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The Aphasian posted:I just bought a cheapie beginner banjo after wanting one for almost 5 years. If I stick with it for two years I'll reward myself with a better model. This is par for course I'm afraid, unless things start to look medically concerning or it really starts to hurt you should just push on. Soon you'll start to treasure your lovely calluses and eventually you'll be wielding fingertips of steel. Dr. Gene Dango MD posted:I restrung my banjo the other week and the metal piece at the bottom that adds tension to the strings is a little higher up than before. When I tune everything is fine but I'm worried that this might be changing the sound a little. Here's a picture to explain what I mean http://imgur.com/oHxdBht. There should be screw(s) on the sides of the metal plate that allow you to tighten it up if you think it needs it. As far as I'm aware its not a major concern though. I don't know that there's a specific set of chords in order to look for, just practice chords to songs you enjoy and you'll end up training the changes you're most likely to be using anyway. For what its worth, chords in the keys of G, C, D and A are probably going to get you the most milage but again its not something you really need to stick rigidly to. Play songs you actually enjoy and the rest will sort itself out.
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# ? Apr 6, 2013 12:13 |
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# ? Jun 3, 2024 23:56 |
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The Aphasian posted:I just bought a cheapie beginner banjo after wanting one for almost 5 years. If I stick with it for two years I'll reward myself with a better model. I planned on waiting a year to upgrade and lasted about four months. There's a world of difference between a cheap beginners banjo and something more mid-range. Hope you stick with it. I found proper calluses took a long time to come through when I started. First it was just fairly painfulI, then very visible calluses, and then eventually my finger tips looked normal but the skin is tough. I'd say rest them as it can't hurt to do so especially as you'll probably need to build up finger strength as well. Dr. Gene Dango MD posted:I restrung my banjo the other week and the metal piece at the bottom that adds tension to the strings is a little higher up than before. When I tune everything is fine but I'm worried that this might be changing the sound a little. Here's a picture to explain what I mean http://imgur.com/oHxdBht. I take Skype lessons occasionally from John Boulding who has an excellent ever-expanding set of YouTube videos linked to at http://www.jsutergraphix.com/LOTW/ Give the section on chords a look. Found his stuff extremely helpful over the last couple of years of playing. Not sure what banjo you've got but on my Goodtime there's a nut that can be tightened or loosened to move the tailpiece. It will definitely change the sound as you're exerting more or less down force. In theory if it's set higher you'll get a slightly softer sound and lower more tight and punchy. Should be plenty of tutorial videos around if you search for banjo tailpiece setup.
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# ? Apr 10, 2013 21:19 |
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I saw this and thought it pretty funny: Difference between Celtic, Old Time, and Bluegrass: http://bluegrassnation.org/link_type/the-difference-between-bluegrass-old-time-and-celtic-bands-now-finally-explained/ Old Time and Celtic songs are about whiskey, food and struggle. Bluegrass songs are about God, mother and the girl who did me wrong. If the girl isn’t dead by the third verse, it ain’t Bluegrass. If everyone dies, it’s Celtic.
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# ? Apr 12, 2013 03:32 |
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Any good resources for self-teaching?
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# ? Apr 29, 2013 23:47 |
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Which instrument / style? Bluegrass banjo? Also, I went to the Baltimore Bluegrass festival this past weekend. Was good for a first try. We had a good jam going off on the side pretty much all day. The sound wasn't great, but I tried not to let that stop me from having a good time. I went home for a while, came back to see Tony Trishka play. A lot of people had drank up and gone home by that point, so I walked right up to the stage and watched him play. Always amazing. Too bad you couldn't hear his banjo very well, though.
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# ? May 2, 2013 03:35 |
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Planet X posted:Which instrument / style? Bluegrass banjo?
