steel strings on a banjolele?

river_driver

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I know you can't put steel strings on a wooden uke, but what about a banjo uke? Anyone tried it? Is it even advisable?

Gold Tone offers a couple steel strung, very short scale travel banjos - the Plucky with a 15.875" scale and the CC-Mini with a 19.75" scale. It's not obvious to me how they would differ structurally from a banjolele, which has me thinking you could get away with steel on a banjolele. But maybe I'm wrong. I can accept that.

(The main thing that's keeping me away from a Plucky is I don't want the 5th string.)
 
river_driver wrote:
It's not obvious to me how they would differ structurally from a banjolele, which has me thinking you could get away with steel on a banjolele ...
Comparing the instruments in the videos to my solitary "John Grey", the feature that immediately strikes me is the inclusion of the metal rods within the pot of the Gold Tone instruments that my instrument does not have, though my full-size 5-string banjo has two!!

I believe these provide two functions, a provision to adjust the neck angle and thus the action, also as strengthening for the strain of the steel strings. I think I'd be very wary of fitting steel strings to an instrument that did not have this feature, just in case the added tension, in a "worst-case scenario", effectively ripped the neck off ... maybe I'm being a little melodramatic, but these things aren't usually fitted unless there's good reason.

The other consideration I'd have would be the tuners. A lot of older banjoleles have friction tuners that would struggle to hold the tension of a steel string ... and be a pain to tune even if they did cope!

As always, YMMV ;)
 
If tuners are stopping you, get tenor banjo/guitar friction tuners.
 
I didn't string my 1920's-era Varsity banjo-uke with steel specifically because of the tension tuners, and I didn't want to re-drill the headpiece for geared tuners. A newer banjo-uke with a torsion rod and geared tuning machines *should* be suited for metal strings.
 
Check with the builder/manufacturer if you can. Odds are pretty good that an instrument designed/marketed as a banjolele will not be braced for steel strings. As far as the Plucky or Mini, who says who have to put all 5 strings on?
 
Best thing to do is to contact Dirk at South Coast. He does make an all metal set for tenor ukuleles called Classic Metals, they might work.
 
Considering the scale length, mandolin strings (if the bracing is right, tailpiece accommodates, etc.) may be the ay to go. I use EMando.com (who sells custom sets and single stings) for strings for the KonaBlaster and did so for a MandoBird I once had. Am considering trying steel on the Deering banjo uke and EMandocom would be the source.
 
just try some Aquila reds!
 
Thanks, everyone, for your insights!
Comparing the instruments in the videos to my solitary "John Grey", the feature that immediately strikes me is the inclusion of the metal rods within the pot of the Gold Tone instruments that my instrument does not have, though my full-size 5-string banjo has two!!

I believe these provide two functions, a provision to adjust the neck angle and thus the action, also as strengthening for the strain of the steel strings. I think I'd be very wary of fitting steel strings to an instrument that did not have this feature, just in case the added tension, in a "worst-case scenario", effectively ripped the neck off ... maybe I'm being a little melodramatic, but these things aren't usually fitted unless there's good reason.

The other consideration I'd have would be the tuners. A lot of older banjoleles have friction tuners that would struggle to hold the tension of a steel string ... and be a pain to tune even if they did cope!

As always, YMMV ;)

I didn't string my 1920's-era Varsity banjo-uke with steel specifically because of the tension tuners, and I didn't want to re-drill the headpiece for geared tuners. A newer banjo-uke with a torsion rod and geared tuning machines *should* be suited for metal strings.
My fault, I should have mentioned I am looking at modern BU's that have the metal rod (Is it called a torsion rod? I'm not banjo-savvy enough to know these things.). And I favor geared tuners, so the friction tuner issue is not a concern.

Check with the builder/manufacturer if you can. Odds are pretty good that an instrument designed/marketed as a banjolele will not be braced for steel strings. As far as the Plucky or Mini, who says who have to put all 5 strings on?
Taking the string off is one thing, dealing with the lopsided fretboard and the 5th string tuner sticking out partway down the neck is another entirely! I'd rather just not bother.

Best thing to do is to contact Dirk at South Coast. He does make an all metal set for tenor ukuleles called Classic Metals, they might work.
Ah! I was not aware of that. Maybe I should've guessed though.

Considering the scale length, mandolin strings (if the bracing is right, tailpiece accommodates, etc.) may be the ay to go. I use EMando.com (who sells custom sets and single stings) for strings for the KonaBlaster and did so for a MandoBird I once had. Am considering trying steel on the Deering banjo uke and EMandocom would be the source.
Do I remember right that you prefer fifths tuning on your ukes? I'd want GCEA (probably linear rather than reentrant) and I'm not sure I could get there with mando strings. If the tailpiece accepts ball-end strings, I think I can work it out with light electric guitar strings.

just try some Aquila reds!
Meh, not a fan of Aquilas.
 
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Do I remember right that you prefer fifths tuning on your ukes? I'd want GCEA (probably linear rather than reentrant) and I'm not sure I could get there with mando strings. If the tailpiece accepts ball-end strings, I think I can work it out with light electric guitar strings.

It's just a matter of ordering the particular strings one wants in the appropriate gauge/note. EMando.com provides in ball and loop ends. It's just a suggestion rgarding a vendor which has served me well.
 
Taking the string off is one thing, dealing with the lopsided fretboard and the 5th string tuner sticking out partway down the neck is another entirely! I'd rather just not bother.
Y'know how the plectrum and tenor banjos evolved? By just dropping the short string! That bothersome side-tuner can be removed. Some mods even involved running a buzz-saw down the neck to eliminate the lopside. Crude surgery... ;)

Do I remember right that you prefer fifths tuning on your ukes? I'd want GCEA (probably linear rather than reentrant) and I'm not sure I could get there with mando strings.
As mentioned, it's just a matter of selecting the right gages. Several online string-tension calculators can help picking out a custom set for any tuning. BTW there's a neat trick for stringing mandos and 'ukes: flip-em! I reverse-strung one soprano 'uke and tweaked it to very re-entrant fifths: a#-F-C-g, good for strumming mando chords but damn weird for melodic picking! I *could* take the same approach with a set of Aquila Fifths on a soprano 'uke or any mando strings on a strong-enough banjo-uke. That would be another brain-stretching exercise. But it invokes more UAS for me. Yow.

Anyway, you have many stringing options. Have fun!
 
I know you can't put steel strings on a wooden uke, but what about a banjo uke? Anyone tried it? Is it even advisable?

Gold Tone offers a couple steel strung, very short scale travel banjos - the Plucky with a 15.875" scale and the CC-Mini with a 19.75" scale. It's not obvious to me how they would differ structurally from a banjolele, which has me thinking you could get away with steel on a banjolele. But maybe I'm wrong. I can accept that.

(The main thing that's keeping me away from a Plucky is I don't want the 5th string.)

You freak me out with how much you read my mind some days.

I've been toying with the same idea. I found this page to help calculate the gauges:

http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com./stringxxiii.html

I set it up to give me gauges for a guitar with a 13.5" scale tuned A-D-G-C-E-A. I ignored the low A and D and got this.

G-.32 wound
C-.22 plain
E-.17 plain
A-.13 plain

For re-entrant I'd probably use a .13 or .14 for the G.
 
Deering is currently testing metal strings on their new banjo uke.

Deering actually built theirs like a banjo, and are using a standard 11" rim for it, so that one will easily accept steel strings (depending on gauge, of course).
 
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