Many guitarists who purchase 6-string banjos do so to play Dixieland and other chord-melody styles without bass strings from a 5-string interfering, yet many overlook the fact that such an instrument will require its coordinator rods to be adjusted periodically.
First, remove the resonator as instructed, and locate and tighten each adjustment screw one eighth to quarter turn at a time until tight.
The Neck
Banjos require more precise fingerwork to play correctly, unlike their guitar counterparts. Fretting out plucked strings requires much more forceful hammering; clearing off fretted ones requires even greater efforts compared to playing 6-string guitars with flatpicks – one reason they fell out of favor; but when played well they can produce amazing sounds!
Many inexpensive banjos sold through big box stores or online vendors aren’t properly set up when shipped; some might arrive with all tightening done properly but most likely aren’t; even if they had, their long journey across an ocean, train ride to warehouse and truck journey could loosen things again over time.
An easy way to test bridge placement is to place your left forefinger just over the twelfth fret of the high E string and pluck it; listen out for an octave overtone – an octave higher than when the string was unfretted – that signals where closer placement of the bridge may be necessary; digital guitar tuners or friends with expertise could come in handy here.
The Bridge
One of the first tasks when setting up your new banjo should be fine-tuning its bridge placement. You can do this by placing your left forefinger on the high E string just above the twelfth fret (never pushing it down on it) and plucking. Listen for an octave overtone, which should correspond with fretted note; otherwise move bridge towards nut.
This will produce a brighter sound and longer sustain. However, if your song requires a gutsier growl sound then moving the bridge away from the nut might be ideal.
Your banjo’s tone can also be altered by altering its head. A clear head provides bright and short sustain; black offers warm long sustain; bottom-frosted offers even greater sustain than Renaissance models, yet sounds warmer than top frosted models.
Another aspect to keep in mind when playing guitar is its radiused fingerboard. Players who have previously experienced playing with one may already know this slight curve that allows your fingers to stay closer together when bar chords are played and makes picking much simpler.
The Pickup
Certain banjos feature an additional drone string to bring their total string count up to six, known as zither banjos or even guitjos in European styles of banjo playing, or for contemporary 5-string pickers when performing Bluegrass-style tunes; adding this drone string makes the instrument more suitable for accommodating different picking patterns common to both genres.
These 6-string banjos often come equipped with resonators bolted on, increasing volume but lessening versatility of use. If you find a playable banjo at an attractive price without one already installed, consider “losing” its resonator for greater sound flexibility and versatility.
Some modern acoustic blues players purchase 6-string banjos specifically to play Dixieland-style music, replacing the 5th (A) and 6th (Low E) strings with lighter ones tuned an octave higher; this allows them to perform full barre chords using only their left hand without the “muddy” effect caused by overly strumming these strings.
Some professional banjo players opt for magnetic pickups on their instruments. This solution is more feedback resistant than mics but does come at the cost of detracting from the natural tone of their instrument. Deering offers custom heads equipped with magnets closer to each string for this high-end mag pickup option; more professional pickers tend to favor it than microphones.
The Fingerboard
Adjustments to a six string banjo don’t stop at just its fingerboard, either. People who purchase cheap models but find them unplayable may be disappointed to discover they can’t make the low strings sound how they should. This may be caused by overly flatpicking patterns on their playing style being ineffective due to insufficient sustain on the instrument itself. I highly suggest opting for nylon strings over steel when playing six string banjo as these have less “mud”.
Six string banjo fingerboards typically feature a curved shape similar to that of guitar necks. While this shouldn’t pose any significant challenges, those unfamiliar with flatboard guitars may find this new shape uncomfortable at first.
Underneath the head of a banjo are one or more long bolt-like devices called coordinator rods that serve to keep its pot from distorting while holding the neck with just enough stability. Adjustment for these rods is fairly simple with either wrench or screwdriver: just tighten each bracket gradually as you work your way around until everything feels even. If any one bracket becomes tighter than others it will inevitably affect both on either side – keep working at it until all is balanced out!