Banjo in my future I think

[Down Up Dick]

I was thinking of offering you my Deering 5 string banjo, but I dropped the idea when I heard that you wanted a resonator. Mine is an open back.

 

[Sharpshin]

I bought a Gold tone AC-1 from elderly. Inexpensive, good setup and I believe you can get a resonator kit for $80 from gold tone. Double check me on that kit though I preferred the open back. I am blown away by it. Banjos are expensive to just try out but this one is awesome. I am so happy to have it!

 

[clarinetagogo]

Ha! Maybe now I will sell
Some ukes and not be such a hoarder!

Just wait til you start collecting banjos instead, the real disaster for having enough space in your place!

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

I could be convinced to sell my 1985 Korea- made Fender Leo Deluxe. It’s in mint condition and has a Sosebee bridge.
Of course, weight makes shipping very expensive. My US zip is 30115.

 

[Mike $]

I think I'll just stick with getting a 5 string resonator, from what advise I'm getting and what I'm reading. I'm not interested in a banjo ukulele or a six string banjo that plays like a guitar. I'm just not into that kind of thing. A 5 string resonator is what I need to do what I want to do.

I recommend getting a good banjo. A crappy one will stunt your growth. I'd never get a washburn, a Goodtime, a Dean, modern Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, or any bottlecap banjo and make would sure it has a nice tone ring, a wooden pot, and a resonator. Don't get budget models of any of the big brand of banjo makers...Gold Tone, Recording King, Deering, Huber...etc. get something good. You can get a great banjo used for $1500 or less.
Please make sure you're taking advice from banjo pickers, not guitarists or ukers who also play banjo, especially ones who only think they know banjos.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

I recommend getting a good banjo. A crappy one will stunt your growth. I'd never get a washburn, a Goodtime, a Dean, modern Fender, Ibanez, Epiphone, or any bottlecap banjo and make would sure it has a nice tone ring, a wooden pot, and a resonator. Don't get budget models of any of the big brand of banjo makers...Gold Tone, Recording King, Deering, Huber...etc. get something good. You can get a great banjo used for $1500 or less.
Please make sure you're taking advice from banjo pickers, not guitarists or ukers who also play banjo, especially ones who only think they know banjos.

I won’t disagree but will add that pre-1986 (South Korea- made) Fender Leo resonator banjos were, in my experience, comparable to any top brand in all respects.

 

[Mike $]

I won’t disagree but will add that pre-1986 (South Korea- made) Fender Leo resonator banjos were, in my experience, comparable to any top brand in all respects.

Plenty of great pros used to play Fender Artist banjos back in the day (Vic Jordan, Eddie Adcock...etc.). I'm talking about the ones they make now.

 

[SleepyheadRooster]

A good friend is building me a walnut open back banjo for clawhammer. This will be his eighth one, and I’m really impressed with his work. I don’t think he is interested in doing bluegrass banjos though.

I used to have a Deering Goodtime. I wish I’d kept it.

One time I drove down into a rough part of town. When I parked the car, I made the mistake of leaving the windows open and the banjo in plain view in the backseat. I came back an hour later and there were four more banjos in my backseat!

 

[Canada Jim]

I currently have four banjers. I gave up bluegrass banjo and gave my only resonator banjo to my niece when my thumb arthritis slowed me down.
I still like to play clawhammer and other folk styles.

Here are a no-name catalog banjo, an SS Stewart tenor, strung with Nylgut strings. and a banjo that I made about 45 years ago.


This one is an RS Williams banjo that was restored by Teilhard Frost. It also has Nylgut strings and is my current favourite.


This is me in my bluegrass days, the early eighties, somewhere in Pennsylvania with Buck & Loose Change.

 

[Canada Jim]

The banjo on the left in the first photo is one I played at the 2017 Shelter Valley Folk Festival. My wife had a henna artist at the festival paint a design on her leg. I liked it so much that I got her to put a design on the head of my banjo. I seldom play it these days for fear of wrecking the design.

Maggie's henna tattoo


Henna banjo head