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# ? May 8, 2013 00:07 |
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I have some questions for you: Are you completely new to music? To stringed instruments? Do you already listen to a lot of bluegrass? Do you have any favorite banjo players? What are some of your favorite banjo-centric songs? (Foggy Mountain Breakdown, Clinch Mtn Backstep, etc) I ask because it helps to have the sound in your head, so to speak. Different players have different styles. Do you like the melodic style of Bill Keith, or the more straight ahead style of Earl? Like Ralph? He's heavy on forward rolls, while someone like Don Reno does more single string runs. There are a lot of resources available to you. I would say: - Find a local teacher, take a lesson. That goes against your question to an extent, but an intro / basics lesson will be helpful. This doesn't mean you have to commit to lessons, but it will put you down the right path (lead with the thumb, fret directly behind the frets, etc) - Probably get the Earl Scruggs book: http://www.amazon.com/Earl-Scruggs-5-String-Banjo-Enhanced/dp/0634060430 - Check out the tab on the Banjo hangout site for songs you want to learn, you can sort by beginner. Once you do this, check back in and I'll give you some tab reading advice Be patient. Speed will come. Feel free to ask questions here
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# ? May 8, 2013 02:02 |
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Planet X posted:I have some questions for you: I'm not new to stringed instruments, however it's been years since I've played last. I don't really listen to any banjo centric music. I just bought it because I love the sound of the banjo. I guess I'm going to have to take lessons because I picked up Earl Scruggs book and just don't know where to start.
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# ? May 9, 2013 00:37 |
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Pufflekins posted:I'm not new to stringed instruments, however it's been years since I've played last. The Earl Scruggs book isn't great for total beginners. Definitely try to get a lesson or two if you can.
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# ? May 23, 2013 23:17 |
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How often do banjo strings need to be changed? The Deering manual says they should be changed every six weeks if played regularly, but that seems like a lot. I got a Goodtime for Christmas, if i change the strings now would it make a difference?
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# ? May 31, 2013 05:06 |
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citarl posted:How often do banjo strings need to be changed? The Deering manual says they should be changed every six weeks if played regularly, but that seems like a lot. I got a Goodtime for Christmas, if i change the strings now would it make a difference? I change them about once every six months. It generally only needs doing when you find that they retuning more often than usual. A new set will also sound a bit brighter which can be nice. It also depends how hard you play as to how long they'll last. As a set is relatively cheap, it's worth trying out different brands and gauges if possible. I've just changed from using D'Addario medium-lights to a set of GHS 135 (lights) and find them much better for how I play.
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# ? Jun 2, 2013 12:33 |
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citarl posted:How often do banjo strings need to be changed? The Deering manual says they should be changed every six weeks if played regularly, but that seems like a lot. I got a Goodtime for Christmas, if i change the strings now would it make a difference? Depends on how fussed you are about sound quality too. You could leave the same strings on for a year+ if you didn't mind the fact that sound quality will continue to degrade the longer they are on. Basically, either change them when they have a tuning problem (as Brinx said) or when you are no longer happy with the sound.
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# ? Jun 3, 2013 10:24 |
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I love the sound of fresh banjo strings. I usually don't like how my other instruments sound after a change but the banjo seems to shine right away. Also, for those of you currently learning rolls, I stumbled across this awesome app for IOS devices: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/banjo-rolls-trainer/id588384861?mt=8 It has a built in metronome, tons of roll patterns with a variable tempo, and your own rhythm section. I'm primarily a clawhammer playing looking to get into Scruggs style and this has been very useful in speeding up my right hand.
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# ? Jun 3, 2013 20:48 |
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Awesome, thanks for the advice! I haven't noticed any difference in either sound or tuning, so I'll just keep them on for a while.
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# ? Jun 4, 2013 09:28 |
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I'd say replace them. They'll sound better. Run your fingers under the strings. Feel any crud? Feel where the frets have dug into the strings? Change them. One thing I learned from a few guys is that if you don't feel like replacing all the strings, replace the 4th (D), it'll brighten up your sound a lot. I took a lesson from Mike Munford the other day. His house was amazing, lots of pictures on the walls of Bela, Tony Rice, JD, bunch of people from that era. He's also a setup master too, and got my banjo to sound better by filing a bit of the string notches and eliminating some minor buzz.
