Subject: six string banjo guitar


Hello,

I just picked up a fine six string banjo guitar.

Can I tune it with a standard guitar tuner - play the tone and watch the needle type?

Having a little trouble getting the hang of setting it up and tuning it. Any advice?

Regards,

Claughton

Greetings Claughton,

Yes, a six string banjo can be tuned with an electronic tuner...guitar or chromatic...you would play the string you're trying to tune while simultaneously watching your tuner...the needle should center on the note you're attempting to tune to...now, the one consideration on a banjo is the lack of sustain, therefore, the needle will not be as stable as it is on guitar...so, the work-around would be to play the string repeatedly while watching the needle...since you cannot depend on the sustain to hold the needle on the given note.

For set-up, be careful to make sure that the intonation is correct before attempting to tune it...the bridge needs to be properly aligned or the banjo may sound out of tune when playing up the neck. To do this, go to our online slide show at:
http://www.folkofthewood.com/10ppbanjobridge/sld001.htm

The same principles apply for installing a banjo bridge on a 5 string as it does on a 6 string...

Hope this helps, Mickey