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#1
04-24-2023, 12:13 PM
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6 string banjo / Banjitar newbie
What a fun instrument!
I ran into a lady with one at a jam, and when I expressed some interest, she asked me if I'd like to play her 100 year old instrument. Well of course I said yes. Promptly upon returning from the jam, I put out my feelers for one, as well as seeking out all the knowledge google could find for me. Many thanks to Wade Hampton of AGF for his postings on 6 string banjos over the years. They were quite helpful. A Luna 6 string popped local, cheap enough not to pass up, with a hard case. I know the perils of inexpensive instruments, but the cost of entry was cheap enough. I've been having a blast with it. I had fingerpicks from previous banjo attempts, but what's working best for me is one of the Black Mountain hybrid thumb/flatpicks and bare fingers. I tried changing the EAD strings to the thinner/octave strings from a 12 string set, but didn't care for that. I settled for the moment on standard tuning and a light set of electric guitar strings. Still want to try open G tuning, and this morning I listened to someone that changed out just the low E string for a high/thin string. Lots to experiment with. I did tick off a couple of my 5 string banjo friends. The comments started with "Heresy!" and "Oh heck no!" and got worse from there. I told them if they'd get off the couch and come out and play, I wouldn't have to seek out ways of adding banjo flavor to the ensembles I play with. Which is exactly what I've got it for. A touch of banjo tone will really add some flavor applied to the right songs. Did one song at a gig yesterday afternoon on the banjo, looking at the set list for Friday to see what songs it would work on. Oh and I have been trolling for an upgrade to a Gold Tone or Goodtime six string. The loss I'll take on the Luna if/when I sell it is no worse than a few lessons. The fun has been worth it already. Just wanted to share and say thanks. 
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#3
04-25-2023, 04:37 AM
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There are pics of a teenage D'jango Reinhardt with a six string banjo. James Taylor played the 6 string banjitar on Neil Young's "Old Man."
I have a cheapo Davison banjitar which I've retuned in open G with a high drone and railroad spikes. Lots of fun.
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#4
04-25-2023, 06:09 AM
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Quote:
__________________
"Mistaking silence for weakness and contempt for fear is the final, fatal error of a fool" - Sicilian proverb (paraphrased) Last edited by Steve DeRosa; 04-25-2023 at 06:17 AM.
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#5
04-25-2023, 10:06 PM
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I've kept my 6-strings in a mutant Nashville setup for years--the 6-5-4 strings are the GBE strings of a light set, with the low E a .20 wound, so the low four sound an octave high. Having high notes under my thumb allows a decent emulation of 5-string figures, especially in G, D, and C.
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#6
04-26-2023, 07:55 PM
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I’m glad that my posts were helpful to you; I’m a big fan of the guitar-banjo and recommend that more people try it.
Wade Hampton Miller
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#7
05-05-2023, 07:25 AM
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A really interesting six string banjo popped up on Reverb under resonator guitars this morning - it's a Jacobacci Manouche evidently like the one Django played. It was, according to the ad, played in the movie Borsalino. It's in Paris, so shipping is high (178) but 750 for luthier made instrument with some history isn't bad.
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#8
05-08-2023, 01:42 PM
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I've had enough fun out of my $200 investment that I've stepped up - tracking (and my wife) says a Gold Tone GT-500 is at the house as we speak.
I've also started a correspondence with another 6 stringer, who has quite the collection. I can't see having more than one banjo, but I probably said that about guitars at one point also.
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