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# ? Jun 7, 2013 05:23 |
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PoorPeteBest posted:I love the sound of fresh banjo strings. I usually don't like how my other instruments sound after a change but the banjo seems to shine right away. I got this on your suggestion, I like i but haven't really sat down with it yet. Hopefully they update it with more rolls later, and I look forward to practicing with this. I'm learning more clawhammer more and more, and have taken a lesson. I'm learning stuff that I hear and like in Old Time, such as John Brown's Dream and June Apple. Good renditions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpGJG-aq7Zk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zbzZaCK-t8 I'm becoming more mesmerized by Old Time, and look forward to hitting the local jam soon, which is apparently a few dozen people.
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# ? Jun 8, 2013 04:59 |
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Check out sawmill tuning. There's really nothing better than a clawhammer Shady Grove or Cluck Old Hen. If you're looking for a good resource for practicing fiddle tunes you can't go wrong with Josh Turknett's Old-Time Machine: http://www.oldtimejam.com/Jam.html
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# ? Jun 9, 2013 04:59 |
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I'm really excited that I found this thread. I am starting classes in Banjo in a few weeks at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago so I am super looking forward to it. I do not have my own banjo , I am taking a beginning class then there are 3 "schools" that you can take bluegrass, clawhammer, and one other I am forgetting. I will be renting a banjo while I go through the initial class to see if I like it. I picked it because I like bluegrass music. If I do find that I really enjoy it I'll be continuing with my classes. I think the total time from beginning to end is about a year with opportunities for further study and specialization etc.. Hollismason fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Jun 11, 2013 |
# ? Jun 11, 2013 02:26 |
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Planet X posted:Accomplished Austin artist Joe Sundell Ha! I grew up with Joe and his family. They run a mean restaurant in Little Rock. I just picked up a banjo after putting it down about 10 years ago. I also dabble around with a dobro and spend most of my time on a guitar or mandolin/octave mandolin. Haven't seen much mention of newgrass type stuff in here, like Bela Fleck or Leftover Salmon. Here's Andy Thorn killing it on one of their new songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSHqJRcvntQ I caught them a few months ago and he's what inspired me to get back into pickin. edit: Also, Drew Emmitt kills it on the mandolin pretty much all the time.
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# ? Jun 27, 2013 18:05 |
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Anyone build their own cigar box banjos/guitars? Any good guides to draw from?
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# ? Jul 5, 2013 21:09 |
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I managed to smuggle home a banjo from USA, it's in a pretty bad shape (I got it for free) and I intend on fixing it up. At a guess its a good number of years old. By the looks of things, the neck/body may have been replaced as the groove cut in the pot is too big and a bit shabby, I'll probabaly fill it with small wooden wedges to keep it stable. The main impending problem is the 5th tuning peg. I don't see any real way of taking it out, I've tried pulling it with pliers (as whoever tried to fix it before has by the looks of things). Also tried ot see if i could unscrew the snapped peg out but that's not happening. As a not it's not completely circular, it has a small notch sticking out but it doesn't look like its a tiny screw or anything. Should I carefully drill it out? Also I take it I'm ok to replace the friction tuners on the head with geared machineheads instead?
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# ? Jul 11, 2013 17:20 |
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Macdeo Lurjtux posted:Anyone build their own cigar box banjos/guitars? Any good guides to draw from? I have not made one myself, but Cigar Box Nation has quite a bit of good information and some free plans. http://www.cigarboxnation.com/page/free-plans There have also been some decent threads on the subject on the Banjo Hangout. http://www.banjohangout.org/topic/261759
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# ? Jul 15, 2013 18:53 |
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Did anyone else here go to Grey Fox this year?
