International Jazz Banjo Newsletter

When I revived Clifford Essex Music Co last year I knew I had a very daunting task ahead of me. Up to and including AP Sharp Clifford Essex was run by very highly skilled and dedicated people. The company became a shrine - a sort of British Institution for Fretted Instruments, with standards second to none. I had taken on a lot and I knew it. To date I have talented people composing and arranging music for banjo, mandolin, guitar and ukulele not to mention a brand new banjo tutor in the pipe line by David Miles. Our craftsmen have come up with a brand new classical guitar and a great sounding plectrum guitar. They are also working on a new mandolin called “The Clifford Essex Crooner” and a reasonably priced but nevertheless great sounding banjo called “The Clifford Essex Gambler”. The importers of so called musical instruments from the “Far East” will be in for a nasty shock when we hit the market.

That said I thought I would do the easy bit first and put together our string selection, that was 12 months ago. Using the correct and best sounding strings is of paramount importance to us all. When strings go dead we lose our inspiration to play. We all want our instruments to sound superb and without the very best strings I am afraid we are all on to a non starter. Having worked with AP Sharp in the sixties I thought I knew all about strings. I was wrong, very wrong, times have changed drastically. Nearly forty years on there are so many different types of strings out there that if you are not careful it takes you into a world of complete and utter confusion.

I have experimented with tape wound, flat wound, silver wound, stainless steel wound, metal and plain steel, silk, silver and nickel on nylon, phosphor bronze and nickel wound strings on steel. Gut, clear nylon, ground nylon, carbon fibre and combinations of gut and nylon together. Not to mention so called rust proof strings coated with substances like polyweb, nylon, nanoweb, polytetrafluoroethylene and even varnish. I have ordered and tried all these strings to the extent that my geared pegs are almost worn out. I was not impressed with some of the newer innovations. To be fair I do not doubt that many of these strings are well suited for electric fretted instruments but on an acoustic instrument they leave much to be desired. Since Clifford Essex has and always will [ as long as I am around ] specialise in acoustic fretted instruments I had to think again.

The early banjo players used gut strings, a material that combines excellent promptness of attack with brilliance of timbre. Problem was, in no time they would fray and they had a very limited duration plus a high instability under a varying climate. It is very important to me that Clifford Essex caters for all styles no matter how small that market may be. During my research I came across a company in Italy claiming they made a string with all the fine qualities of gut but without the downside. The string is made from a substance called Polyacetal. On further investigation I found this company was extremely highly rated and providing strings for lute, cellos, violins, basses and guitars all over the world. To cut a long story short their strings do have all the fine quality of gut and they give a very distinct aggressive sound. They now make strings for us and once again players will be able to recreate the sound of the early minstrel, classical and fretless banjos. The rest of our strings are hand made to our specifications here in the UK. Apart from the company in Italy we do not purchase strings from outside string providers.

I have almost completed our range of banjo strings and I have completed our mandolin family range in readiness for our launching next year. I am now starting work on the classical, plectrum and steel guitar range. We will not only have the most comprehensive range of strings in the world but also the best sounding strings money can buy. Our banjo range consists of strings for plectrum, tenor and Irish tenor. Classical strings for the 5 string, seven string, minstrel and fretless banjo also Piccolo-Banjo, Ukulele-Banjo, Banjeurine, Banjolin, Mandolin-Banjo, Cello-Banjo, Bass-Banjo, Guitar-Banjo, Bluegrass and Zither-Banjos.

Clem Vickery - 2008.

A question of banjo maintenance.
Time and time again I have watched my youngest son take out his guitar, play it like a dream and then put it straight back in its case. The next time he plays it he complains that the intonation is lousy and he has to keep changing the strings. Those of you with sons know that they rarely listen but sometimes, just sometimes, Dad can give some good advice. We all like to keep ourselves clean but with the best will in the world the grime builds up as the day wears on. I always wash my hands before I play otherwise the tiny bits of unseen grime on my hands transfer themselves to my instrument's fingerboard. When I have finished playing I wipe the metal and wood work with a clean cloth. With another cloth I thoroughly clean each string, especially under them, with Fast Fret. If I do not have any of that to hand I use olive oil which I keep in a small bottle in my banjo case. I guess the average player needs to change the strings every 3 months, it all depends on how often you play. I knew one professional that changed his strings before every show because he maintained that his banjo always sounded best with brand new strings. Old strings stretch over time and begin to lose their elasticity, they can no longer make the wave forms and the sound from them becomes blunted and dull. New strings sound crisp and sharp giving the banjo its distinctiveness. I play quite a bit and I change my strings about once a month, I use this time to do a few other essentials.

