Irish Tenor Banjo - what have you got?

[James Rankine]

I'm guessing most folk who play Irish and related styles will be doing so on a tenor banjo. There is of course nothing to stop you playing Irish tunes on a 5 string, but certainly on this side of the atlantic GDAE tenor banjo predominates for this genre.
I've had my Capek 19 fret Brdy (not a typo - it's a region of the Czech republic) open back for about 6 months now and I love it. It has a whyte ladie tone ring which has more ring than my other banjos - a no tone ring Deering goodtime and a Chinese version of the Deering with a simple brass ring tone ring. They are all good banjos but very different. I used to have a resonator with a Gibson style mastertone tone ring but I couldn't tame the beast and let it go. So I'm aiming for a slightly more mellow tone at the moment than the arch top resonator which seems to predominate for this style (though I reserve the right to change my tastes). I particularly like John Carty's style and his Ome open back 12 inch head with a simple brass tone ring - but then again he could make any banjo sound good. I play every week in an Irish session. I'm usually the only banjo player, or maybe one other on occasion, and try to reign things in unless I'm leading a set.

Here's a video and pictures of the banjo, which I originally posted on the song a week social group over on the mandolin cafe (I've been a mandolin player for longer than the banjo but, like so many others, found it difficult to hear myself play in session).

What have you got?

[Banjo Cafe]

Very fine photos of all the Capek instruments, including his Irské banjo Brdy, on his website, which you can link through our builder database.

[paulbrett]

I have a Barnes and Mullins Empress 17 fret, the walnut one. I'm a mandolin player who only made the move to banjo lately and the Barnes and Mullins was the nicest for the money I played. Still getting to grips with the stretches after about 25 years of mandolin.

[Dave Hanson]

I play a 1914 short scale Vega Whyte Laydie, 102 years old this year and still plays perfectly and sounds amazing.

Dave H

[derbex]

I have a short scale Vega, I think it's a Little Wonder, from about 1923. I'm fed up with the mandolin being drowned out in sessions so it might be going to the pub again

[CarlRobin]

I have an inexpensive "Recording King" 23" scale length. Thanks James Rankine for the video. It's a great tune, and I liked the black banjo head on your instrument.

[BBarton]

Great new site!!! I have an Epiphone Recording A and a short-scale Clareen Oyster -- both great tenor banjos. Like many, I also made the move from mandolin (but still play the mandolin).

[Eric C.]

I have an inexpensive "Recording King" 23" scale length. Thanks James Rankine for the video. It's a great tune, and I liked the black banjo head on your instrument.

What string size do you use? I have a Recording King 19 fret tenor banjo. Looking for a good sounding GDAE tuning.

[Brooklyn]

Hello all,

I have a Goodtime two 17 fret ITB. It's a nice entry-level banjo. Playing mandolin, I still find it difficult to get the hang of the scale length. But as I play more it slowly gets better. I hope to find more TAB for GDAE Irish Tenor banjo.

Great to see a banjo cafe web site. Good luck to Charlie and all who keep it running.

James

[CarlRobin]

What string size do you use? I have a Recording King 19 fret tenor banjo. Looking for a good sounding GDAE tuning.

Eric, your banjo must be same as mine. I got it from Elderly Instruments. The strings are from a set "Deering Irish tenor banjo strings" on the package of my spare set it says: 1) .012 2) .018w 3) .028w 4) .038w. These are apparently the sizes. Strings for the CGDA tuning won't give the right sound when tuned lower, I was told. On advice from a friend, before shipping it to me, I asked them to put the Irish strings on, and widen the nut slots a little so those strings would slide through without binding for easy tuning. I have only had the banjo for several months, so haven't changed strings yet. Shouldn't be too hard though.

[BBarton]

Carl, I use those gauges on my 19-fret, but for the 17-fret I use a .040w or even .042w for the low G string to counter the intonation issue you can get with a lighter string on the short scale. Check your intonation as you fret up the scale to about the 5th, and if it sounds a bit off, you could try the slightly heavier gauge. It works for me! You're correct, regular tenor strings for CGDA tuning will just be sloppy when tuned down to "Irish".

[Irish]

I have two Ome banjos. Ome open back Wildflower and Ome Celtic. I also have a nice 17 fret Vega style X #9 from the 1920s.

[Jill McAuley]

I currently have a !920's Lange made Triple X short scale tenor - it looks like it's an open back but it actually has a close fitting resonator. I'm scheming to get me hands on a Clareen tenor though - I've always been fond of the Celt model Tom does as I played one he had in the shop every time I would drop in.

