Banjo Questions

[TheLarch]

I know, I know, I should go to a banjo forum but was wondering if anyone here can recommend a decent, lightweight, inexpensive banjo. I have no knowledge at all about banjos (but didn't want to get buried with too much information from a banjo-specific forum, or even worse, banjo GAS). It's for my father-in-law who hasn't played banjo in years but wants to pick it up again.

He is looking for:

1 - lightweight;
2 - tone ring;
3 - no resonator;
4 - And being that I'll probably be the one to pay for it,
affordable

I don't know if he wants a 4 or 5 string banjo, etc. The above are the basic parameters my wife gave me.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!!

Stephen

[superfunk47]

Deering Goodtime. Best deal in banjos out there, IME. Mine has erased all traces of banjo GAS.

[jaywa]

Can't point you to a banjo source but I would have to think taking some banjo lessons could do a world of good for any bassist's technique.

[TheLarch]

Thanks guys - much appreciate the help!

My FIL has a Gibson banjo that will likely end up with me to plink away on when I ultimately find a lighter one for him. He had previously given me a Baldwin banjo but that one had an unstable cracked neck.

[JTE]

You do know that the definition of a gentleman is "someone who knows how to play banjo, but doesn't", right?


Find out first if he's looking for a 5-string or a tenor banjo. They're very different and the music is quite different. The 5-string is what bluegrass banjo is all about, but the 4-string tenor banjo is for old-timey dixieland sorts of things. They're tuned differently and have much different neck shapes, and neck lengths. That's a critical point- almost like the difference between a guitar and a bass guitar.

Then I'd get to the Deering site and read up on stuff there. As for what's "affordable", that's pretty subjective- I just saw a thread here that referred to Fender and Ernie Ball as "high end basses". Bottom line is that for the lower end, they're all going to be very similar and brand name won't mean as much as WHO you're buying from. They're going to be subject to the usual inconsistencies in fretted instruments at different price ranges are, with the added frustration of banjos being very finicky to assemble. Getting the tension on the head correct, the bridge placed accurately, and the neck attached to the body correctly are the key areas where customer service trumps price.

John

[Downunderwonder]

Banjo gas better not be infectious. I own two preamps and three bass that I put down to you lot and your damn gas infections.

[TheLarch]

I'll be checking out some Deering Goodtime 5-string tenor banjos this weekend at a couple of small stores near me in NYC / NJ.

Any other suggestions besides the Deering Goodtime for tenor banjos?

Thanks in advance and for all the help to date!

Stephen

[JayM]

As JTE said earlier, the 5-string banjo and the tenor banjo are different instruments.

The 5-string is the standard bluegrass instrument, with the 5th string starting at the 5th fret, typically played with arpeggiated chords using finger picks.

There are 2 main kinds of 4 string banjos, plectrum and tenor.

The Plectrum banjo has the same scale length (about 27") as the 5 string, but it doesn't have the 5th drone string. It's typically played with strummed chords and a regular pick, and is used in some old time popular and jazz music.

The tenor banjo is a short scale version of the plectrum banjo. There are 2 common types of tenor banjo, the regular tenor and the Irish tenor. The regular tenor banjo has 19 frets and a scale length of about 22", and is strummed with a flat pick. It is used primarily in Dixieland jazz music. The Irish tenor has 17 frets and a scale length of about 20". It is played both as a strummed and plucked instrument, and is used in traditional Irish music. These two types are tuned differently, and different players play them different ways, so what I said above is a generalization.

There're also banjuleles, and banjitars, but that's a little beyond what you're asking.

If he wants to play bluegrass, get a 5-string. If he's interested in jazz, Dixieland, or traditional Irish music get a plectrum or tenor.

[JTE]

Originally Posted by TheLarch

I'll be checking out some Deering Goodtime 5-string tenor banjos this weekend at a couple of small stores near me in NYC / NJ.

Any other suggestions besides the Deering Goodtime for tenor banjos?

Thanks in advance and for all the help to date!

Stephen

Hmm, 5-string OR Tenor?

John

[TheLarch]

I figured out that my wife meant "5 string". Sorry for the confusion!