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ezFolk Forums > Banjo > Beginner Questions - Banjo > Thinking of Starting Banjo: Recommendations, Advice? |
| Moderated by: Tony Provencher, Richard Hefner |
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| Thinking of Starting Banjo: Recommendations, Advice? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 31st, 2006 02:33 pm |
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1st Post |
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CurtisM Approved
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Hope this thread hasn't been done entirely to death.. Anyways, I'm a hack guitar player of a few years (and ukulele dabbler) looking to start out on banjo. I have essentialy no interest in bluegrass, and just a little in old-timey stuff. What has sparked my interest is indie folk stuff like Sufjan Stevens and also country rock like Neil Young and the Byrds. Sufjan typically uses a banjo somewhat similarly to a guitar, with guitar like picking patterns and occasional strumming. For further clairification, check out the demo of the song The Transfiguration here: http://www.emusic.com/album/10948/10948272.html Im thinking i'd be happier with an open back, as I've read they have a softer, gentler sound, which i think would fit better with this music. My roommate would probably appreciate the lower volume as well! So anyways, could you guys reccommend some good banjos to start on that might work for me? As far as price, the cheaper the better. If it would be really worth it to go over about $200, ill probably wait for christmas if im still interested then. I'd rather not go to high though, as i'm not really sure how long i'd stick with this. Anyways, thanks if you made it this far and for any advice you might have. Curtis
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| Posted: Tue Oct 31st, 2006 03:05 pm |
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2nd Post |
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vrteach Approved 
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Well, you know how musical instruments are. It can be hard to find a banjo under $200 that won't be a source of irritation although it can be done, particularly if you are willing to tinker a bit to get the most playablity out of a lesser-quality instrument. Among new 5-string banjos, the most often suggested brands/models are the Deering Goodtime, Gold Tone Cripple Creek (CC-100), and the Rover (I don't remember the model). Now, as you already play the guitar, perhaps you would be better off with a 6-string banjo (or banjitar). I know that Gold Tone make a number of models: http://www.goldtone.com/products/cat_banjitar.asp And I think other companies do also. This can give you the banjo sound but save you precious time learning, assuming that you already do some finger-picking. Flat-pick strumming on a 6-string banjo might be pretty loud. For reference,, I assum you know the old Neil Young song "Old Man, Look at My Life"? The banjo in the original recording is actually a banjo-guitar played by James Taylor. If you want much, much more advice, go on over to http://www.banjohangout.org, sign up and ask this same question in the "Shopping Advice" forum.
____________________ Erich -- http://www.ezfolk.com/audio/bands/956/ http://vrteach.org |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 31st, 2006 04:26 pm |
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3rd Post |
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garyblanchard Approved 
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Sufjan Stevens has been seen playing both a Deering Goodtime as well as a Gold Tone banjo. Both, I believe, are open back. New Goodtimes and Gold Tones go in the range of about $300; you can sometimes find them used for about $200.00. (I play a Deering Goodtime basic openback and am a big fan of these banjos, but the Gold Tones are nice, too.) The six-string banjo, as was pointed out, is another option, but can be more costly. I understand that some of the cheaper models are not that good, though the Gold Tone is probably nice as they make good instruments. Just be aware that the Banjo Hangout does have a lot of purists who will strongly advise against a six-string banjo. Be prepared. 
____________________ http://www.GBandF.com http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/919/audio.php?p=1 |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 31st, 2006 05:07 pm |
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4th Post |
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CurtisM Approved
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Thanks for the advice guys. I'll probably give this a bit more thought and see if I can convince myself to put down the cash for a nice one. When I got my uke, I was planning on just getting a cheap, $50 or so instrument, but after some research I ended up putting down about 3 times that on a nice made in USA one (a fluke). Looks like the same thing will happen here. I'd rather get a real banjo and not a banjo-guitar. I want to learn a new instrument, not just make different sounds. The Goodtime looks to be widely available, i'll probably think about that one. Thanks again. Curtis
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| Posted: Thu Nov 16th, 2006 06:20 pm |
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5th Post |
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GW in Ohio Approved 
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Curtis: My first banjo was a Johnson 100. I think I paid $129 for it. It was a piece of crap. Wouldn't stay in tune, sounded tinny. I was fortunate to be able to sell it to a music store for 50 bucks. My second banjo was a Deering Goodtime openback with a factory installed pickup. I can't speak too highly of this banjo, which I still have. It's built extremely solid, plays effortlessly, and has a great sound for clawhammer and old time fingerpicking styles. It even sounds pretty good played Scruggs-style, with finger picks. And someday I will pair it up with a Behringer acoustic amp and it will be a marriage made in heaven. If you go to eBay, you can usually find a new or used Deering Goodtime openback for sale. It'll probably cost you $300 to $400. Spend the money; it'll be worth it. A Gold Tone Cripple Creek is also a good option in an openback. You should probably stay away from resonator banjos, unless you'll planning to be a Scruggs-style bluegrass picker.
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