What would be more fun?

Halb

New member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I am a complete novice, but would love to learn to play a uke. I have researched both concert uke’s and banjo uke’s. What would be more fun to buy? I would enjoy reading some opinions.

Thanks!
Hal
 
"Fun" is in the ear of the beholder. That said, I think you should get ukulele or a banjo, but not a banjo ukulele. With a banjo uke, you'll be (presumably) listening to youtube.com (etc) videos played on a ukulele, but your instrument will sound like a banjo.
 
I started on a banjo uke, but then I was primarily interested in learning clawhammer banjo. 5 years later I came back around to the ukulele which I’m playing much more than the banjo at this time. Banjo uke from my experience will be louder, more percussive, have less sustain, and perhaps draw more attention. While banjo uke is by no means a one trick pony, a traditional ukulele can be a more versatile instrument. Which appeals to you more? The more fun instrument is going to be a pretty personal thing. Ultimately I’d be happy with a quality instrument either way. When I went to a bluegrass festival this month I took my fiddle and a tenor ukulele.
 
Last edited:
Banjo ukes sound a bit like banjos. If that's the sound you are after, then go for it. If it's not, then don't. They would both be equally fun.
 
What kind of music do you want to play? Music is in the ear of the beholder of course, but I think generally a banjo uke is a good fit for 1920s-30s jazz and Tin Pan Alley songs. Also music hall comedy songs a la George Formby. It's also nice for 19th-century folksongs and back-country blues.

A standard uke is a better fit for Hawaiian music and styles where you want a more guitar-like sound. People don't expect to hear rock or country or hipster singer-songwriters on a banjo. Not that you can't do it, but it's swimming upstream. A standard uke is more forgiving of beginners. The tone is softer and the notes don't have that sharp attack that makes wrong notes obvious. You can strum the thing hard and not with great precision. OTOH a banjo uke teaches you better technique from the start.

A standard uke is more versatile overall -- and you can get a decent one for less money -- but go with the sound you love best. If you choose a banjo uke, get one with an open back or at least a resonator you can remove. With an open back it's much easier to control the volume and play a wider variety of music.

The general public -- by which I mean people who happen by when I'm playing uke -- always respond best to a banjo uke. In the USA at least, people think a banjo sound is happy. So when you ask which is more fun, I gotta say banjo.

I spend Thursday night playing Grateful Dead songs on a Firefly. It was perfect.
 
My own opinion, a regular traditional ukulele is more versatile than a banjo ukulele. But if it were the sound of a banjo that was calling to me, I would just go with the real thing.
 
Hal....Lots of players own both.
I play my ukes a lot more than I play my banjouke, but that depends on what I am using it for.
We do lots of Irish folk music, and I always crack the banjouke out for that.
Other than that, I just play one of my ukes. For example, if you decide to play Hawaiian music, forget the banjouke.
In some settings, like an ukulele jam session, banjoukes might even be banned, because if their clangy loudness....
Let us know what you come up with!
Happy hunting.
 
Most of this has already been stated, but here is my story/ opinion

I have a tenor strung with guitar strings that plays an octave lower than standard. AND I’m learning to use a bow to play on it.
I have an 8 string which gives a fuller sound than a standard.
I have a resonator Banjolele which is loud, clangy and fun to play - but a little more difficult.

All three have their use and place, but those three tend to be more specific.
And I have a standard concert and tenor which are my everyday, play anything and everything.

The Banjolele is GREAT on San Francsico Bay Blues, but limited on most songs
The Concert and Tenor work fine on SF Bay Blues, and are sweet on love songs and really rock out on The Rolling Stones HONKY TONK WOMAN. Something I can not see playing well on a Banjolele.

My advice, save the Banjolele for your second or third.
 
Last edited:
Just to reiterate what others have said, a banjolele can be a fine instrument in the right hands for certain genres of music ... and I love my 1930's "John Grey & Son", but it gets nothing like the amount of use that my "conventional" instruments get!

