You should spend a minute or two on a
Firefly Banjolele then - it gives you banjolele experience without all the steampunk stuff....
Or the
BanjoUke from NZ might be worth another thought: tenor banjolele at a mere 650 gms (1.5 lbs), shipped anywhere for 219 USD
Yes, I've got 4 ukes from Magic Fluke Company (each in different tunings and different
solid wood tops, and different strings) so I am well versed in their product offerings, but the Firefly does not come in tenor scale as of yet, and I prefer tenor scale (17") or longer.
I'd seen that Banjouke Kiwi, but I am really put off by the headstock shape, it reminds me of the cartoon of 'Woody Woodpecker' too much. I just cant get past the look of it.
But thanks for the suggestions.
I've
already got two of these @ $99 each, (18" scale length):
http://www.zitherheaven.com/mm5/mer...een=PROD&Category_Code=BJ&Product_Code=B4TNFT
On both instruments I replaced the friction tuners with Grover 9NB geared tuners. One is tuned GCEA (Aquila GCEA Nylgut baritone strings, tenor Nylgut GCEA strings
could not get up to concert pitch without snapping) and the other is CGDA with different strings taken from a Thomastik-Infeld CF128 classical guitar string set.
The only metal on them are the geared tuners and the brass string ferrules, and they sound like a banjo (to my ears, anyway), and I've go no desire for any other uke-sized banjo since getting these. Fret edges are smooth and it plays very easily. HUGE bang for the buck with these.
Were I to go for a larger banjo, I'd go for a 'Minstrel Banjo' as I had said previously, and likely tune it as a 'cello banjo' tuned in fifths with GDAE (which is two octaves below where a mandolin is normally tuned)
However, I am
not a banjo player, and for the most part find the sound of most banjos and banjoleles too loud and harsh (I have very sensitive hearing) unless a specific song calls for it and I'm trying to channel some George Formby, otherwise I prefer other ukes.
Thanks for your help.