Buying Tips? Banjolele Should I get a banjo or a banjolele?

[BiosphereDecay]

I really like the sound of a banjo, and a banjolele Is appealing, But I wanted to sound as close to a real banjo as possible. From my reading it seems like they're always GCEA, but can I tune it like a normal banjo? What strings would sound the most like a real banjo? I'm going to just get something cheap, probably on Amazon, but what would you recommend?

One of the main reasons I want a banjolele and not a real banjo, is I have a medical thing that makes it hurt when I fret instruments with really long necks. Ukulele is okay, because it's so small that my hands are pretty close to my body. Holding a banjo in first position would probably hurt, I'm not 100% sure but I think so.

 

[BlueWing]

There are short scale 5 string banjos out there. Look up piccolo or pony banjos.

 

[Oldscruggsfan]

Banjolele. To my ear, a banjolele sounds very much like a tenor banjo which (as you know) has a much longer neck.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

There are short scale 5 string banjos out there. Look up piccolo or pony banjos.

Thanks for the tip, although these are a bit out of my price range. I guess I should set a budget. Let's say 200 for this, because I don't really know for sure if I'm going to like it or not.

 

[ampeep]

I'd say go for the banjo - have played with several talented banjo pickers & really like how they fit in with our group, especially country western songs.

Have not been impressed with banjolele because none of the players I’ve played with fingerpick. (Don't particularly care for the sound when strummed.)

 

[ripock]

I think you should go for the banjo--provided that you can return it if your body rejects it. Give the real deal a shot and move on to the banjolele if the body demands it

 

[keenonuke]

Banjos are VERY HEAVY.

The learning curve on a Banjolele would be non-existent as you know how to play ukulele. There are soprano, concert and tenor Banjolele.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Banjos are VERY HEAVY.

The learning curve on a Banjolele would be non-existent as you know how to play ukulele. There are soprano, concert and tenor Banjolele.

Let us know how it goes.

So far I pretty much can only find tenor banjoleles and I found one concert, but no sopranos.

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That seems like the best option so far. It's 26-in, but that's the same as a ukulele tenor right?

I definitely do want a real banjo, but heavy instruments are an issue, as well as the scale length. I found soprano and concert five strings, but they're all pretty expensive.

 

[keenonuke]

So far I pretty much can only find tenor banjoleles and I found one concert, but no sopranos.

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Buy LOTKEY, 5-String Banjo, 26 inch (CR2032): Banjos - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

a.co

That seems like the best option so far. It's 26-in, but that's the same as a ukulele tenor right?

I definitely do want a real banjo, but heavy instruments are an issue, as well as the scale length. I found soprano and concert five strings, but they're all pretty expensive.

Why not ask the scale length.

Perhaps someone in your neck of the woods has a Banjolele they can lend you?

 

[coleraine12065]

The Gold Tone BU-1 is a little more than you want to spend ($269 from GT or Mim’s) but concert scale and weighs under three pounds. Good sound, easy to play, and I bet easier to resell than a lesser-known brand. I bought a blemished one from GT’s warehouse page for well under $200, but there aren’t any listed now.

Although if you’re after the 5-string old time sound, I don’t know if a banjo uke will do the trick. But sure is fun in its own way.

 

[keenonuke]

Here's some links to lower cost Banjolele. You can make offers with reverb, but if the offers accepted you have to purchase.

https://reverb.com/p/kay-open-back-banjo

https://reverb.com/item/87048698-melody-uke-banjolele-20-30s - the Melody may be heavy

With GC call the store directly to ask questions or get additional pics

Used Bell Brand Used Bell Brand BANJOLELE Brown Banjolele Brown | Guitar Center

For greater savings check out our Used Bell Brand Used Bell Brand BANJOLELE Brown Banjolele and get a great deal today!

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Good luck. Let us know how it goes

 

[keenonuke]

Oh and of course a Wanted on the UU Forum

 

[BiosphereDecay]

Oh and of course a Wanted on the UU Forum

I didn't even think of that actually, but I feel like my price range is a bit low for the marketplace here.

 

[keenonuke]

I didn't even think of that actually, but I feel like my price range is a bit low for the marketplace here.

You never know. There are those who may wish to help or live nearby. There's nothing to lose.

There's also craigslist and Facebook marketplace. Of course you need to be careful with those.

 

[merlin666]

Banjos are different. Many different tunings. Clawhammer or Scruggs picking styles. Difficult.

