Gold Tone CC-Carlin12 as Cello Banjo "Gentle Winds" by Paul Roberts

Paul Roberts is a composer who plays various stringed instruments.

Paul's idea for modifying the Gold Tone CC-Carlin12 banjo for playing in low tunings came to fruition thanks to master luthier Chris Pariso who artfully manifested a customized Gold Tone CC-Carlin12 for Paul. The modifications include a neck-lift, whereby the neck is repositioned 3/8" above the head. Combined with a 7/8" custom bridge, this provides a nice distance between the strings and head, and aligns the strings closer to a parallel relationship with the head. The result is improved access to the full tonal spectrum from the bridge all the way through the scoop. Other elements of the customized Gold Tone CC-Carlin12 banjo include the addition of a special rim ring, and hardware upgrades. For a variation in aesthetics, a renaissance head is tinted gold, and a blonde wooden overlay has been added to the truss rod cover. The banjo has a 1-3/8" wide fingerboard, providing enough space for light gauge, wound nylon cello banjo strings. In this video, the banjo has a capo on the 5th fret. The tuning at the 5th fret is gGDGA. With these wound nylon cello banjo strings, and with the capo removed, the Carlin mod is pitched in the A/double D range, and can be tuned even lower for G/double C.
banjocrazy.com