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I'm buying a banjo
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
I don't know...I guess I got really lucky with setting up this thing, because I've got the action almost as low as my electric guitar, and it seems to be holding firm. I put a set of XL's 10-46 on it, and I'm sticking with ball end strings. So much easier to change than looped strings. I also loosened the head a little and that helped lower the action and make it sound less pingy and loud when I brush against it. Not that I'm any expert on banjo heads, but it could probably use a different one. Or maybe I just need to use it a while. I love the banjo overtones and bright sound of white coated heads but let's reel it in a tad, eh? 
Anyway, these things are definitely not going to be playable out of the box so they require you to know how to do full banjo setups, but they include most of the tools and it's not that hard once you get over the initial "that's not how we do it on a guitar" feelings. Just go Google it. Tons of instructions out there, and I got it set up well enough to gig it after a day.
I highly encourage all bass players to buy a banjo. They're a lot of fun.
Anyway, these things are definitely not going to be playable out of the box so they require you to know how to do full banjo setups, but they include most of the tools and it's not that hard once you get over the initial "that's not how we do it on a guitar" feelings. Just go Google it. Tons of instructions out there, and I got it set up well enough to gig it after a day.
I highly encourage all bass players to buy a banjo. They're a lot of fun.
So I forgot about accessories when I bought that banjo, and finally got caught up today:
First finger and thumb picks I bought since I was 14. Fingerpicking on banjo requires them IMHO, otherwise it doesn't sound very banjo-y. The Perri's banjo strap was the only black strap I could find that was thicker than 2". And while that extra 1/2" may not make a difference to some, I'd rather have it than not. Exposes a little neck-heaviness in the banjo, but I'll probably be able to attach it elsewhere and fix it. Probably shouldn't hook it to a lug but there's like 28 of them. Hopefully the claws can take it. If not, it's nothing that a chainsaw can't fix.
First finger and thumb picks I bought since I was 14. Fingerpicking on banjo requires them IMHO, otherwise it doesn't sound very banjo-y. The Perri's banjo strap was the only black strap I could find that was thicker than 2". And while that extra 1/2" may not make a difference to some, I'd rather have it than not. Exposes a little neck-heaviness in the banjo, but I'll probably be able to attach it elsewhere and fix it. Probably shouldn't hook it to a lug but there's like 28 of them. Hopefully the claws can take it. If not, it's nothing that a chainsaw can't fix.
Since you're all enjoying my banjo adventures oh so much tonight will be a big one because I finally tried to amplify it.
There's no pickup, so I used a 58 and plugged it into my little office guitar amp, a Crate Power Block and some AKG headphones. Tried to use an SVT 210av at first (makes an excellent sounding guitar cab, too), but I couldn't hear it over the banjo without feedback. Sounded really good in the headphones, though, as long as I kept the signal clean. Once I introduced dirt, even a little, it started losing its banjo character and sounded more like an electric guitar. And that is exactly what I don't want.
I want dirty sounding acoustic banjo that still sounds like an acoustic banjo. I have a feeling I'm going to have to record two signals and keep one clean to have any chance of success. Even using a mic, dirt makes it sound like an electric guitar. I've reached out to my friend Silver Lepaste (far right) about it, but he was a little hung up:
I'm so glad these guys can speak English!
tonight will be a big one because I finally tried to amplify it. There's no pickup, so I used a 58 and plugged it into my little office guitar amp, a Crate Power Block and some AKG headphones. Tried to use an SVT 210av at first (makes an excellent sounding guitar cab, too), but I couldn't hear it over the banjo without feedback. Sounded really good in the headphones, though, as long as I kept the signal clean. Once I introduced dirt, even a little, it started losing its banjo character and sounded more like an electric guitar. And that is exactly what I don't want.
I want dirty sounding acoustic banjo that still sounds like an acoustic banjo. I have a feeling I'm going to have to record two signals and keep one clean to have any chance of success. Even using a mic, dirt makes it sound like an electric guitar. I've reached out to my friend Silver Lepaste (far right) about it, but he was a little hung up:
I'm so glad these guys can speak English!
Six strings = the point of no return
Be that as it may, Tom I must say I believe I can find a reasonable solution.Finally talked to Silver, and he said to mic it only for the cleans and use a pickup if you want dirty banjo. He's got a Fishman piezo he's used for years on his tenor banjo, and since I didn't want to pay a lot for a pickup, I found this KNA piezo pickup that clamps onto your bridge on one side or the other, and it sounds quite good in demo vids I've heard:
And then I can I can finally get to capturing the true essence of my being through the gift of music.
I noticed also how quickly the banjo-ness turns to quasi-guitar-ness as distortion creeps in. In my case it was compounded by the fact that I play guitar and have no banjo chops, so my phrasing and note choice skewed heavily guitaristic.
After tinkering around I found some lines that sounded vaguely banjoistic, and those withstood a slightly dirty tone better...but I was still using drive settings that would pretty much register as clean electric guitar.
Makes me wonder if you could employ something like a 2-channel tube mic pre or DI or something, with independent gain trim, and process the two sides signals separately but very lightly by guitar or bass standards, to achieve a blended tone that still sounded like a clean banjo but with subtle extra character/texture.
After tinkering around I found some lines that sounded vaguely banjoistic, and those withstood a slightly dirty tone better...but I was still using drive settings that would pretty much register as clean electric guitar.
Makes me wonder if you could employ something like a 2-channel tube mic pre or DI or something, with independent gain trim, and process the two sides signals separately but very lightly by guitar or bass standards, to achieve a blended tone that still sounded like a clean banjo but with subtle extra character/texture.
