Six string banjos can be great fun to play and sound great; however, some mechanical components require setup in order for them to function optimally.
Even though many full-service music stores provide quality instrument setup services, most initial setup can be done independently by you.
Getting Started
A 6-string banjo can usually be purchased from a full-service music store where an experienced technician will assemble and set it up to play. While many of these models feature elaborate bells and whistles, beware; sometimes the simpler models offer superior playability.
Setting up a 6-string banjo requires the first step of adjusting its bridge position. You can do this by placing your left forefinger lightly onto the nut (without exerting pressure or force) and plucking. Listen for an overtone, which sounds bell-like; that should indicate where your bridge should sit if you want chords played with right hand.
Once the bridge is installed, tune your banjo according to guitar tuning (EBGDAE). Use either a digital tuner or ask someone who plays guitar to help. Furthermore, ensure the coordinator rods (which run under the drum head between heel and tailpiece) are securely in place if your banjo has them; these rods make the instrument much more stable than without them, saving time from having to tighten loose drumheads or replace broken ones later on.
Adjusting the Neck
Most Chinese banjos, in particular, aren’t set up correctly when they leave their factories, leading to issues like high action or fret buzz. You may be able to straighten out your banjo neck yourself; alternatively, professional set up services may also be available.
Initial steps involve loosening the strings so they’re slightly flat, then using a wrench or hex driver to tighten the adjustment screw on the front of the peghead (Goodtime banjos have two coordinator rods; most other brands only one). Check down the neck for any increases in distance between nut and 12th fret; tighten until string forms a slight curve before tightening further.
Hold your string above the 12th fret and pluck with your right hand; an “octave” overtone should sound an octave higher than when unfretted. If fret buzz occurs on any other frets, turn back off the adjustment screw by one quarter turn before trying again.
Most modern banjos require some neck relief; the exact amount is up to you and depends on which strings you use. A flat neck may work just as well, though most players prefer some relief. Once completed, retune your banjo and let it settle over time before tuning again.
Adjusting the Bridge
Many banjos will arrive with the bridge set too far forward, causing its strings not to sound as tunefully on that string. To adjust this simply scootch it forward or backward using the same method you did for neck adjustment (using “Flat Forward” as a reminder of what you are doing). Once this adjustment has been completed tighten up both of these nuts to set their action – once both nuts have their action set you should be good to go!
Now fret the third string at its 12th fret and check its note with your tuner; it should register G as expected; if this occurs you are done; otherwise scoot the bridge up or down by 1/16th inch until all four strings are in tune with one another. Repeat these steps until all are in tune with one another.
Checking your banjo’s bridge placement at least once when changing its strings or installing a new head is important, and to double-check its positioning whenever tightening or loosening its head can change string tension causing movement of its bridge placement. A loose head may cause increased or decreased string tension which causes its bridge to shift up or down as tension shifts within it causing string tension changes to cause movement at its base.
Tuning
Although 6-string banjos can be used to play many Dixieland chords (especially with guitar players whose parts require them to double on banjo for brief moments), and some musicians actually do that, the bass strings can quickly muddy up the sound if strung and fingerpicked in an unconventional manner. One solution would be replacing these bass strings with lighter versions tuned an octave higher; this allows chords to ring while still producing their signature lower metallic tone that gives Dixieland and other styles their unique sound.
Lower strings also require precise picking pressure, which must be administered with extreme precision to be successful in fingerpicking them. You have several methods at your disposal when picking lower strings; either “hammer on” (pluck it after fretting it) or light downstruming using middle or ring fingers’ fingernails as fingernail pickers; this technique takes practice to develop calluses on right hand calluses while maintaining consistent force throughout each beat.
Once your bridge is secured in its place, make sure its position is correct by holding one string up near the tailpiece with your left hand and gently stroking it, listening for overtones as you go. If they differ significantly from those at its twelfth fret – if so, adjust its location by shifting closer or further away from its position until equal overtones can be heard on both strings.