Banjos ? Advice ?
 

Got a yen to try a banjo again - open back - "drop thumb" to be payed a little like this lovely couple :


I attended an early morning workshop with them at a bluegrass festival once and i ws the only one for about half and hour. They are freinds with a banjo payer guy I used to play with so I see them whenever they come to the UK.

Another friend has suggested a Goldtone BC120, as it has a wider nut width than most.

anybody know about this stuff and can give me any advice?

Thanks in advance.

How much do you want to spend? If you want a lower-priced, American-made 5-string you could look at the Deering Goodtime line of banjos. These are quality instruments and can be had with or without a tone-ring and resonator depending on price. For overseas brands, Gold Tone and Recording King are good quality/value for their pricing. Here's some information on the Gold Tone BC-120 Bob Carlin model: https://banjo.com/product/gold-tone-...-string-banjo/

That would be $0.0094. About right for a banjo. :)

Shop till you drop. Here's Elderly's current inventory. Should find something to suit you. Be sure to look at the Nechville open back, modern take on the traditional design.

https://www.elderly.com/acoustics/ba...used=413%2C414

Banjos were huge in the U.K. at one point, as witness -

Glen's British banjo collection: https://glensbritishbanjocollection.weebly.com/

and of course R. Kipling's The Song of the Banjo: https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-song-of-the-banjo/

There ought to be a ton of British-made banjos languishing in antique shops across the land.

“No record producer has ever said, ‘Hey, we need to turn up that banjo!’”
-Steve Fromholz

Plenty of good options out there. What's your price range?

Since you're in the U.K. I'd suggest you check out Leon Ballard's open back offerings. Leon's a Suffolk-based banjo maker. Tell him Rudy from Banjo Hangout sent ya!

https://www.ballardbanjers.com/

I am not a banjo player and don't really know anything about them - just to get that out of the way! - but I do see myself getting an open back one day for some clawhammer/frailing type playing so I always do a quick scan when looking in guitar stores. I've tried a few models an thought that the goodtime open back seemed ok - as far as I could tell - but recently I tried a goodtime americana model, it has a slightly bigger pot at 12" and I really liked the way it sounded and played immediately, which I thought was a good sign. Anyway a bit long winded, but try the goodtime americana!

Banjos ? Advice ?
 

Sit down, stay calm...

Take a couple deep breaths and a glass of water...

Say to yourself: "I am in control...I can beat this...I am strong..."

Remember that we're here to help you... :)

SM, just say no — you don’t have to do this.

I once left my banjo in the back seat of my car. Somebody smashed the window and threw their banjo in.

I play banjo and perform on one as well. Have had a good few pass through my hands. For a factory item it will be hard to beat Gold Tone, Recording King, or Deering. There are a lot of luthier built options especially for.open back. Bit if I were on your side of the Atlantic I would be looking hard at a vintage Zither Banjo with a tunneled 5th string.

All I can say is stay away from Deering and Vega which is made by Deering. Gold tones are fine, As are Ome and Stelling

Why? IMHO, Deerings are well-made and sound good. I will say that a potential buyer may get more bang-for-the-buck by buying a Pacific-Rim banjo but used they likely won't hold value like the Deering Vega and Deering models when it comes time to sell or trade. I agree American builders like OME and Stelling, and Pac-Rim builder Gold Tone are, indeed, fine banjo brands. :)

Hi Andy,
I recently had the same yearning, it might be an age thing! Anyway I found and purchased a David Pratt handmade banjo and I am very happy with it.
Handmade in Barcelona, so no issues with VAT etc. and being handmade I'm sure you can have any little details you might want. Good to support craftsmen rather than big companies, I always think.