My Music Gear – Banjo and Guitar
Sometime people ask me what kind of strings, picks, or banjos I’m using. I thought I’d give a run down of some of my favorite equipment.
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My Banjos
- 1978 Gibson RB-250
- 2004 Gibson Earl Scruggs with a Frank Neat neck
- 2012 Romero 12 inch claro walnut open back
My 78 Gibson RB-250 is what I consider my main and favorite axe. It is all original except for some of the binding. I’ve had it ever since I was 16 years old. Mark Bramlett did rework the fingerboard and neck, so it has SUPER low action.
My 04 Earl Scruggs model is all stock except the following mods:
- Frank Neat neck
- Kershner Tailpiece (I recently added this and like it more than the Presto it had)
- Buckeye Cherry Bridge
My 2012 Romero Banjo has the Belle rose brass hoop design. I took the inlays from an old Bay State Banjo from the late 1800’s. I recently replaced the original head with Renaissance head and did the staining myself (mine looks NOWHERE as good as what Jason did originally). It currently has a Purcell custom red maple bridge on it. The spacing is wider than Crowe spacing, allowing better access to the strings for clawhammer.
Banjo Strings I use
- GHS PF145
- Ernie Ball Frailing Bronze strings
(click photos to purchase from Amazon)
I’ve been using the GHS PF145’s for years now on both the Earl Scruggs and RB-250. I used to use the J.D Crowe strings and have used Almost Mediums, but I find these are better. They stay in tune a bit better than pure lights. I also play a lot of guitar and don’t want very light strings to have a little bit closer feel between the two instruments (I use light guitar strings)
I use some alternate tunings with my Romero and it’s shorter scale. So, I needed some heavier strings without being dead/plunky sounding. Specifically, I wanted a heavier 2nd string (.13) for when I tune it down to A. These Ernie Ball frailing banjo strings fit the bill perfect. The only thing I’m not a fan of is the Bronze fourth strings. It sounds wonderful but goes dead quick. So, I’ll probably run these strings and use a leftover fourth from any of my bluegrass string sets in the future.
Banjo Bridges
- Gary Sosobee Red Maple
- Buckeye Cherry
Gary is a good friend of mine and is my favorite banjo bridge maker.
I recently switched to the Buckeye Cherry bridge to reduce some of the ringing and sustain of my Earl Scruggs model. The high pitched pinging was really starting to bother my ears. You can even see my bridge experiment I did where I show via a frequency spectrum the less overtones of the Buckeye (It is BRIDGE THREE in the videos)
Banjo Strap
I like this strap because it takes some of the weight off your shoulders. It’s flexible.
Banjo Picks
I’ve been using Dunlop brass fingerpicks and the Blue Herco Thumbpicks for ages now. I buy the fingerpicks by the tube as in the link. Brass fingerpicks are not as heavy, they are easier to bend, and I light the sound of them better. The ONLY issue with brass picks is they do have a tendency to have some more string noise if you aren’t careful….just learn to follow through the strings correctly!
My Guitar
I currently play an Eastman E2OM-CD that’s made of sapele and cedar. I do still own a 2004 Martin D-18 Golden Era, but I’m not playing much bluegrass gigs with it and I’m about to sell it to one of my best friends 🙂
You can read my review of the Eastman here. I walked into Maple Street Guitars in Atlanta, played a ton of small bodied guitars, many up to $3500. However, this little guy won out. It cost me less than $800.
Guitar Strings
I use the D’Addario XT phosphor bronze strings on my Eastman. These strings seem to last forever. They don’t have a ton of squeak to them and have a shimmering clarity. Check them out!
Guitar and Banjo Capos
I only use the Planet Wave NS Guitar and Banjo Capos. I love these. I don’t see spending more money for a capo that I’ll most likely lose anyways. Not to mention I’ve never heard any sound difference between these and the $100 variety.
Guitar Strap
If you want to lose your mind, try to shop for a guitar strap. You’ll soon be completely overwhelmed with 5000 options and flavors. I remember thinking, I could have probably learned another half dozen songs by the time it’s taking me to decide on this.
At some point, I lsettled on this strap for my Eastman
Levy’s MS26 Suede Guitar Strap – Brown
Where I Do Business
My favorite places to order from are:
- Sweetwater Music
- Strings By Mail
- Elderly Instruments
- Smakula Instruments
- Wherever else I have to order from 🙂
Sweetwater music is SUPERB for customer service, they even send you a package of candy with your order. My guy is Ryan Clapper and he always follows up with a nice phone call about the products I’ve ordered.
Strings By Mail I’ve started using more lately. Talk about FAST shipping. After the order, they sent it right out the door. Blown away. Order in bulk to save money.
Elderly Instruments is another place to order some oddball stuff from if you can’t find it elsewhere. Great for banjo books, strings, and lots of guitar stuff as well.
Smakula Instruments is where I order my banjo heads from. He has the largest selection and great value.
