Tenor Banjo - Resonator or Open Back? Head material?

[CiaranOC]

I've done a fair bit of experimentation on my 19 fret and settled on .011", .015", .027"(Wound) and either .038"(W) or .040"(W) for EADG (Irish Tuning). A few players I know prefer a lower tension action on the right hand and use about .010" and .013" for E and A.

Be aware that most off-the-shelf tenor banjo string sets are sized for tenor tuning (ADGC - a 4th higher than Irish tuning) and the tension will be a bit low if you tune down to Irish tuning, so it is probably best to buy individuals.

[Lorenzo]

A few years ago, I took a tenor banjo (an old "Improved George Washburn w/open back) that had a torn head, and replaced it with an old bodhran skin. I replaced 3 of the lower metal strings with synthetic gut strings so I could get a sound like Bertrum Levy's banjo...

• 

...and learned to frail a 4 string backwards. You can't really tell the difference from 5 string frailing just by listening. It really came alive. I like the softer more mellow sound of the open back...with the softer gut-like strings anyway.