The best banjo uke on the market today?

[guitarjunky]

Can you help me identify which brand offers the best banjo uke?

thanks!

[darkwater]

Are you interested in production instruments or luthier made? Spanky is making some very nice high end banjo ukes:
http://www.spankyukes.com/

[dnewton2]

Aaron Keim makes some nice banjo ukes as well. Check out Bean Sprout ukulele

Using the word 'best' does not really give anyone an idea of what you like. I mean who makes the best chocolate ice cream? It is all up to interpertation.

[allanr]

I think it could be helpful if you provided a bit more frame of reference for your question.

Do you have a price range in mind? Are you a banjo player looking to transition to ukulele, or a ukulele player looking to add a nice banjo uke to you collection? Would you consider, or possibly prefer vintage?

I don't have enough experience yet to weigh on the merits of different brands, but I can tell you that I am really happy with my Gold Tone Banjo ukulele in concert size (model BUC). Gold tone makes the model that I own in soprano (BUS), concert (BUC), tenor (BUT), and baritone (BUB). They also have a deluxe model (Banjolele-DLX) with a full-size resonator in soprano only.

I have friends that own vintage banjoleles too, and they still play them regularly as well as collecting them.

[dnewton2]

I forgot to mention Waverly Street ukes. Everyone that gets one seems to really like it, and the builder is a member here.

Numereous Vintage companies out there just search banjo ukulele on ebay and there will be quite a few. I am sure a lot of them are pretty nice.

Mike over at Mainland has been working on getting a bonjo uke out for quite some time, I bet it will be real nice since he has been working for a long time tring to find the right uke for his brand. No time frame of arrival yet though.

[ralphk]

I cannot comment on all the banjo ukes available (mine is a '28 Gretch, and looks that old) but if you are looking for a great instrument is a work of art, check out the Spanky's ukes. Simply gorgeous resonator woodwork.

[guitarjunky]

Sorry I should have put more details...

I am www.ukulelejunky.com and I am a canadian dealer of mid range to high end ukes... I am trying hard to promote uke in Canada and would like to expand the lines of products that I am offering...

So the Banjo uke is one and I will surely also try to find good brands of resonator ukes...

Any help is welcomed!

all the best from Montreal

[dnewton2]

As a dealer it might be best to try and find a production company rather thana luthier. (I would think but I don't know I am not a dealer) Gold Tone seems to have a pretty good production banjo uke. Besides that there are not that many production banjos on the market right now. You might contact one of builders above and see if you canstrick a deal to sell their ukes in you store.

I thought I heard Lanikai or Ohana (or one of the mid ranged companies) were going to make a banjo uke soon. But I really do not know anything about that.

Ohana is developing a Resonator that should be out this year.

[Pukulele Pete]

Morgan Monroe now makes banjos. I have never seen one in person but my wife has a Morgan Monroe Blues 32 guitar and it is a nice looking guitar that sounds pretty good considering the price.

[guitarjunky]

thanks for the advices everyone! I am open as well to any suggestion to help me become a better uke dealer... any other speciality ukes I should consider?

thanks