I'd like to buy a banjo!
April 11, 2017 7:13 AM Subscribe
I think I want to buy a banjo. Can you help?
I played the saxophone in middle school, but aside from that, don't have a ton of musical experience. However, I've kind of always wanted to play the banjo. I love that kind of bluegrass music, and I have some time on my hands, and so, hey, why not. That could be fun. I've been looking for lessons in the area.
Now, the question of a banjo. I don't want to buy a piece of trash, but I also don't want to break the bank - who knows how serious I'll be about this, or if it will languish in the corner or whatever. There is, undoubtedly, some happy medium space. Could I get away with dropping a few hundred bucks?
How terrible is something like this?
Anyway, any insight would be appreciated.
I played the saxophone in middle school, but aside from that, don't have a ton of musical experience. However, I've kind of always wanted to play the banjo. I love that kind of bluegrass music, and I have some time on my hands, and so, hey, why not. That could be fun. I've been looking for lessons in the area.
Now, the question of a banjo. I don't want to buy a piece of trash, but I also don't want to break the bank - who knows how serious I'll be about this, or if it will languish in the corner or whatever. There is, undoubtedly, some happy medium space. Could I get away with dropping a few hundred bucks?
How terrible is something like this?
Anyway, any insight would be appreciated.
I took banjo lessons for a couple of years and had a cheap starter banjo like the one you linked to. I think all those low-end brands are basically the same Asian import. None of them are very good but they will get you started until you decide this is something you want to invest money in.
Banjos seem to be either low end or high end. They're not as popular as guitars so they're not mass produced as much.
I've heard very good things about the Deering Goodtime as a starter banjo.
You'll also want some fingerpicks, a tuner, and possibly a mute if there is anyone else in your house who doesn't want to hear Cripple Creek played endlessly.
Avoid the banjos that are strung and tuned like guitars. They won't teach you how to play the banjo, they're just guitars that sound like banjos.
The banjo is a TON of fun to play, though I was never very good at it.
posted by bondcliff at 7:36 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Banjos seem to be either low end or high end. They're not as popular as guitars so they're not mass produced as much.
I've heard very good things about the Deering Goodtime as a starter banjo.
You'll also want some fingerpicks, a tuner, and possibly a mute if there is anyone else in your house who doesn't want to hear Cripple Creek played endlessly.
Avoid the banjos that are strung and tuned like guitars. They won't teach you how to play the banjo, they're just guitars that sound like banjos.
The banjo is a TON of fun to play, though I was never very good at it.
posted by bondcliff at 7:36 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
There are different types of banjos, the one you linked to being a 5-string. Then there are different styles of playing. How much do you know about what you'll be getting into?
posted by Obscure Reference at 7:50 AM on April 11, 2017
posted by Obscure Reference at 7:50 AM on April 11, 2017
I have one of these
and I think for $500 it is a great buy. Excellent tuners, neck, rim, tone ring and sound. It's a bluegrass style banjo but I use it for clawhammer style. If the link doesn't work, here is the URL:
http://thebanjohut.com/mastercraft_banjo_classic.htm.
posted by Rad_Boy at 8:14 AM on April 11, 2017
and I think for $500 it is a great buy. Excellent tuners, neck, rim, tone ring and sound. It's a bluegrass style banjo but I use it for clawhammer style. If the link doesn't work, here is the URL:
http://thebanjohut.com/mastercraft_banjo_classic.htm.
posted by Rad_Boy at 8:14 AM on April 11, 2017
If you like bluegrass rather than the various pre-bluegrass "old time" styles, you will want a banjo built for bluegrass, with a resonator on the back. The one linked in the original post does not have a resonator.
I would not buy a cheap starter banjo *NEW*. Buy a cheap starter banjo used, at whatever music store your banjo teacher works at or recommends.
posted by sheldman at 8:19 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would not buy a cheap starter banjo *NEW*. Buy a cheap starter banjo used, at whatever music store your banjo teacher works at or recommends.
posted by sheldman at 8:19 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
I have a Deering Goodtime as mentioned above and it's lovely! I think it sounds better than the other starter banjos I tried out. I don't play it enough, that's for sure.
posted by cabingirl at 8:27 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by cabingirl at 8:27 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: How much do you know about what you'll be getting into?
I want make sound be good like steve martin yes good play
posted by kbanas at 8:33 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
I want make sound be good like steve martin yes good play
posted by kbanas at 8:33 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
As an amateur musician but non-banjo-expert, my feeling is that starting out we all tend to budget too much for gear and not enough for people. What I'd be looking for first would be: 1) a teacher, who can help you figure out what kind of banjo you need (and show you how to play it--YouTube's fantastic, but no match for the person sitting in front of you telling you "no, look at your right hand, it's at the wrong angle"), 2) a tech, who can tell you that what's wrong with your instrument isn't that it's the wrong model/brand but that it just needs $75 of adjustments, and 3) a reputable store, that has generous return policies and sells real playable instruments. Local retail would be ideal, but these days online may be the best you can do, and the big online musical instrument stores can actually provide pretty good service.
posted by floppyroofing at 8:35 AM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by floppyroofing at 8:35 AM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
i was given a deering goodtime banjo for my birthday several years ago by my wife when i expressed interest in learning banjo (i play guitar). i've been very pleased with it and would recommend it in a heartbeat.