When the strings are off I polish the entire instrument. Prior to lemon oil I was obliged to tediously remove the grime around the frets with the wooden end of a match stick. Take a pencil with a sharp point and colour the grooves in the nut. The graphite will lubricate the nut slots. If a nut slot is too deep and the string is buzzing on the first fret then try this. Using thick super glue and a tooth pick carefully apply one drop in the slot, let it dry for 8 hours. This will slightly raise the slot and get rid of the string buzz. Check the bridge is not bent in the middle. Carefully examine the tailpiece adjustment, it should be as close to the skin as possible but never touching. If the tailpiece does touch the skin you can say goodbye to any tone your banjo is capable of producing. Check the skin tension and tighten it if necessary. To do this tighten a tension rod one quarter turn then tighten the opposite one in the same way and so on. Check the bridge placement ensuring it is positioned in exactly the correct place. The distance between the nut and the 12th fret is equal to the distance between the 12th fret and the bridge. Next, touch the first string lightly above the 12th fret with your left index finger and gently strike the string with your plectrum or finger. You will hear a harmonic. The harmonic at the twelfth fret should have exactly the same pitch as the note when you fret the string at the 12th fret. Repeat this on the 4th string. If the harmonic has a higher pitch than the fretted note then the length of the string is too great. Move the bridge slightly away from the tailpiece. If the harmonic has a lower pitch than the fretted note you need to move the bridge towards the tailpiece. Check the action, if it is low, too light of a gauge string may cause fret buzz because the string is too loose. The thicker the string gauge the less it will bounce after being struck.

Folk often ask for my advice on skin heads and I suppose I am about to set the cat among the pigeons yet again. There really is no reason to subject yourself to the misery of a calf or pig skin vellum. The invention of the plastic head solved all the problems of the old skin heads. Years ago I walked into a warm venue from the freezing cold to perform a show. I opened the banjo case and the skin had split, no money for me and no show for the audience. Back then that's all there was. They were expensive and a real pain in the arse to put on. They don't stay tuned to a tension for long, they make it hard to keep the banjo in tune and they crack as well as split. The only thing that recommends them is nostalgia. I have met a few players who liked the sound but they were always griping about them. A fiberskin head will produce a darker sound like the old vellum, a sound very desirable for some types of banjo playing, most important of all, it will not let you down.

Finally here's a little tip regarding the banjo bridge which I picked up from AP Sharp many years ago. The bridge is crucial to the sound of the banjo and you should choose a bridge with the density that suits your style of playing. Look at the end of the bridge, the more lines in the wood the denser it will be. These lines in the wood show the yearly growth rings of the tree. A dense bridge is hard and will give your instrument more treble. On the other hand a less dense bridge will give your instrument a mellow sound. It is all a matter of personal taste. As a solo banjoist I go for a more mellow sound. However, if I were to play in a jazz band I would change my bridge for a denser one knowing my instrument would be heard loud and clear through the brass and reed players. Happy banjoing one and all.

Clem Vickery. 2008.

Clifford Essex Music Co. Ltd was first established In London 1900.
This is just a small example of our extensive range of banjo strings. We also provide high quality strings for - Piccolo-Banjo, Mandoilin-Banjo, Banjeurine, Ukulele-Banjo, Cello-Banjo, Guitar Banjo and Bass-Banjo. For orders over £10.00 to Europe and the United Kingdom post and packing is free.

Set of Banjo Strings - medium gauge [ 5 string banjo ]-£5.50
1st - .010" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .012" Plain Steel Loop-end.

