The Tuning Pegs

The Tuning pegs on modern style banjos are geared, this ensures a smooth and easy way to adjust the tuning of your string. Various Style Tuners are available one worth mentioning is the Keith or D-Style Tuner, which has a small locking screw on the side which locks the cam and allows you to to quickly re-tune to another tuning. Older style Banjos may have "Friction Type Tuners" and while many look beautiful and may be made from Ivory or Bone and ornately carved they are notorious for going out of tune, a word of advice though..... if you ever do manage to find that old Fairbanks Whyte Laydie in your attic, removing the original friction tuners is a crime in my books, if you really feel the need to remove them, better to have them removed and refitted to a geared tuner by a specialist restorer.