banjolele advice please

Take a look at that Little Gem. I second note before. Nice loud sound but you have to like color. I'd post you a link but this site thinks everything is spam. I think Mim's still carries them. It is loud though, so if your wife doesn't like the Duke, she may not like it. If you want quiet, try the firefly. It's softer I think.
 
Thanks for all your replies.
I'm using the Duke till the end of March, then it's sold.
I really need a concert scale neck, switching back and forth between my concert scale uke, and this tenor banjolele is driving me nuts.
Now I'm leaning toward a Deering concert model, but I don't think Mim sells it. I think Uke Republic does, though.
The thing is, it needs to be loud, because it gets used onstage. And it can't be too heavy. I'm not concerned about looks.
 
I have a Goldtone tenor banjo (slightly used on ebay) tuned GCEA (got some Southcoast strings before they stopped selling Strings). The Deering is another one to consider. Can't go wrong with either.
 
Nickie said:
Thanks for all your replies.
I'm using the Duke till the end of March, then it's sold.
I really need a concert scale neck, switching back and forth between my concert scale uke, and this tenor banjolele is driving me nuts.
Now I'm leaning toward a Deering concert model, but I don't think Mim sells it. I think Uke Republic does, though.
The thing is, it needs to be loud, because it gets used onstage. And it can't be too heavy. I'm not concerned about looks.
Click to expand...

If you want light, at least that Duke had that going for it, but I get it about the neck being too big. That Deering weighs a ton. It's like 4.5 lbs.
I ended up just building one that fits my hands. It's not that hard if you can use some hand tools. 10" hand drum pot, concert neck. Only hard part is getting the angle of the neck right. Not screamingly loud, but does carry. You could put a pickup on it I guess.
That Little Gem is pretty loud as well, but I guess the colors don't send you.
 
I have a question for those who are familiar with banjolele - I know a few people who have 'em but they all strum their instruments. Thot it would be cool if they could fingerpick them like banjos. Am not familiar with banjo tuning but am curious about if they can be played like banjos (provided they're skilled enough).
 
I have a friend in our group who plays the banjo uke - a firefly - as if she were plucking a banjo, albeit not using a fifth string. I used to play a C scale - ukulele pitch - five string wooden top by Terry Mead. The conversion of the chords is easy just remember the first string is a higher pitch by three frets so an open chord with banjo tuning is a C. It was an excellent instrument and his instruments are well worth looking at - just google Terry Mead banjos and ukuleles.
Gold Tone made a banjo in C scale and I did not like it at all.
The five string instruments use steel strings and I have not tried them with nylon or flurocarbon. Aquila make a five string set in nylgut.

As I was a banjo player first I have a bias toward them!
 
frianm, thanks for your response. So it is possible to play it like a banjo.

Once got together with a old friend - didn't know he played any instrument; was totally blown away when he played Foggy Mountain Breakdown for me!
 
I recently bought one of these cheap chinese Banjo uke. Mine is surprisingly good for strumming and finger picking. I coud not play banjo or banjo uke all the time. I would fear for my ear-drums.
 
Banjo Ukuleles

rickyfreeman said:
hi, I am a clawhammer banjo player who has recently gotten into ukuleles. Being into banjo and now ukes and having acquired 2 tenor ukes, I have decided I would like to buy a banjolele. I want tenor scale. Unforunately where I live ukes are not very popular so I really cant try any banjoleles without driving long trips.
My clawhamner banjo I use is a gold tone which I really like, so I have been considering the gold tone tenor banjolele. From the reviews and sound sample I have heard it seems like a good choice.
But now I have seen ohana makes a tenor banjolele that is quite a bit cheaper than the gold tone. Wondering if anyone has any experience with both and how the ohana compares to the gold tone. The gold tone seems to have a nice banjo sound. What about the ohana?
Click to expand...

