Banjo Ukes

[ThatsMagical]

Anyone here had experience with a banjo/ukulele (the name banjolele sound so funny to me)
I love the banjo sound but the uke is easier + I have more experience, now I'm just looking for an affordable one that isnt just a factory dupe of a more popular brand

 

[ukukeguy]

I have both a Deering Goodtime concert ukulele banjo (which I might even be tempted to part with!) and a Magic Fluke tenor ukulele banjo, which couldn't sound more different. If you're in the North of England Eagle Music at Huddersfield came recommended to me, if you want to try before you buy, which I'd recommend for a first time buyer

Uke Banjos popularized by George Formby at Eagle Music

Uke banjos from Deering, Ozark, Gold Tone and Countryman at Eagle Music Shop. Buy a uke banjo at the best value prices on the web and in-store.

www.eaglemusicshop.com

You might be lucky and drop on a Barnes and Mullins UBJ1 or UBJ2, which appear to have been discontinued, though you might find a used one which hasn't seen much action, but banjo ukulelists are usually frowned on at regular uke meetings, or so I've been told, so my advice would be to look for an open back instrument and also literally 'put a sock in it' until you get used to it!

Barnes and Mullins UBJ2 Banjo Ukulele - REVIEW

Got A Ukulele looks at the UBJ2 Banjo Ukulele from Barnes and Mullins

www.gotaukulele.com

It would be remiss of me not to mention World of Ukes at Cumbria, the good people at Southern Ukulele Store, Hobgoblin Music, also in the South of England, and

Andy Eastwood's Ukulele Market - ukuleles for sale, a great selection of banjo-ukes plus CDs and related items

which are usually "nicely turned out" to turn a George Formby phrase on its head and you are looking for something a little more traditional, and the Marketplace here too, although most of the listings are predominantly in the USA!

 

[Poul Hansen]

Thomanns Harley Benton is fully playable and probably the best value for money.

 

[BigJackBrass]

Definitely worth a trip to Eagle Music. I have a soprano Magic Fluke Firefly, which is a super light minimalist banjole and sort of its own thing. Wonderfully playable and sounds pretty decent, but not so easy to find in the UK shops at the moment (there are a few scattered across the country if you search).

My recommendation would be to avoid anything modern with a very small pot, as they seem to be rather overbuilt in my experience. 8" or 10" is a good size.

Kelly Trafford from Four String Strummer put up a short video looking at some of the different models he has, which isn't comprehensive but might be of help :

 

[msmitty63]

I have a Gold Tone concert scale banjolele (the deluxe model). I have been very happy with it although I don't play it as much as I should. It is loud as heck so I stuffed some old t-shirts in the back to dampen the sound.

 

[ThatsMagical]

Definitely worth a trip to Eagle Music. I have a soprano Magic Fluke Firefly, which is a super light minimalist banjole and sort of its own thing. Wonderfully playable and sounds pretty decent, but not so easy to find in the UK shops at the moment (there are a few scattered across the country if you search).

My recommendation would be to avoid anything modern with a very small pot, as they seem to be rather overbuilt in my experience. 8" or 10" is a good size.

Kelly Trafford from Four String Strummer put up a short video looking at some of the different models he has, which isn't comprehensive but might be of help :

I love the look of the firefly, the concert is my favourite in terms of aesthetics but I wouldnt mind the tenor either, thanks for the advice!

 

[ukukeguy]

Definitely worth a trip to Eagle Music. I have a soprano Magic Fluke Firefly, which is a super light minimalist banjole and sort of its own thing. Wonderfully playable and sounds pretty decent, but not so easy to find in the UK shops at the moment (there are a few scattered across the country if you search).

My recommendation would be to avoid anything modern with a very small pot, as they seem to be rather overbuilt in my experience. 8" or 10" is a good size.

Kelly Trafford from Four String Strummer put up a short video looking at some of the different models he has, which isn't comprehensive but might be of help :

I had a quick look on t'interweb and banjo ukuleles generally seem to have fallen from fashion at the moment. The baritone version of the Firefly with tuneable 'pot' is as rare as hen's teeth over here, but I suspect wholesale prices may put a lot of music shops off stocking them.

I've never been a fan of resonators which can make an already weighty instrument even heavier and Deering have discontinued the Goodtime tenor, which, it has to be said, was massive (the concert is heavy enough, IMHO!) but the Magic Fluke soprano avoids heavy tuning hooks in favour of a pre-tensioned pot and friction tuners in preference to geared tuners, making it super-lightweight. I've never felt the need to adjust the tension on my Firefly, and each to their own, but I'd avoid the models with polycarbonate fretboard, personally.

 

[BigJackBrass]

The baritone version of the Firefly with tueable 'pot' is as rare as hen's teeth over here, but I suspect wholesale prices may put a lot of music shops off stocking them

To the best of my knowledge there is no longer a UK distributor for Magic Fluke instruments. Certainly when I enquired recently with Matt from World of Ukes, he had been forced to switch to ordering directly, which meantdelays as he could no longer order one or two at a time.

I'd avoid the models with polycarbonate fretboard, personally

Mine has the polycarbonate fretboard and honestly I find it a joy to play. The wooden ones are lovely, but both my Flea and Firefly have plastic fretboards and I don't regret choosing them. Mileage may vary and whatnot.

 

[ukukeguy]

To the best of my knowledge there is no longer a UK distributor for Magic Fluke instruments. Certainly when I enquired recently with Matt from World of Ukes, he had been forced to switch to ordering directly, which meantdelays as he could no longer order one or two at a time.

Oh! That's a shame, although it has to be said Magic Fluke's customer service is second to none, so it wouldn't bother me to order from them directly, if that's an option.. A Firefly tenor like mine recently sold secondhand on eBay for £325, so they ain't cheap, and neither are Deering, being a US brand, but I suspect they are up against brands like Kmise, which although tempting aren't as nicely finished or setup, but any brand can produce the odd 'Friday afternoon' uke or banjo uke, I guess..

 

[kissing]

I love me a good banjo uke!
I have a Martinez concert banjo uke (which I have tuned to re-entrant DGBE) - it came well set up straight from factory.
Not sure if this brand is available easily in the UK though. Seems to be an Australian-run brand.

Here's a video I recorded a while back:

 

[Jerryc41]

Anyone here had experience with a banjo/ukulele (the name banjolele sound so funny to me)
I love the banjo sound but the uke is easier + I have more experience, now I'm just looking for an affordable one that isnt just a factory dupe of a more popular brand

Yes! I, too, love the sound of a banjo, but I didn't get very far learning how to play it. Banjo ukes are very popular in my groups, and I have five banjo ukes and several resonators. Resonators are more like regular ukes, but they have a louder, more distinctive sound. I converted an Enya to a resonator.

 

[Canada Jim]

My banjoleles - An old Slingerland May-Bell and a Banjo-ette with a new neck and autographs from the early thirties on the head

 

[dancephoto]

My Deering Tenor Banjo Ukulele, with it's 12 inch pot. Lovely tone.
I haven't played it much at all. Switched to soprano soon after buying it.
I if someone would like to have it, send me a PM.

 

["Hat"]

I love me a good banjo uke!
I have a Martinez concert banjo uke (which I have tuned to re-entrant DGBE) - it came well set up straight from factory.
Not sure if this brand is available easily in the UK though. Seems to be an Australian-run brand.

Here's a video I recorded a while back:

That was terrific! (The closest I've come to an ocarina before this was reading the word in a "Final Fantasy" title, if I recall correctly. )