Someone please talk me out of buying a banjolele

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I found this really cool shop in town. Coffee shop that has a wall of Ike’s for sale (offshoot of a local music store). I picked up a pair of Kalas while I was there and had a hard time putting an Ohana banjolele down. If it weren’t for the fact that one of the 2 today was my wife’s “perfect” uke I’d probably have gotten it.


So I’ve tried to find info about it online and have come up with nothing. No reviews, nada. It’s either the ohana tk-120buc or ohana ck-120buc (tenor or concert, it was labeled ck on a handwritten tag but felt like a tenor!), and only $230

I really liked the sound and feel, albeit heavy.

Can anyone offer advice? Is an ohana worth getting, and if not, where should I look for around that price?

Help. I have an addiction.
 
Friends don't let friends buy banjo ukes. Okay, I don't know you, but ask your friends, they'll back me up.

Sorry, I laughed at the title and couldn't resist.

Sounds like it's too late to talk you out of it anyway! I like Ohanas, but have never seen one of their banjo ukes.
 
You want to be talked out of buying it? How about this. If you play a banjo uke, everyone at the jam WILL hear your mistakes.
 
You want to be talked out of buying it? How about this. If you play a banjo uke, everyone at the jam WILL hear your mistakes.

And it’s a resonator too, so it’s friggin loud. I like it. Maybe I’ll get better because of that!

But seriously, how’s ohana as far as quality?
 
Q: Why does everyone hate a banjo uke right off? A: It saves time

Q: Why is the banjo uke player a fiddle player's best friend? A: Without him, the fiddle would be the most hated instrument on earth.

Q: What is the difference between a banjo uke and an anchor? A: You tie a rope to an anchor before you throw it overboard.

Q: What do you call twenty banjo ukes at the bottom of the ocean? A: A good start.

A group of terrorists hijacked a plane full of banjo uke players. They called ground control with a list of demands. Then they told the negotiator if their demands aren't met they will release one banjo uke player an hour.

:cool:
 
Six replys and most of them Anal about Banjo Ukes. Sheesh guys get a life!
 
You might have too much fun with it. Then what will you do?
 
Proctology and banjoleles

Anal? I don’t think they sound that good.

But, you need perfect pitch.

Perfect pitch is when you throw a banjo into a dumpster and hit an accordion.

Actually, someone left their banjolele in an unlocked car here on Oahu. When they came back there were three banjoleles in the car.

Do you like the sound of a banjolele? Do you like the sound of a banjo? How long and how often?

Do you live in the backwoods? Do you call your cousin honey?

I can think of a banjo part on the first Dave Mason album. It was nice. Brian Wilson also had a short banjo part on Pet Sounds.

For my own taste, they’re nice, in short doses. Maybe they’re great for certain kinds of folk music. What the name of the great young jazz banjo player? Oh yeah, Bela Fleck.
 
Anal? I don’t think they sound that good.

But, you need perfect pitch.

Perfect pitch is when you throw a banjo into a dumpster and hit an accordion.

Actually, someone left their banjolele in an unlocked car here on Oahu. When they came back there were three banjoleles in the car.

Do you like the sound of a banjolele? Do you like the sound of a banjo? How long and how often?

Do you live in the backwoods? Do you call your cousin honey?

I can think of a banjo part on the first Dave Mason album. It was nice. Brian Wilson also had a short banjo part on Pet Sounds.

For my own taste, they’re nice, in short doses. Maybe they’re great for certain kinds of folk music. What the name of the great young jazz banjo player? Oh yeah, Bela Fleck.

You posted this twice under the mistaken belief that it would be twice as funny? If only you were original, alas most of the haters lack any sign of originality.
 
Eight years ago my wife bought me an Eddy Finn Resonator Concert Banjolele for $300

I love the tone and playability. It can be incredibly LOUD or, I can play it so softly that my wife in the next room doesn’t hear me.
It is heavy and, for me, has limited applications. But, there are times where it is the appropriate choice:
WAITING ON THE ROBERT E LEE
definitely sounds better with it than a standard concert.

Ohana is a good brand. I’ve never heard their Banjolele, but the price sounds reasonable.
Good luck and enjoy your choice.
 
Relax, have a sense of humor

You posted this twice under the mistaken belief that it would be twice as funny? If only you were original, alas most of the haters lack any sign of originality.

Actually I posted it twice by accident. And you may have noticed that I actually said some positive things about the possibilities of banjoleles.

Relax. Have a sense of humor. I would think that if a person likes the sound of a banjolele he doesn’t need to be talked into or out of buying one. He’s playing the straight man by asking to be talked out of it. Thanks.
 
No I will not talk you out of it, go buy it right now. (I don't need much of an excuse to buy, i.e., I had two empty spots in a print out of my 30 bass ukes to show my group last week, a few of them mentioned the empty spots, so I went home and ordered two more. No more empty spots.)


This is Michael Kohan in Los Angeles, Beverly West near the Beverly Center
9 tenor cutaway ukes, 6 acoustic bass ukes, 12 solid body bass ukes, 14 mini electric bass guitars (Total: 41)

• Donate to The Ukulele Kids Club, they provide ukuleles to children in hospital music therapy programs. www.theukc.org
• Member The CC Strummers: YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/CCStrummers/video, Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheCCStrummers
 
I tried an Ohana banjolele a few years ago and I certainly agree about the weight. The volume on the one I played was underwhelming too, but then again some people regards that as a plus.

Have you compared other brands/models? I wouldn't talk you out of getting one but I know that for my playing style at least I'd want something lighter.
 
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I've mostly played slightly more expensive banjo ukes like the Firefly and Gold Tone models so I don't have experience with the Ohana, but if you already tried it and liked it then I don't see a problem getting it. Ohana is generally a decent brand so if you can't find any obvious flaws with the build I'm sure it'll be a great instrument.
 
There is a world of difference between a banjolele and a five string which Bela plays. The banjo uke was developed so the ukulele rhythm part was audible in a big band. In a ukulele group it generally is overpowering and, in the wrong hands, downright offensive.
 
With seven banjo ukes, I'm not the one to talk you out of buying one. I posted some links below, but they are not definitive or authoritative. Consider the Firefly from Magic Fluke and also the Duke 10. You will see the Gold Tone DLX on these lists - for good reason. As always, I recommend looking in our Marketplace, on Reverb, Fleamarket Music, and Gryphon Strings. Several people in my group have banjo ukes, and we all enjoy the sound.

Some recommendations, suggestions
https://www.awkwardsound.com/best-banjolele/
https://www.429records.com/best-banjo-ukuleles-banjoleles/
https://www.guitarfella.com/best-ukulele/banjolele/

Shopping -
https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/forumdisplay.php?7-Ukulele-Marketplace
https://www.fleamarketmusic.com/marketplace/default.asp
https://reverb.com/marketplace?query=ukulele
https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/pro...ulele&page=2&per_page=50&taxonomy=Instruments

If you are a ukulele player, you need a banjo uke. :D
 
Six replys and most of them Anal about Banjo Ukes. Sheesh guys get a life!

Sheesh Dennis, get a sense of humor! The tone was set when the original poster asked to be talked out of something he obviously didn't want to be talked out of.
 
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