[Martin Ohrt]

I use a Gold Tone IT250F, a 17 fret tenor. Sporting an archtop tone ring, it cuts through in most settings, but has still a nice deep sound.

[BBarton]

Martin -- I had one of those, and I think that model with the arch-top head is an excellent value for the price. I let mine go so I could take the plunge for my vintage Epiphone, but certainly enjoyed playing it while I had it.

[Brian Shaw]

My main banjo is a mid 20s Vega Tubaphone with the large pot.

[BBarton]

I currently have a !920's Lange made Triple X short scale tenor - it looks like it's an open back but it actually has a close fitting resonator. I'm scheming to get me hands on a Clareen tenor though - I've always been fond of the Celt model Tom does as I played one he had in the shop every time I would drop in.

Jill, Are you aware of the 19-fret Clareen Elite Gold for sale in the BH classified? I think it's in WI. Pretty classy banjo.

[Jill McAuley]

Oh I'm aware of it indeed! No funds at the moment though, still stashing the cash away so hopefully there may be a Clareen in the house come Christmas time!

[MzLoretta]

Goodtime Special Tenor Banjo 17 Fret.jpg

I have a new Deering Goodtime Special Openback 17 fret tenor banjo. Boy howdy, it's sure different from the mandolin. I have teeny tiny hands and short fingers .... so I'm digit jumping over those frets. Learning how to position her after playing the ol' mandolin is a challenge ... but here I go!

I've become partial to the playing of Gerry O'Connor because he's an outstanding player with a rhythm I understand ... and he took some serious time, in a forum, to help me get my luther to use the proper string gauge for GDAE, even tho' he uses CGDA mostly. Before he helped me, the intonation was crap and I was very sad. I don't speak banjo ... yet.

[Mooh]

Gold Tone IT250, stock except for a set of Gotoh 510 mini machine heads as the originals were less than satisfactory. Open back, and a selection of Remo heads, frosted one right now but often a fibre head. Levy's strap.

[Jill McAuley]

Well I just added a '92 - '93 Deering Standard 19 fret tenor to the fold. There's a hand written date that lists '92 inside the resonator, but the serial number dates it to Feb '93. Should be here next week. I'm still planning on getting a Clareen, hopefully by the end of the year (I'm a firm believer in Christmas presents to yourself!), but I got a good deal on the Deering and since I've always played short scale tenors, barring the odd go on a 19 fret one in a music shop, this will be a good way to see if 19 frets is my cup of tea or not. That way when I drop money on a Clareen I can be certain about whether to get a 17 fret or a 19 fret one.

[BBarton]

Jill -- Good solid banjo! I think (and guessing I could be wrong!) that the Standard may have been the forerunner for the Sierra and Deluxe lines. Does it have mahogany neck and resonator? Was that the one listed on BHO classified fairly recently? When I jumped to 19 frets from 17 some years ago, it took awhile to get used to the stretch, but now I like it better. I still use my 17-fret when I'm feeling lazy, and it also fits into a small gig bag better with the resonator off, so its good for carrying around at festivals and such. Enjoy the Deering!

[Jill McAuley]

It is the one that was in the BHO classifieds - ad text says it was the forerunner to the Sierra model. They did look fairly similar to the eye until the Sierra got it's revamp with more ornate inlays. The current Sierras have a different tone ring design as well. The Standard I'm getting differs from the Sierra specs in that it is gloss finish to the Sierra's satin, and the ad lists it as having mahogany neck, with maple rim and resonator. I've tried finding archived specs for the Standard online without joy so might email the folks at Deering to see if they can help.

When I lived in Oakland and was not far from the now gone 5th String music shop I used to sit and play the few tenors they had. Usually consisting of a used 17 fret tenor or two, and they had a 19 fret Deering Vega Little Wonder on the wall for ever. Steep price (somewhere in the range of $2300) for me, nice sound though, I did find that the more I picked it up the easier it was to adapt to the bigger stretch of the 19 frets. When they went out of business I kinda wished I'd gone in and made an offer on it, but missed me chance. Counting the days til the Standard gets here (Tuesday), rescheduled a work meeting so I could sit in and wait for it!

[Jill McAuley]

Just found out the Standard would have been a mahogany banjo with a maple rim. Mine has an ebony fretboard, which would have been custom ordered, not sure if the gloss finish was standard for them at the time or if that would've been custom ordered as well.

[BBarton]

Jill -- My Deluxe was mahogany neck and res as well, and in gloss finish; Sierra was the same thing only in satin finish. This was before they reissued them a couple of years ago with more bling on the neck and headstock. I didn't know about a change in the Sierra tone ring. So the Standard should be pretty comparable to these models. Happy picking!