3rd - .016" Plain Steel Loop-End. 4th - .024" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

5th - .010" Plain Steel Loop-End.

Set of Banjo Strings - light gauge [ 5 string banjo ]- £5.50
1st - .009" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .011" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .013" Plain Steel Loop-End. 4th - .020" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

5th - .009" Plain Steel Loop-End.

Set of Bluegrass Special Banjo Strings[ 5 string banjo ]- £5.50

1st - .010" - Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .013" - Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .015" - Plain Steel Loop-End. 4th - .024"- Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

5th - .010" - Plain Steel Loop-End

Set of Plectrum Banjo Strings - Medium Gauge- £5.00

1st - .012" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .015" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .020" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .024" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Plectrum Banjo Strings - Light Gauge- £5.00

1st - .011" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .013" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .018" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

For this set some players prefer the 3rd to be .018" Plain Steel Loop-End. If you prefer a plain third please deduct 50 pence.

4th - .022" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Tenor Banjo Strings - Medium Gauge- £5.00

1st - .010" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .015" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .022" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .032" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Tenor Banjo Strings - Light Gauge- £5.00

1st - .009" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .012" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .020" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .030" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Irish Tenor Banjo Strings - Medium Gauge- £5.00

1st - .012" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .016" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .028" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .038" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Irish Tenor Banjo Strings - Light Gauge- £5.50

1st - .011" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .015" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .024" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .036" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Tenor Banjo Strings - Heavy Gauge- £5.00
1st - .013" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .020" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

3rd - .030" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

4th - .040" Nickel Round Wound Loop-End.

Set of Nylon Classical Banjo Strings - Custom - £5.50

1st - .022" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 2nd - .025" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

3rd - .030" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 4th - .028" Silver Wound Nylon Tie-On.

5th - .024" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

Set of Nylon classical Banjo Strings - Medium Gauge - £5.50

1st - .023" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 2nd - .027" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

3rd - .032" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 4th - .028" Silver Wound Nylon Tie-On.

5th - .024" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

Set of Nylon Classical Banjo Strings - Heavy Gauge £5.50

1st - .024" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 2nd - .029" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

3rd - .033" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 4th - .028" Silver Wound Nylon Tie-On.

5th - .024" Ground Nylon Tie-On.

Set of Cammeyer Zither Banjo Strings- Medium Gauge- £5.50

1st - .008" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .010" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .034" Ground Nylon Tie-On. 4th - .026" Nickel Wound Nylon Tie-On.

5th - .009" Plain Steel Loop-End.

Set of Zither Banjo Strings - Light Gauge-£5.50

1st - .009" Plain Steel Loop-End. 2nd - .011" Plain Steel Loop-End.

3rd - .034 Ground Nylon Tie-On. 4th - .026" Nickel Wound Nylon Tie-On.

5th - .010" Plain Steel Loop-End.

Individual strings are available at £1.00 each, all covered strings at £1.50 each. We are happy to make up a set of strings for any gauge you may require. Nickel Round Wound strings are also available in Phosphor Bronze Round Wound. Every string is carefully examined before being despatched to you. We give the covered strings extra protection by including a silica gel sachet with each string to absorb any humidity. When strings go dead we lose our inspiration to play. Our strings are designed by banjo players for banjo players, only the best will do. Satisfaction gauranteed.
Also,

Clifford Essex Fingerboard Oil

The label suggests that this is "A fine mixture of lemon and other natural oils." It is applied with a clean cloth and allowed to penetrate for several minutes before being wiped off. It certainly made my fingerboard shine but it also attacks that nasty gumff that builds up behind the frets. It smells nice an lemony.

Clifford Essex Finish Restorer

"A silicone free polish that will restore the original shine to your instrument." I presumed this meant the wood part of the banjo so applied it as directed on the bottle, and sure enough, was left with a fine shine.

These products could fit into the banjo case if desired but ensure the caps are tightened, however. Each product costs £5.20p + 80p shipping and is available immediately

Clifford Essex Music Co. Ltd, 7 Rose Walk, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 7QG.

Email - cliffordessex@msn.com Tel - 01485 529323.

C E - The Sign Of Quality