Thread: Shop Hopping
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Old 09-02-2019, 09:27 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
Just to give an idea of where I’m at with my stable
I have:
a 1998 Taylor 414 Ovangkol
2003 D-15 mahogany
1970 Aria A-560 Classical
1960’s Harmony Broadway archtop
2003 Tacoma/Orpheum solid rosewood/spruce deep body grand auditorium size made in Indonesia...
Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
I did get to try a six string banjo, and confirmed it was just not for me...
You're most of the way there already - FWIW I own a '99 415 ovangkol and a 2001 D-15S, and my first guitar was a pre-truss rod Harmony Broadway that fell prey to the ravages of Black Diamond strings - and as far as the banjo is concerned it's hard to find a six-string with any real tone for less than four figures (I own a Deering D-6 - $1500+ used and ~$3500 new these days); that said, I'd recommend checking out a four-string banjo, either tenor (go with a 19-fret for all-around use - IME the 17-fretters are good for Irish tuning but little else) or plectrum (essentially a 5-string banjo minus the short fifth string), as they can not only be readily strung/tuned in some variation of guitar tuning and sound more lively, but can be found more easily (especially the tenors) at a reasonable price. I scored my '94 Deering Boston tenor for $300 w/OHSC about 15 years ago (a new one would run you ~$2K today) and set it up in drop-G tenor uke tuning (GCEA low-to-high, like the first four strings of a guitar capoed at the fifth fret) - once very popular among Jazz Era uke players looking to make the transition to banjo and all but forgotten today (TMK Chuck Romanoff of Schooner Fare is the sole active proponent); FYI it's an extremely versatile setup which I've used for everything from '20s jazz to traditional/neo-trad folk to Irish to sea chanteys to ersatz Scruggs-style - makes a great alternative lead instrument when a guitar just isn't "right," and you've got enough reserve volume to be heard in any situation...
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