Be that as it may, Tom
Love it! Wish I had one of them blessed banjitar contraptions. But, before you mount the stairs to success, you might like to check out the Fargone Beauties. Can't hurt
Over the years, they've happliy shared, with us old pluckers, a real insightful pointer or two, bless 'em.
There's often a Goldtone Electric involved, referred to by the band as 'the electric frying pan.' And, I can assure you, one of them frying pans will get the job done, live and LOUD. They know how to put on a show.
If you wanted to, with an electric frying pan, you could take on the whole World
That's a fact (At least, you could provide the soundtrack).
Barring all that — and locked down in the studio, as we may well be — any good mic would probably do the trick … Not that I'd know.
You're well on the way, Jimmy
But, before you mount the stairs to success, you might like to check out the Fargone Beauties. Can't hurt
There's often a Goldtone Electric involved, referred to by the band as 'the electric frying pan.' And, I can assure you, one of them frying pans will get the job done, live and LOUD. They know how to put on a show.
If you wanted to, with an electric frying pan, you could take on the whole World
Barring all that — and locked down in the studio, as we may well be — any good mic would probably do the trick … Not that I'd know.
That was a lot cooler than I expected
Gold Tone electric, eh? I've seen them and they look awesome. A buddy of mine had a Deering but I believe he switched to Gold Tone, too, but he did it when they were just an upstart company in Titusville. I bought the Dean to save money, but I do sure like how those Gold Tones look.Those Fargone Beauties stole the show — the banjo was always mind-blowingly good — whenever I got to see them play. Electric frying pans beggar belief. They're so good
My guess is your Dean, with the extra machine, will veritably kick it, the way you're headed. It sets up miraculously, you're on the right track with the under-bridge, and you can always bung in a 'bucker, and cram it full o' foam, if it gets away on you
I'll be doing the same with the Goodtime Special, if I have to, though I do have a few tasty mics, like the Rode NTG4, staying my hand, at present. And the acoustic sound, as it is, is so bloody fine (It's always a shame, in one sense, the way I'm feeling, to meddle with that glorious, dirt music
)Anyhoo, let's … get ready … TO RUMBLE! … (Just in case
)That was a lot cooler than I expected
Don't have a 2-ch tube mic pre but I have a REDDI and a PF-50T and I can use them both together
Blending does sound like the way to go, though I hope it's not so touchy that I can't do it at all. Nice mic! Silver said I should get a good condenser or ribbon mic, too. Honestly, I think it mics up pretty great with a 58 but what do I know?Those Fargone Beauties stole the show — the banjo was always mind-blowingly good — whenever I got to see them play. Electric frying pans beggar belief. They're so good
My guess is your Dean, with the extra machine, will veritably kick it, the way you're headed. It sets up miraculously, you're on the right track with the under-bridge, and you can always bung in a 'bucker, and cram it full o' foam, if it gets away on you
I'll be doing the same with the Goodtime Special, if I have to, though I do have a few tasty mics, like the Rode NTG4, staying my hand, at present. And the acoustic sound, as it is, is so bloody fine (It's always a shame, in one sense, the way I'm feeling, to meddle with that glorious, dirt music
Anyhoo, let's … get ready … TO RUMBLE! … (Just in case
Don't have a 2-ch tube mic pre but I have a REDDI and a PF-50T and I can use them both together
Nice mic! Silver said I should get a good condenser or ribbon mic, too. Honestly, I think it mics up pretty great with a 58 but what do I know?
Man, I do hope you'll report back on what happens when you run either a mic or the pickup through the REDDI. That might sound pretty cool.
Honestly, I miked our old Iida 5-string with the iPhone 6S that was running the BandLab app I was recording into, and I thought it sounded just like the actual banjo did in the room. I couldn't believe I got something useable with such a casual approach, and never having played a banjo before.
My point is, I'm sure you'll find a way to get a cool sound out of it, and I hope we get to hear some examples when you do.
Folks, I think I've found my true calling as a musician...I think I've got the Banjo Jones (Banjones?). I'm finally getting more comfortable with its whole banjo vibe. Feels like it's moving in my hands the whole time I play it, but I'm getting used to it. I'm just now getting used to the thumb and finger picks although I'm still at level 101 with them, but managed to flatpick "Wildwood Flower" on it without screwing it up after a dozen crapped-up attempts. It takes some getting used to when all you've played are guitar and bass, even though it's tuned the same as a guitar.
So I'll be using this Dean to re-develop the fingerpicking skills I had when I was a kid, and I think I'm going to have to get a little more involved with banjo playing and pop for a 5 eventually. Maybe even an old school tenor, too. But at least I'm so bad at fingerpicking that it's going to be quite a while before I get good enough to even consider it, and I can do some research on them and put together a GAS list in the meantime.
So I'll be using this Dean to re-develop the fingerpicking skills I had when I was a kid, and I think I'm going to have to get a little more involved with banjo playing and pop for a 5 eventually. Maybe even an old school tenor, too. But at least I'm so bad at fingerpicking that it's going to be quite a while before I get good enough to even consider it, and I can do some research on them and put together a GAS list in the meantime.
I wonder if you could drill a hole in that spittoon, attach a string and a stick, and make a bass out of it?
So dig this...my pickup has been in a post office that is about 10-12 miles away from my main post office since early Monday morning. So they sent my pickup to a post office about 7 or 8 miles away in the opposite direction! They never used to do that ever. Just plain stupid if you ask me.