My advice to anyone starting out :- try to find a good quality conventional second-hand instrument in whatever size best suits you. In the event you decide the ukulele isn't for you, the resale price of the instrument should be much what you paid for it, assuming no further wear or damage ;)

YMMV - Good luck! :music:
 
Last edited:
I play both Banjo/uke and standard wooden ukuleles. I find each has a voice of its own,and select which instrument to play, depending on the song/tune.
A lot of old rock stuff works surprisingly well on BU as does a lot of country stuff; then on a standard uke, I play a variety of songs, and to complicate matters, a lot of bluesy stuff works great on my resonator uke (which is another beast altogether!)
Whatever you are happy with and which sounds good to YOU is exactly what you need.Experiment. Find what you like and go with it!
 
A little late to the party, as usual, but here is my two cents. Many have talked about the type of music you want to play and where. So think about that. Second, think about scale size. You mentioned concert scale....have you tried a tenor scale Uke. I ask because I have a concert scale banjo-Uke. It is a Little Gem...I also have a full size banjo. What I have noticed is the cramping of my fingers trying to hit a chord formation....this is due to needing more practice...but you get comfortable with the full size fret spacing of a full sized neck on the banjo. My advice is try various scaled ukes...think about what music you wish to play and where...then get what meets those needs.

As an aside, I have to admit I am looking for a tenor Uke to add to my instrument collection...that said, my Little Gem by Gold Tone is a lot easier to carry around than my Deering banjo and I find myself picking it up most of the time.

If you are unsure....rent one of each until you have a preference.
 
I am a complete novice, but would love to learn to play a uke. I have researched both concert uke’s and banjo uke’s. What would be more fun to buy? I would enjoy reading some opinions.

Thanks!
Hal

This is just me personally. If I wanted to learn the ukulele it would be either soprano, concert or tenor. If I wanted to learn the banjo then I would get an actual banjo.
 
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of banjo ukes. They are interesting to play around with, but I'd much rather have my concert to play more seriously with. A lot of people like the banjos for some of the reason mentioned above, but they aren't for everyone. I'd suggest you go and play a few at your local music shop. See what you think about each before you make the investment.
 
For what it’s worth, as mentioned, banjo uses are loud, they were designed to be heard. Modern banjo uses are tubby, lack good tone and resonate over much. It is difficult to play quietly.
A banjo uke played badly sounds horrendous.
A good quality banjo uke will set you back £500+.
 
Start out with a reasonable quality concert scale uke, is my regular advice, a Kala or Ohana, maybe Baton Rouge, all good ukes in the lower price ranges for a beginner to get to grips with, you may want to change the strings after a little while, which is a fairly cheap upgrade. :)
 
I have both. They are both fun to play. I have many of each. They are all fun to play.

Although when I gig there are certain songs that I prefer to play on a banjo uke, I will play anything, on either one.

...and no one has complained yet.

Saying "if you want the banjo sound, get a banjo" is exactly like saying "if you want that smooth, velvety sound, get a classical guitar instead of a uke."

Try them both. I have over 20 instruments, and they all sound, feel, and play differently. And I have no plans to get rid of any of them.

Years back, I went to Magic Fluke in Sheffield, MA. In the 4 hours I was there, I played every uke they had in stock, and both of the prototype Firefly banjo ukes. I bought a tenor that was a 2nd, and ordered a Firefly (they weren't shipping them yet).

Make up your own mind, don't take anyone else's word as to what you have to do.
 
Most fun? Gold Tone Little Gem banjo uke with blinking LEDs.

I've no idea how it sounds, but: blinky lights!

I can attest that it sounds really nice as well, like a proper banjo uke. In my opinion, the quality and finish is really good for the $150 or so price point. If you're going for your first entry level banjo uke I'd definitely recommend the Little Gem if you can get over the fact that the body is made from plastic. I've seen a few similarly priced and even a bit more expensive banjo ukes that simply don't sound as good or lack the finish of the Little Gem.

Regarding the original question, I would still go for a regular ukulele if you're on the fence about which one to get. Unless you already know you're going to be playing music that's more suited to a banjo sound, I'd say a ukulele will offer a better range of musical styles for playing.
 
I like my old classic baritone acoustic uke that I bought.

But soon will be getting either a solid body electric uke or a cheap used solid body mini strat for practicing quietly through headphones. Not sure what's involved in converting the six-string mini strat to a uke, but that would be the longterm plan.

Regardless, I think that being able to practice near silently would greatly accelerate my progress.
 
Top Bottom