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Old 04-19-2017, 05:52 AM
SpruceTop SpruceTop is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rochester, New York
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Default Your Thoughts On Open-Back Banjo Choices Welcomed!

Although I'm loving my new Deering Sierra 5-String Resonator (maple neck), I'm hankering for an open-back, 5-string banjo to keep it company. From window shopping on the web I've narrowed my choices for a new open-back banjo to the following:

Vega #2 (Tubaphone Tone Ring) very expensive at $3739 MAP with case.

Bart Reiter Regent (Whyte Laydie-style Tone Ring) $1495 MAP without case.

Wildwood Troubadour (Tubaphone-style Tone Ring) $1835 MAP without case.

All the above are American-made and have excellent quality ratings and I've read only good things about their tone. Being a long-time fan of The Kingston Trio and Pete Seeger, I'd prefer the *Vega #2 because of its real Tubaphone Tone Ring and Vega name but the Bart Reiter Regent and Wildwood banjos seem like really excellent values.

I'd appreciate your thoughts on the above open-back, 5-string banjos and any other brands you feel are worthy of consideration in terms of a convergence of quality, tone and value. Thanks, Ken

*I've thought about a Vega Long-Neck 5-String banjo (Tubaphone models) but my dealer says they don't hold their value on a trade-in or outright sale because very few players want them anymore. He also said that most players who buy a long-neck wind up playing most of the time with a capo at the third fret which makes it like a regular 5-string banjo.
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Last edited by SpruceTop; 04-20-2017 at 09:36 AM.
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