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# ? Jul 23, 2013 16:54 |
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I currently take Old Time Fiddle (and Old Time/Clawhammer Banjo)lessons, but I have also always had some interest in Bluegrass. Could someone explain to me how Bluegrass fiddle differs from Old Time fiddle? Would it be difficult to pick up Bluegrass style fiddling, if you have a background in Old Time fiddling, or would it likely be an easy transition?
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# ? Jul 23, 2013 17:20 |
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Bluegrass fiddle evolved from old-time so I would expect the transition to be fairly intuitive. You would be using many of the same techniques you learn in old time fiddle tunes. The main difference here is style. You tend to have more improvisation in bluegrass, a choppy rhythm, and a definitive blues influence in your playing. Check out these versions of Red Rocking Chair and see if you can hear the difference: Kenny Baker (bluegrass) http://youtu.be/eZtYbdF6UDU Bruce Molsky (old-time) http://youtu.be/PqGTs-ANyTI
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# ? Jul 23, 2013 20:10 |
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I have not been to a bluegrass festival in a long time, but think I'll hit up some in the fall. I'm in Maryland, so maybe the smaller ones like Arcadia. You're asking specifically about bluegrass vs old time fiddle, so I'll assume you already know the differences in the music themselves. If not, old time is very fiddle-driven and everyone plays the melody and does not deviate. Little inflections here and there, but no breaks (soloing). Bluegrass is like jazz: the melody is more or less followed throughout the song, everyone gets a solo who wants one, and there's a bit more inflection and embellishment going on. Your transition is very easy. Also, in Old time, they play in a certain key for several songs, then everyone retunes to the new tuning en masse. In bluegrass, it's more common to skip around more in the tunings. I'm having a great summer in music, I found two great pickers in my neighborhood. We're going to try and get a weekly jam going down at this pub, and a friend of mine is throwing a picking party this weekend where we're going to focus on the music of Bill Monroe. Should be fun.
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# ? Jul 24, 2013 03:12 |
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What are the differences between light medium and (I assume they exist) heavy Banjo strings? Is one easier to fret, or does one last longer over the other? I'm picking up some strings online and I wanted to look around a little bit. Is there a brand anyone out there likes in particular? Note: I use light Scruggs branded strings now
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# ? Aug 13, 2013 02:25 |
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Thicker strings have higher tension and what is typically described as a thicker tone, whatever that is. It's really dependent on the instrument and your playing style though. I prefer medium gauge on most of my banjos. I tend to play harder than necessary and light gauge strings feel rubbery under those conditions. The higher tension also makes my hammer-ons and pull offs feel more defined. There are always exceptions to the rule though. I have a wood rim banjo with a slightly shorter scale neck that I use heavy gauge strings on and an old arch top with pretty high action that is strung up with light gauge strings. Basically it comes down to how it sounds and how it feels.
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# ? Aug 13, 2013 15:56 |
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Here's a good video from a while back of 3/5ths of the Punch Brothers hanging out at the Mandolin Brothers store in Staten Island: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAQfBenbxq4
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# ? Oct 3, 2013 22:51 |
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I'm considering getting a deering goodtime after I found this thread lurking around A/T but I have a couple questions. I've never played guitar before but have a fair amount of experience playing a drum kit/other percussion so I've got basic rhythm down. Should I have any problems learning banjo with no other string experience? & Is celtic-style banjo playing limited to tenor banjo or can it be played with a regular 5-string? Thanks in advance.
