New to TB and TB Group…first posting

  1. John W.
    John W.


    Just recently joined the TB group… Here’s my first offering… As I say on the YT posting: I picked up this tenor banjo - Ozark 2141T - around 9 months ago off gumtree. I’ve wavered on the question of whether I would prefer a short scale 17 fret TB, and consequently haven’t spent much time trying to get to grips with this 19 fret TB. However, I decided to give it a go, get a tune to post and take it from there. Set up/action not quite right, not sure about best plectrum to use, as yet, and scope for improvement in the playing. But, decided to post as is and move on.
  2. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    Well done on your first tenor banjo vid! Regarding plectrum choice, generally speaking plecs in the .50mm-.72mm range are favoured by tenor banjo players who play irish trad music, though you will also find players, such as Alan Reid from Goitse who use heavier plecs (if I remember correctly Alan uses a 1.5mm Blue Chip!) A lot of players like the .50mm Clayton Acetyl plecs - I like them but find that they wear out really really quickly. A standard "go to" plec would be the grey Jim Dunlop nylon ones in either .60mm or .72mm (slightly darker grey). I personally like the Janicek "D-Grip" plecs and go back and forth between the red .72mm ones or the purple .60mm ones.
  3. John W.
    John W.
    Thanks Jill…and thanks for the advice re plectrums. You wouldn’t have made the connection, as I am registered as nhojw (John W) on MC, but I have a YT channel under the name of John Williamson, via which I recently commented on one of your vids and enquired about short scale TBs… Amongst the advice you gave you also broadly suggested the scale length on a 19 fret may be worth having a go at… As I had the 19 fret I decided to focus a little. For now at least I will stick with it (as a little diversification from mandolins).
  4. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    Hi John! Handy to have the 19 fret one to put some miles on!
  5. icedoghans
    icedoghans
    I love the tone you achieve on this recording. Are you using flat wound strings? Is this 19 fret tuned GDAE (octave mando)?
  6. John W.
    John W.
    Thanks for the positive comment, icedoghans. The strings are not flatwound, they are a standard D’Addario set of Irish Tenor Banjo, nickel plated steel strings, 12, 16, 24, 36 - Ref EJ63i - and yes, it is tuned GDAE.
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