 

[kissing]

I think banjolele are great. I've got a concert Martinez one, which was low cost but great value (but they may be only common in Australia). Pretty sure there would be similar low price ones around.



In isolation, banjolele do give a sound that immediately make you think "banjo".
But when compared side to side to an actual steel string banjo, there is quite a difference.
As you would expect, the steel strings have more bite and sustain, and also sound more metallic. Banjolele's nylon string sound has its own unique voice.

As for strings, use any ukulele string of your preference. They'll all sound banjolele-like due to the banjo body.

If you want to get an actual banjo, keep in mind traditional banjo tuning is different to that of ukulele so you'll essentially have to learn new finger shapes, etc. If you can't be bothered with all that effort, stick to banjolele.

I'm sure you could tune a 4-string banjo to ukulele tuning with the right strings though.
FYI - 4 Stringed Tenor Guitars were made for the purpose of letting banjo players play something guitar-like.

 

[BiosphereDecay]

I think banjolele are great. I've got a concert Martinez one, which was low cost but great value (but they may be only common in Australia). Pretty sure there would be similar low price ones around.



In isolation, banjolele do give a sound that immediately make you think "banjo".
But when compared side to side to an actual steel string banjo, there is quite a difference.
As you would expect, the steel strings have more bite and sustain, and also sound more metallic. Banjolele's nylon string sound has its own unique voice.

As for strings, use any ukulele string of your preference. They'll all sound banjolele-like due to the banjo body.

If you want to get an actual banjo, keep in mind traditional banjo tuning is different to that of ukulele so you'll essentially have to learn new finger shapes, etc. If you can't be bothered with all that effort, stick to banjolele.

I'm sure you could tune a 4-string banjo to ukulele tuning with the right strings though.
FYI - 4 Stringed Tenor Guitars were made for the purpose of letting banjo players play something guitar-like.

Is it possible to put steel strings on a banjolele?

 

[clarinetagogo]

Is it possible to put steel strings on a banjolele?

It depends; I would personally only try it on a banjolele with a truss rod, though if you're ok with just seeing what happens on a cheaper instrument I guess you could go for it. Even then you would need to be really careful about the string gauge, keep it light. This is the only steel-string banjolele set I've ever run into (used to have it on my own instrument before switching to Living Waters fluorocarbon).

I have to agree with kissing's post -- banjos are a different animal from ukuleles. If you don't want to learn different chords or get used to the scale length difference, I would stick with banjolele. If you do, see if you can get a used Gold Tone Plucky or a Magic Fluke within your budget.

 

[keenonuke]

To muddy up the waters - there's also Resonators which have a similar but different sound. These are usually concert or tenor length. But I've never searched for a soprano Resonator. With a Resonator there are those who've modified a ukulele by adding the Resonator biscuit. Yummy

 

[acmespaceship]

If at all possible, get your hands on some banjos and banjo ukes before you buy. Maybe you can visit music stores or uke clubs or old-time jams that have banjo players. Many people will be happy to let you play their instruments for a few minutes to get an idea what they feel and sound like.

There are several kinds of "normal banjos." Tenor banjos have 4 strings and were widely used in early 20th century jazz bands. Nowadays they are often played at celtic sessions. GCAE and CGDA are common tunings but "Chicago tuning" is also popular and very familiar to us uke players: GCEA and DGBE. If a tenor banjo is the sound you want, a banjo uke should work well.

Old-time banjos have 5 strings. They can be open-back or closed-back. They can have steel or nylon strings. Bluegrass banjos have 5 strings and are built to sound LOUD with resonator backs and steel strings. These are the banjos that weigh a ton. A banjo uke can get a similar sound but it will never sound exactly the same without that 5th string. Whether that's close enough to make you happy is something you can't really tell until you've had the chance to play a banjo uke.

Opinions vary, but I wouldn't put steel strings on a uke that was built for nylon. High-tension fluorocarbon strings get close enough for my ears -- but then I prefer an old-time minstrel/mountain banjo to a machine-gun bluegrass sound. I personally did not love the Gold Tone Little Gem (in the $200 range) because it was too much of a machine gun -- but maybe it's the right banjo uke for you?

Full disclosure: A friend got a Little Gem, removed the back and tuned the same strings down from GCEA to DGBE and now he loves it -- and so do I. The moral being you can often tweak a uke to make it a better fit for you. Which of course makes it even harder to decide which uke to buy.