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# ? Nov 11, 2013 06:59 |
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Odobenidae posted:I'm considering getting a deering goodtime after I found this thread lurking around A/T but I have a couple questions. You plan on playing clawhammer or scruggs style? Clawhammer is arguably more rhythmic. With that said, it's not an impossible instrument either way. It will help, though, if you listen to some form of banjo music. Not sure how easy it is to play Irish tenor style on a 5 string. Check the banjo hangout forums, see what they say, I'm sure the answer is in the forums somewhere. The 5 string is tuned different than a 4 string. 5 string is generally tuned to an open G, whereas a tenor is tuned like a mandolin or fiddle (GDAE). I would think, though, it's possible, as with Celtic tenor banjo, you are playing with a pick, so you can probably avoid the high G string. I was going to check in on the thread and see how yall's pickin' was coming along. I'm exploring the melodic style a little bit, and learning some new tunes. ALSO Have you heard Noam Pikelney's recent "Noam Pikelney plays Kenny Baker plays Bill Monroe"? Must get it, especially if you're a bluegrass fan.
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# ? Nov 12, 2013 02:40 |
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Odobenidae posted:I've never played guitar before but have a fair amount of experience playing a drum kit/other percussion so I've got basic rhythm down. Should I have any problems learning banjo with no other string experience? The answer is kind of a modulation of "how much does knowing guitar help me learn banjo?" Since the answer is "only some", by extension not knowing guitar is not a massive liability. And given that (arguably) the tricky part of banjo, at least clawhammer, is rhythmic, you just might have some advantage there. Plus whatever advantage comes with not having pre-conceived notions. I came to clawhammer banjo with lots of string background, and tried to puzzle it out from books but just couldn't figure it, until after a week or more things clicked and suddenly I could play dozens of tunes just off the top of my head. There was just an initial hurdle of the whole concept of its picking patterns being unlike guitar or mandolin. quote:Is celtic-style banjo playing limited to tenor banjo or can it be played with a regular 5-string? It really depends what you mean by "Celtic style". If you mean like for playing in pub sessions and all, it's not simply impossible to do, but it's not really an established practise. quote:5 string is generally tuned to an open G, whereas a tenor is tuned like a mandolin or fiddle (GDAE). I would think, though, it's possible, as with Celtic tenor banjo, you are playing with a pick, so you can probably avoid the high G string. I wouldn't particularly recommend that. If you're going to just flat-pick a banjo, you might as well just get a 4-string and tune it to GDAE, CGDA, DGBE, or one of the other established 4-string banjo tunings and stick with that. If you have a cheap 5-string that's was a great deal but want to play Irish, pop of the 5th string tuner that you don't need, and re-string it to an Irish tuning. I just don't see much benefit to trying to mimic tenor banjo but in 5-string settup. Setting melodic session playing aside, if you're talking more about backing up songs and ballads, folks like Tommy Makem and Luke Kelly did that for Irish songs. Granted, they did that not for Irish-y reasons, but because as folksingers they were influenced by Pete Seeger. But that's one way to go about it that worked well for them. If, by Celtic-style you mean "can Irish tunes sound good on clawhammer banjo?" then that's a definite yes. A really good book of basic Celtic tunes for clawhammer banjo is Perlman's book/CD set Celtic and New England FIiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo. I momentarily thought it was out of print, but just turns out I had the same book under the older and confusingly more generic title "Basic Clawhammer Banjo". Lots of good Irish/Scottish/New England tunes set up for clawhammer. As one poster on Banjo Hangout put it, something like "It's not so much that it works to bring clawhammer banjo into Irish, but instead it works really well to bring Irish into clawhammer." If you want to play Irish tunes in pub sessions, you want to get a 4-string tenor banjo and learn it, rather mandolin-style, in one of the popular Irish tunings. If you want to learn clawhammer banjo, by all means learn clawhammer banjo as Americans developed it, and feel free to work Irish-based tunes into your repertoire.
