Educate me on banjos

Reznik · March 2015

I am a guitar player and I want to learn banjo. So I need to buy a banjo. I found a few on kijiji, but I don't know much (anything, really) about them. I would like a reasonably cheap/starter kind of banjo, but nothing so cheap that the quality of the instrument is going to put me off playing. And if I buy used, I need to know what sorts of things to look for so I don't get hosed.

Here are examples of things I want to learn how to play:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3ghG_HQfwI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBY5l10htqI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECtWsah2po

Khavall · March 2015

So, the secret to Banjo is that there's kind of no Banjo that is really bad enough to put you off Banjo. Like the difference between a shitty banjo and a fantastic several thousand dollar banjo is pretty marginal.
In fact, a lot of old grizzled pros will insist that getting a brand new, high-priced banjo is basically a crime.

My first Banjo was a Banjo that my Father gleefully gave to me under the condition that I take it with me so it wasn't cluttering the house up. He bought it for $10 without a fingerboard, and the person who had it before had it handed down from their grandfather, who insisted that it was originally the banjo of a civil war veteran he had bought it from. That thing was a piece of shit, but it still sounded like a banjo, and was really great for learning the fundamentals.
I maybe wouldn't suggest going that far, but Banjo's are a really hardy instrument and pretty hard to fuck up. The main things to check for are really just stuff from the fragile parts. So if the neck is badly warped, or the tuning pegs are all broken off, maybe not so much, but "A good banjo" is a bit of an oxymoron.

With the examples you've linked, the main thing you want to figure out is whether you're interested in a 5-string or 4-string. The last example is on a 4-string, the first and second are on a 5-string. 5-string is more traditional and more common, and more Banjo-y(if that's a thing). 4-string(aka Banjo Ukelele sometimes) tends to be associated with Dixieland and jazz stuff, and if you're interested in learning more typical Banjo stuff then I'd avoid it.

So basically, make sure it's not obviously destroyed, and maybe pluck some strings and make sure it works, but it's pretty hard to go wrong on a Banjo. And make sure you're getting a 5-string unless you think you'd prefer a 4-string for some reason.

Now, one note about "Style" of Banjo:
The other stuff to consider is really stylistic stuff. So like if you know exactly that you're only interested in Bluegrass, then you want something with a resonator(The little wood backing hoop behind the body of the banjo), and if you know that you're only interested in Frailing, then you don't need to worry about that. And that stuff does have a specific sound to it. So I'm fairly certain the first example didn't have a Resonator, and the second one definitely did. A resonator gives it that tinnier sound(It'll sound like the Banjos from Deliverance), where having no resonator will give it a little less biting of a sound, a little gentler of a sound, without the piercing highs of a resonator.
Spoilered for images of them

Resonator:

No Resonator(Open-back)

Also, this video gives a pretty good rundown, where he plays the same song on two different types:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHCQHlZJom0

I would say if you're just beginning, just getting a Banjo is pretty good, because maybe you'll like one style over the other and decide you need a different one, or maybe you'll get super into banjo and want one of each, and maybe you'll decide you don't really care. As an example of how little it really matters, the second example is using Frailing, and he's on a Banjo with a Resonator that's normally considered better for Bluegrass. You can really play anything on any Banjo though, so.... not really a huge thing. I'd say just pluck the strings of one if you're looking at it and see if you like what you hear.

Reznik · March 2015

That's good to hear. I know with guitars they can be... pretty awful if you buy the wrong model.

Looking at the banjos available on kijiji, the only one catching my eye is a 4 string that is apparently from the 30s or 40s for under $200. There's some at the music store near me around the $250 range that I might check out. I'll probably go with a 5 string anyway if that's the more traditional, probably a better place to start. I'm eyeing some of the DIY kits too. I built a kit Les Paul and the whole luthierie thing is pretty fun.

With regards to 4 string vs 5 string. If I get a 5-string can I still just play 4-string stuff on it?

Xaquin · March 2015

You two make me want to go get a banjo even though I still suck at guitar

Khavall · March 2015

Reznik wrote: »

With regards to 4 string vs 5 string. If I get a 5-string can I still just play 4-string stuff on it?

Yes. Unless you think in the near future you're going to be a professional Dixieland Banjo player. One of the big differences is standard tuning, since 4-strings are normally in Open-C and 5-strings are normally in Open-G, so you might need to re-tune or just re-voice some chords. But there are like a billion Banjo tunings anyways.

I mean I say that, and I have professionally played Dixieland Banjo on a 5-string so(It was annoying to play though.... and there was the odd horribly wrong note from accidentally hitting the fifth string in a chord, since the 5th string is almost always open)

Also, while I've never done it, I imagine building a Banjo is super easy. Especially from a kit(My dad has build a couple of acoustic guitars from scratch..... now that was fun). I mean really if you think about it for an Old Time Banjo(No resonator, built for Frailing) is basically just a metal hoop, a piece of whatever material you have lying around(Now just basically a drum head), a stick, and some strings. Fancy stuff like a real neck/fingerboard and tuners aren't really the hard parts of making a guitar.

Reznik · March 2015

I've been looking at banjo kits. The cool rustic looking ones that are also cheap are also fretless, which I imagine would make learning to play kind of a bitch.

This one's nice, but pricy. http://www.harpkit.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=mbanj

Either way though I think I want one without a resonator to start with.

melissa1981 · March 2015

https://youtu.be/aEhwIqmmEJY

McViking · March 2015

I've taught a lot of banjo students over the years, and what I've found is that while a crappy-sounding banjo is fine to learn on, a banjo that doesn't stay in tune isn't. Mostly I've seen students who show up with cheap banjos where the fifth string (the one that starts at the fifth fret) has a friction peg instead of a geared tuner. Especially on a banjo built with cheaper parts, those pegs are really difficult to get in tune, and they almost always slip and don't stay in tune. So students end up sounding terrible, getting frustrated with their instrument, and quitting. There's nothing wrong with buying an affordable banjo, but make sure it's got a fifth string tuner with gears and not just a straight peg.

I used to recommend the Deering Goodtime as the ideal beginner banjo, but they've gone up in price a lot in the last few years. Still, you find them used on eBay and Craigslist all the time for a couple hundred bucks, and you'll get years of playing out of one before feeling the need to upgrade.

joshofalltrades · April 2015

Rondo Music stuff is really good if you're still looking for a banjo, OP. Typically I recommend their Agile models over the SX models, but on a banjo you can't really go wrong unless (as McViking pointing out) it has a friction peg.

This five string's going for a decent price, has a name-brand head, good chrome tuners and a resonator.

Also, Rondo customer service is amazing, and they'll exchange your instrument for free if there's an issue with it after it ships. I've never had to use their return policy but I understand they're very good about that sort of thing.

Reznik · April 2015

Awesome, thanks a lot for the suggestions, and especially that info about the fifth string tuning peg. I suspect that's the reason my brother always grumbles about banjos never staying in tune.

I'll check around locally first, since I'm in Canada and shipping anything here almost doubles the price of everything, but that Rondo looks nice and within my price range.

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