Artiste Banjos, Set Up/Tuning

 BANJO SET UP

POSITION THE BRIDGE      

If the bridge is incorrectly positioned, your banjo won't hit the correct notes. The pressure of the strings holds the bridge in place, to set the bridge,  Measure the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, ensure the distance from the 12th fret to the bridge is equal to this distance. This is the basic method for positioning the bridge completed. Tune the banjo,  (see tuning below), then fret the 1st string (the higher of the two D strings) at the 17th fret, when the bridge is positioned correctly it will read a tuned G note. If the note is sharp, move the bridge down a little. Re tune, and test again. If the tuner says the note is flat, move the bridge a little towards the neck. Re tune, and test again. Keep testing, moving, and re tuning until the 1st string, when fretted at the 17th fret, shows a tuned G note. When you change the strings in future, replace one string at a time so that the bridge stays where youplaced it.

                               VIEW THE MADISON RK25 IN THIS VIDEO

THE HEAD

The head, (the white skin), adjustment makes quite a difference to the sound of the banjo. When the brackets that hold the head work themselves loose, the head becomes “dull” sounding, instead of the tight crispy ring. Remove the back of the banjo ,(resonator), using the thumb screws. Turn the banjo around, and notice the brackets around the banjo. At the bottom end of these brackets are the bracket nuts. Start with one nut and LIGHTLY, tighten it. Position the bracket and nut using very little force, then move to the next one LIGHTLY, tighten one nut, then move to the one directly across from it, and tighten it. Work your way around the banjo, tightening each pair this way. Remember to just barely tighten up the nut. Once you return to the one you started with, you'll most likely find it loose again. It is very common to make a number of passes around the banjo before you get everything settled down, when you have the head crisp and tight put the resonator back on.

STRINGS

One of the most profitable changes you can make to the sound of your banjo is to replace the strings, (different bridges can also make an overall difference). Note that light and medium light strings help save on the fingers of the novice !. Try different strings to hear the difference. Change after approximately every 10 hours of playing time, and if the Banjo is fresh out of storage, then replace them .

TUNING :- 5 STRING BANJO TUNE    TENOR BANJO TUNE   BANJO TUNER METRONOME

JOHNNY BUTTEN'S VIDEOS ON BANJO BUILD AND SET UP, EXCELLENT !

BANJO PART ONE ABOVE  JOHNNY BUTTON  BANJO PART 2    BANJO PART 3     BANJO PART 4     BANJO PART 5

                        UNDERSTANDING NECK RELIEF  AND THE TRUSS ROD