Uh oh, I just ordered a Prust banjo, but didn't know about "minstrel low" tuning. Will I be able to play the same songs with the same fingering as on my modern five-string? How would I tune to Mountain Minor? Thanks, and thanks for the great video.
You'll be able to play the same songs with the same fingerings, but they'll be lower in pitch. Mountain Minor could be dADGA or any other set of pitches as long as you tune the strings relative to each other. Does that make sense? The Prust neck is just a single piece of wood without reinforcement (like a truss rod or laminations) so the neck can't take the strain of "modern" tunings.
So the sound of this banjo is closer to what we might have heard if we were living in the year, say, 1854 and went to a minstrel show? I like the dipping notes.
Must be! I didn't build it myself (I might need a nice workshop in Maine for that!) But, check out the gourd banjo I made with the neck from this banjo in "Run, Rabbit, Run."
RaggedTime, I believe the minstrel type banjos are generally not designed for the higher string tension of "standard" tuning (not that you couldn't tune it high. I guess you'd just have to keep an eye out for any neck warping.)
I have tuned my Lee Lone Star low and high. I used dADF#A (4 steps below gDGBD) for Cripple Creek, and gCGCD for Angeline the Baker. You could listen to both videos if you want to hear the "low" and "high" tuning on the same banjo.
Uh oh, I just ordered a Prust banjo, but didn't know about "minstrel low" tuning. Will I be able to play the same songs with the same fingering as on my modern five-string? How would I tune to Mountain Minor? Thanks, and thanks for the great video.
cercamons 1 year ago
You'll be able to play the same songs with the same fingerings, but they'll be lower in pitch. Mountain Minor could be dADGA or any other set of pitches as long as you tune the strings relative to each other. Does that make sense? The Prust neck is just a single piece of wood without reinforcement (like a truss rod or laminations) so the neck can't take the strain of "modern" tunings.
PeterDoughty 1 year ago
So the sound of this banjo is closer to what we might have heard if we were living in the year, say, 1854 and went to a minstrel show? I like the dipping notes.
nicodagger 2 years ago
must be genetics...sounds good. did you build that yourself?
cavufarm 4 years ago
Must be! I didn't build it myself (I might need a nice workshop in Maine for that!) But, check out the gourd banjo I made with the neck from this banjo in "Run, Rabbit, Run."
PeterDoughty 4 years ago
Unique sound, I think I'm interested in one too... is it tuned minstrel-low or standard?
RaggedTime 4 years ago
RaggedTime, Eric makes 'em nice (and affordable.) It's tuned minstrel low (dADF#A.)
PeterDoughty 4 years ago
I see.. Can you post a video of one of these in standard tuning? I wonder how they sound when not in a low tuning.
RaggedTime 4 years ago
RaggedTime, I believe the minstrel type banjos are generally not designed for the higher string tension of "standard" tuning (not that you couldn't tune it high. I guess you'd just have to keep an eye out for any neck warping.)
I have tuned my Lee Lone Star low and high. I used dADF#A (4 steps below gDGBD) for Cripple Creek, and gCGCD for Angeline the Baker. You could listen to both videos if you want to hear the "low" and "high" tuning on the same banjo.
PeterDoughty 4 years ago
Thanks for letting me know, Peter. I've listened to both and you play very well.
RaggedTime 4 years ago
Cool sound, nice and deep and the fretless slides sound great.
bonovox2u 4 years ago