
@UCFuEvs_baSE2v4QWtQL2dsw That's the David Gilmour Quazi-Nashville Tuning used in songs like Hey you:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5ac9hDNsggE.html The Bottom E can be the Octave Higher Low E String from the 12 String Set, but if you replace the B String with an Octave4Plus 6 Gauge High B then you're in New Nashville Tuning.
Hi! Writing from Sweden, Ive just acquired a 6 string and I have those guitar strings on it, Ive been trying to get the strings an octave higher to reach the same results but havent gotten close. So with that said, Im curious to know which strings you have on there so I can show it to the guy in the music shop and maybe he can help me get that sweet Nashville tuning.
Sold gotta deering boston 6 bought used set up with light acoustic strings. Freakin boring my buddy said the same thing as I was trying to sell it to him totally low balling me.nice
I just use a regular high E string in the place of a low E string. On a regular banjo, the highest pitch string is actually the thinnest string and is tuned to G, so this way it is a similar way to get that sound.
@@groovydjs so if you are using the other high E for the low string, you wont be left with a complete set of regular 6 strings for the other acoustic guitar (rainsong) right? how did you achieve that in this video?
@@groovydjs If these are your 12 strings (from ernie ball earthwood 80/20 bronze alloy), you use both 11s for the banjo right? .011 .011, .015 .015, .024w .010, .030 .014, .042 .022w, .052 .028 and are left with .028, (with .015, .024w, .030, .042, .052) for the other electric guitar instead of a .011? Also is the 5th string on banjo .022w? will that be a wound one?
Groovy Music Lessons This works on both Guitar & Banjitar since they're pretty much the same type of instrument but with a different sound. The Banjitar was originally used in Jazz because back in the 1920s and 30s before we had Guitar amps we had Banjitars which were louder in volume than Guitars because the Drum-Like body is acting like a super loud amplifier. Turns out the Regular Gauge Low E, A, D, & G Strings (also the B as well since the High B4 String is now a super strong Octave4Plus .006) sound great for Jazz, Rock, Movie works such as James Bond, Surf, Arabic Music, & also this Original Work by Clay Hide. Has Covid got you feeling low, alone & under the weather? Then play this song on the 6 String Banjo, called "It's the Music that Brings us together":ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jNH2Kcx9rXw.html (Play in A Major with the instrument tuned down a half step to Eb Standard).
@@groovydjs That was the Hey You Tuning which is Nashville Tuning with Two Unison High E Strings, & you can even play Mariachi Music on it kinda like a Vihuela (A .006 High B from Octave4Plus will give you an even more Banjo-Vihuela like sound since it's so strong.). The Octave Higher Low E String is pretty much going to drive some songs since it's only a step above the Low D on a Banjo. This can be done on both Guitar & Banjitar cause they're pretty much the same instrument only with a different sound. You've gotta remember the Regular Gauge Low E, A, D, & G Strings on a Banjitar sound ideal for Surf Rock, Blues, Ragtime, & even Jazz.
@@groovydjs Yes & by that you mean the Octave Higher Low E String. If you replace the B String with an Octave4Plus .006 High B, you're in Nashville Tuning with a High B, that we call "New Nashville Tuning" which is ideal for Mariachi Music if you don't have a Vihuela player.
