Short scale banjo (or 5 string banjo uke)

Piecomics

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Hi all, my main ukulele is still my godin, but I have messed around with just about everything... I love playing a banjo, but do not care for the scale. Last year I heard about the beansprout https://www.thebeansprout.com/instrument-models/ which sounded perfect for me, but the price just didn't work.

Gold tone makes a very short scale "pony" banjo, but the reviews are pretty poor. I kind of gave up on the instrument until I saw a mini banjo in a photo someone took at NAMM, from the Magic Fluke company. I'm a big fan of theirs, my wife plays a cricket and I have had both a fluke and a flea in the past.

I contacted them, and for I think a very reasonable price I placed my order. For banjo players, it is in A tuning, though I have asked the, to try minstrel nylgut strings which should theoretically drop the tuning to g.

Not really a uke anymore but somehow it being made by a company most associated with the ukulele makes me happy. I should have it in less than a month!
http://www.magicfluke.com/Magic-Fluke-Firefly-5-string-Banjo-p/firefly5.htm
 
Very cool. I've also been looking for a short scale 5 string. I listen with lust to all the new Beansprouts when Aaron posts them to YouTube, but no way can I afford one. Looking forward to a review of this new Magic Fluke.
 
Huh, I missed tell of that one. Very interesting! Looking forward to the review. With 19" scale you should be able to get to gDGbd tuning pretty easily with the right strings.
 
I can't find any info on this one other than the MF page. No playing demos or reviews yet that I can find. The pic on the site looks like it doesn't have the zero fret design like the other MF instruments. I wonder why that is?
 
I know nothing of banjos but I do love the sounds of banjo ukes (and I own two). They're awesome. I wonder if I should try this out - although I'd need to re-learn everything
 
I know nothing of banjos but I do love the sounds of banjo ukes (and I own two). They're awesome. I wonder if I should try this out - although I'd need to re-learn everything

Depends on how much you like fingerstyle - I found my experience with finger picking translated well to banjo, but the chords were definitely different.
 
For something different, and with a wooden body instead of j-hooks and a skin banjo head, a Terry Mead Banjo Uke might be worth a look.

I think he also makes custom 4 or 5 string banjos as well. See http://tmeadbanjos.com/

Also, there was one for sale here a while back, maybe worth looking at for the photos -

http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?124050-Terry-Mead-Banjo-Uke


I used to have a Terry Mead short-scale 5-string. Beautiful instrument and a joy to play.
 
I will record some sound if I can figure out how once I get it.
 
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