posted by noloveforned at 8:52 AM on April 11, 2017
posted by noloveforned at 8:52 AM on April 11, 2017
Much good advice upthread. If you want to play bluegrass, then a five string banjo is indeed what you want. I wouldn't sweat the resonator on a beginner banjo, you'll be plenty loud enough without it and the banjo will play the same. If you don't have a good local music store, Elderly Instruments has a good reputation, carries & sells lots of banjos, including the Deering mentioned above.
posted by mr vino at 9:04 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mr vino at 9:04 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Get a Deering Goodtime. They are excellent. If you decide that you don't like it, it'll have resale value, they are universally recommended.
posted by eastlakestandard at 9:48 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by eastlakestandard at 9:48 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
...and Rogue is a very, very cheap, poorly produced Chinese instrument maker. They aren't worth it, in my opinion.
posted by blob at 10:28 AM on April 11, 2017
posted by blob at 10:28 AM on April 11, 2017
Wow, are you me? I also played the saxophone in middle school and want to learn to play the banjo. I have the Deering Goodtime bookmarked for when I finally decide to sit down and start playing.
posted by Marinara at 11:36 AM on April 11, 2017
posted by Marinara at 11:36 AM on April 11, 2017
Response by poster: Wow, are you me? I also played the saxophone in middle school and want to learn to play the banjo. I have the Deering Goodtime bookmarked for when I finally decide to sit down and start playing.
YEP.
posted by kbanas at 11:40 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
YEP.
posted by kbanas at 11:40 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
Nthing go with the Deering, although if you must stay in the $200 range the Washburn B9 is what I started with.
It not a great machine, but it's nicer than the Rogue. Kinda feels like the cheap Kay banjos from the 50s; nothing fancy, but a decent starter instrument. Once you can make that thing sound good, you'll make a nicer banjo sound great.
posted by aspersioncast at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2017
It not a great machine, but it's nicer than the Rogue. Kinda feels like the cheap Kay banjos from the 50s; nothing fancy, but a decent starter instrument. Once you can make that thing sound good, you'll make a nicer banjo sound great.
posted by aspersioncast at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2017
My banjo teacher, who is in his seventies, recommends that you love the banjo you have, until you have the banjo you love.
I had a pretty brutal starter banjo, and until I actually played a nice one, didn't realize how brutal (hard on my fingers, weird action on the strings) it was. A few recommendations...
- if you're in the USD$500 range, you might want to check out the banjo-builders at banjohangout.org -- I bought a really nice handmade banjo for about CAD$800 last year, and if you ask some folks, they might be willing to put together something from parts that will run you less money and be a bit better than a "big-name" banjo at the same price point. They also have their own Classifieds forum, and are really pretty open and honest as a collective group about banjos.
- You really can't go wrong with a Goodtime or Gold Tone in the lower end of the spectrum. There are back and forth debates about which is a better entry-level banjo, but they're both solid.
- Go to a music store! Try some banjos! I'd recommend open-back and clawhammer as the best way to learn to play, but if you're in love with Scruggs-style fast-pickin', you'll want to look at resonators. But give yourself some time to sit with a few different models, get a feel for the weight of an open-back vs. a resonator, and see which sound you like better. They're really different.
posted by Shepherd at 1:44 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
I had a pretty brutal starter banjo, and until I actually played a nice one, didn't realize how brutal (hard on my fingers, weird action on the strings) it was. A few recommendations...
- if you're in the USD$500 range, you might want to check out the banjo-builders at banjohangout.org -- I bought a really nice handmade banjo for about CAD$800 last year, and if you ask some folks, they might be willing to put together something from parts that will run you less money and be a bit better than a "big-name" banjo at the same price point. They also have their own Classifieds forum, and are really pretty open and honest as a collective group about banjos.
- You really can't go wrong with a Goodtime or Gold Tone in the lower end of the spectrum. There are back and forth debates about which is a better entry-level banjo, but they're both solid.
- Go to a music store! Try some banjos! I'd recommend open-back and clawhammer as the best way to learn to play, but if you're in love with Scruggs-style fast-pickin', you'll want to look at resonators. But give yourself some time to sit with a few different models, get a feel for the weight of an open-back vs. a resonator, and see which sound you like better. They're really different.
posted by Shepherd at 1:44 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
This would be a good time to check out Woodwind Brasswind . It will give you a good overview of the full range of items from cheap to full grade professional and all the accessories you should need.
posted by Nackt at 3:24 PM on April 11, 2017
posted by Nackt at 3:24 PM on April 11, 2017
I always say this: go to your local music store, and pick instruments off the rack, and plunk around a bit. Then go home and think about it. Then go back and buy what you like.
posted by ovvl at 7:19 PM on April 11, 2017
posted by ovvl at 7:19 PM on April 11, 2017
Response by poster: This is just so say, thank you all very much.
I bought a Deering Goodtime banjo and it will arrive tomorrow. Or maybe today.
And I found someone to give me lessons!
posted by kbanas at 12:57 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
I bought a Deering Goodtime banjo and it will arrive tomorrow. Or maybe today.
And I found someone to give me lessons!
posted by kbanas at 12:57 PM on April 18, 2017 [2 favorites]
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You might consider finding an instructor first and asking what starter instrument they recommend.
posted by Candleman at 7:27 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]