I play a wide range of things with four or more strings. I had the oopportunity to become a dealer for two different lines of ukuleles. One is exclusively ukuleles, and the other linedoes instruments, accessories and electronic goodies for those into that sort of stuff. They also have a warranty of either 3 or 10 years, depending on which features determine which price range. If you would contact me off of an open site, I would tell you what is available and what price. My dealership agreement says I WILL NOT ADVERTISE BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED MINIMUM PRICE. They do not care if I give them away, but I cannot publicly mention anything as lower than their AMP.

thecraftedcow@comcast.net salem ,oregon
 
I don't know what it would cost but UU member Dennis of Southern Cross has done so.

dpophotography@yahoo.co.nz
Southern Cross Banjo Ukes & Ukuleles
Proudly Hand Crafted in
New Zealand.

Builds them.
 
rickyfreeman said:
hi, I am a clawhammer banjo player who has recently gotten into ukuleles. Being into banjo and now ukes and having acquired 2 tenor ukes, I have decided I would like to buy a banjolele. I want tenor scale. Unforunately where I live ukes are not very popular so I really cant try any banjoleles without driving long trips.
My clawhamner banjo I use is a gold tone which I really like, so I have been considering the gold tone tenor banjolele. From the reviews and sound sample I have heard it seems like a good choice.
But now I have seen ohana makes a tenor banjolele that is quite a bit cheaper than the gold tone. Wondering if anyone has any experience with both and how the ohana compares to the gold tone. The gold tone seems to have a nice banjo sound. What about the ohana?
Click to expand...

Dave of Waverly Street Ukes made custom banjoleles. He discussed stopping building banjoleles but still has 3 left on his website. We are very happy with the one we own.
http://www.wsukes.com/forsale.html
 
The ohana is just a spruced up rebadged Kmise.

I have play almost every banjo uke out there....I am the banjo uke player on our performance grroup.
 
Question

uketanzon said:
The ohana is just a spruced up rebadged Kmise.

I have play almost every banjo uke out there....I am the banjo uke player on our performance grroup.
Click to expand...

What is your opinion of the EddyFinn line of banjos and banjo ukuleles?They are out of Indianapolis, Indiana
 
here is a goldtone little gem sound sample......i like them a lot with a few tweeks and a string change and take off the back make it open back and use Diadarrio black rectified nylon strings...nylon strings on banjo ukes sound and play better in my opinon.

$149 little gem

https://soundcloud.com/user-670358043/june-2-2019-12-08-23-pm

$1000 Southern Cross

https://soundcloud.com/user-670358043/june-3-2019-11-55-14-am

hey, do not get me wrong, I love my southern cross, a work of art!. but the little gem holds her own i think with a bit more tin pan ally banjo sound


——
the luna, eddie finn, kala, would and steel goldtone, all sounded kind of muddy and blah....TO ME...not pleasing

The Duke, southern Cross, Flea Firefly, Deering and now the Goldtone plastic gem, sound much better and more like a real banjo

however the deering weighed as much as an anvil, and the fire fly was just too light.

The little gem has a perfect weight and size and sounds pretty damn good for $149 bucks.

banjo
 
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Getting a case to fit any musical instrument is just a matter of providing interior dimensions wanted and the amount of, and what kind of padding desired. Whether you want two zipper pulls or one--full length, or just across the bottom--what kind of straps or handles and where. Yes-- it important to know what kind and colour of material is wanted, and any other kind of features such as an outside pocket or any name or logo sewn to the outside, and where. Yes...I am a musician with some strangely shaped stringed instruments, but they all reside in nice cases. The name of my business is The Crafted Cow. I also work with all kinds of fabrics as an upholsterer as well as leather. I am in Salem, Oregon thecraftedcow@comcast.net
 
I recently picked up an Outdoor Uke banjolele. I play a custom "George" tenor banjolele in an all uke band so that's what I compare other banjoleles to. The OU is well made and intonates nicely (like their other ukes). The head is a little loose for me, their site says it's tuneable but no instructions. Guess I'll tweek the screws on back and see how it goes. Stagg makes a tenor banjolele gig bag that just barely fits the 11" head. I also agree with the comments on the Lil Gem, with some tweeking, it has a nice sound without to much volume so it blends well into uke jams (unlike my custom tenor). For my George tenor banjolele with 10" pot I found a mandolin case fits perfect with a little room to roll the strap up where the neck and pot connect. My 2 cents...
 
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