banjolele armrests

rickyfreeman

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I am planning on buying a banjolele soon. So I have been looking and trying to decide which one to buy. But what I have noticed is few manufacturers put armrests on banjoleles. Most banjos come with armrests. So why doesnt banjolele makers put armrests on as standard? So far the only one I have seen with an armrest is the duke 10. I havent been able to try any banjoleles around here because none of the music stores carry any. So I am going to have to order one and have it sent to me. But I am hesitant about getting one without an armrest. For those who play one, does it hurt your arm to play without an armrest?
 
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Yes, it can hurt. The hooks that hold the head on, along with the metal rim itself, can really dig into your arm depending on how you hold it. If your regular uke playing leaves an indentation on your forearm, a banjolele rim certainly will be worse. There are a lot of aftermarket arm rest out there (mostly metal), so don't let the lack of one deter you from a certain brand. I think maybe a lot of people don't like how the arm rest breaks up the traditional look, so that's why it's not standard. Personally, I play a Deering banjo uke that has a standard-size banjo head and an aftermarket wooden arm rest (Dr. Arm from Banjolit). It was worth every penny. Much more comfy to play! So I definitely recommend arm rests, as smooth and rounded as you can find. If you can't find a banjolele, pick up a regular banjo to hold it and explore the rim to see if it may bother you. Even though the head is much larger, at least you'll have an idea.
 
Yup, banjo ukes can be uncomfortable to hold and play, especially if they lack (as most do...) a resonator on the back. I owned a Duke 10 for while, and I found it uncomfortable even with the arm rest, as the J hooks dug into my sternum. But you might consider the Magic Fluke Tenor Firefly Banjo Uke, or the Outdoor Ukulele Tenor Banjo Uke - neither of which need an arm rest owning to their more user friendly designs.

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FireflyTenor-2T.jpg
 
I am planning on buying a banjolele soon. So I have been looking and trying to decide which one to buy. But what I have noticed is few manufacturers put armrests on banjoleles. Most banjos come with armrests. So why doesnt banjolele makers put armrests on as standard? So far the only one I have seen with an armrest is the duke 10. I havent been able to try any banjoleles around here because none of the music stores carry any. So I am going to have to order one and have it sent to me. But I am hesitant about getting one without an armrest. For those who play one, does it hurt your arm to play without an armrest?

Most armrests are made for full size banjos, so, you will struggle to find one to fit an eight inch body. I have had to start making my own to fit my banjo ukes.
 
I have a coupla instruments which dig into my right arm, so I wear a large, athletc arm guard (Wilson, red) on my right arm when I play them.

It works well, and one can use it whenever it’s needed on different instruments. :eek:ld:
 
On my Midnight Special banjo uke I replaced the head with a fibreskin head to be a bit more mellow. In the process, the ring ended up fairly high and was digging into my arm. I cut a piece of clear plastic tubing lengthwise and slipped it over the high rim. Works OK for me. And it is essentially invisible.
 
On my Midnight Special banjo uke I replaced the head with a fibreskin head to be a bit more mellow. In the process, the ring ended up fairly high and was digging into my arm. I cut a piece of clear plastic tubing lengthwise and slipped it over the high rim. Works OK for me. And it is essentially invisible.

Sounds like a good idea. Will have to try that.
 
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