How to make a cheap banjo better?

[Pine Cone]

Originally Posted by tdq

I've been hankering after a banjo, preferably open backed...

I was thinking about buying a cheap one - and working on it to make it better, I'm not averse to a little tinkering. Assuming I can find one that has a straight neck and decent intonation, what else could I tweak or should I look out for?
e.g. I'm happy to replace tuners, adjust/replace the bridge, that kind of thing.
Just hoping to end up with a decent, on-the-couch noodling banjo.

You have got some good advice so far. I have been playing banjo since the mid 1960s, and have owned more than a few. About 12 years ago I started build up "parts banjos" and swaping things on banjos I owned to see how tone was impacted by various changes.

The first thing you need to do is to try and figure out what sort of banjo sound you like the best. Do you want a a bright banjo with lots of sustain? A plunky, funky sound? Do you plan to play along side a fiddle? Do you need a bomb proof banjo that doubles as a canoe paddle?

Start by making sure all the basic connection parts between the neck and the pot/rim are tight. It depends on the individual banjo as to how this works. Most bluegrass/resinator banjos and some open backed banjos use lag bolts in the neck and a coordinator rod or rods to connect the rim to the neck. Coordinator rods are not used to adjust the action, but they can help keep the rim round. Open backs often use a dowel-stick to hold the neck to the pot, with a screw or wedges to tighten the conection.

Banjo bridges can make a huge difference on banjo sound. They also help adjust the action/string height above the neck. Heavier bridges make for plunkier sounds while lighter bridges may be brighter and have more overtones.

Banjo heads have a big impact on sound. Tightening the head tends to brighten the sound while looser heads plunk more. Mylar heads come in many thicknesses and surface formulations.

Tailpieces for banjos come in many varieties, "No Knots" will not be as bright as a Kushner...

Lots of strings choices... steel, nylon, various thicknesses, etc. Fourth strings are almost always wound, some 3rd strings are wound, 1st, 2nd and 5th are never wound. Nylon strings can be as loud as steel, but nylon has a different sound.

The number of brackets that hold the head on has almost no effect on banjo sound.

The wood used for the neck and rim does have some effect, maple makes a brighter sound than mahogany or walnut.

Check out banjohangout.org as a resource. You can find my banjo hangout page here with media files and pictures of various banjo projects. https://www.banjohangout.org/my/Pine%20Cone

Enjoy your journey, banjos are very easy to work on. Most music stores and guitar techs don't know much about banjo setup.

[tdq]

Originally Posted by frankmcr

Have you considered buying used? I had a look on Australian ebay, just out of curiosity. This is just one I found. Sears instruments are usually decently made. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sears-Ro....c100010.m2109

That one is in Washington - when you search ebay here it will give you overseas results unless you tell it not too....but thanks anyway, a good price!

And thanks PineCone for your helpful info - definitely after an open back and thinking "plunky funky", clawhammer-ish - Scooped would be nice but not essential. This is all a great help. No such thing as too much info.

[Grizzly Adams]

I have been playing the banjo for near 60 years now, and I sure wish Deering had been around when I started. I started with a Kay which was more like an instrument of torture than a musical instrument!

A cheap banjo is just...a cheap banjo. There is really nothing you can do to make a cheap banjo into a pleasant player. Save your time, because your wasting it, and your money because you will just be throwing good after bad. Look at something used from Gold Tone or from Deering. For the money, they are great banjos and will provide you with an instrument that is fun to play. Fun to play = you may become a banjo player! Gasp! LOL