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# ? Nov 12, 2013 05:23 |
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:
Yes, I agree, I should have been clearer. If one is going to play Celtic or Irish music, a tenor banjo is definitely the way to go. However if one were to pick a general banjo, I'd pick a 5 string. Odobenidae should definitely figure out what music they want to play before picking a banjo. I have never seen a 5 string tuned to tenor and played with a plectrum. Also, people get kinda uptight about bringing the "wrong" instruments to jams, so there's that too. If you're going to jam Bluegrass or Old Time, get an open back Goodtime or Gold Tone. You then can move into a resonator banjo if you decide to play Bluegrass. Some places rent. I rented my Goodtime for a month before I committed to the instrument. Perhaps you can do the same? If you're in the Bay Area, Gryphon Instruments does this.
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# ? Nov 12, 2013 23:40 |
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I'd definitely be looking for a 5-string, playing irish tunes is more of an afterthought. (Though I've searched around and found some good examples of that style made for 5-string rather than tenor)Planet X posted:Some places rent. I rented my Goodtime for a month before I committed to the instrument. Perhaps you can do the same? If you're in the Bay Area, Gryphon Instruments does this. I checked around to all of my local instrument stores (all five of them! ) and they only rent guitars. The open-back seems like a nice choice, since I don't plan on performing anytime soon.
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# ? Nov 13, 2013 06:12 |
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Any information on long neck banjos? I prefer to play clawhammer style and I'm currently playing on a open-backed epiphone that I got for like under $200 at a guitar center. Edit: haha poo poo nobody look at my post history in this thread please Miltank fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Nov 13, 2013 |
# ? Nov 13, 2013 06:47 |
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Most of these instruments are from the 60's folk boom, specifically related to the influence of Pete Seeger. You can find decent vintage longnecks made by Gibson and Vega from this era at reasonable prices. I am not aware of any modern producers but I'm sure most of the major manufacturers would put together something custom if you were willing to pay. Check out Elderly, Janet Davis and the like or peruse the listings on BanjoHangout.
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# ? Nov 15, 2013 04:41 |
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PoorPeteBest posted:Most of these instruments are from the 60's folk boom, specifically related to the influence of Pete Seeger. You can find decent vintage longnecks made by Gibson and Vega from this era at reasonable prices. I am not aware of any modern producers but I'm sure most of the major manufacturers would put together something custom if you were willing to pay. Check out Elderly, Janet Davis and the like or peruse the listings on BanjoHangout. If I'm not mistaken, Gold Tone makes a decent, affordable long neck. I owned one a few years back, and it played quite well. I only got rid of it because I wanted to focus more on Old Time music with a regular 5 string open back.
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# ? Nov 15, 2013 05:17 |
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Hello banjo thread! I'm really glad to see this thread exists because hooboy do I have questions: I've had a banjo sitting in my closet for years that my grandmother had given to me. Just this week I was curious about it and dug it up and started researching it. It's a Fairbanks & Cole Imperial banjo (this meant nothing to me at first), and I got lucky enough to find an enthusiast on the net who gave me some info. I told him my banjo's serial number and he confirmed that it was built in 1884 (129 years old, my god). Now that I know it is a special instrument, I have concerns:
I'm sorry if this post seems frantic/scattered, I am a bit overwhelmed right now. I am an experienced musician fwiw, but as I said earlier, I'm banjo-ignorent.
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# ? Nov 15, 2013 21:42 |
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I've nothing to offer in the way of advice but that thing is reeeaal purty and I'm glad you aren't selling it. Hope you do manage to fix it up because you'll have something quite special there.
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# ? Nov 16, 2013 00:15 |
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# ? Jun 3, 2024 23:56 |
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Ericadia posted:Old banjo That's a nice old banjo you've got, shame about the inlay. 1) Good open back cases are a little harder to find. Ebay or a local music store is your best bet. Just make sure it's got good neck support, some cases don't hold the 5th tuning peg away from the case wall enough. 2/3) Yeah I would say it needs a new head alright. The nut's not too expensive, same story with the bridge. The tailpiece should do OK as long as it holds firm to the banjo rim. The bracket hooks and brackets (hold the banjo head on) are easily replaceable at home. stewmac.com has a lot of parts. I'm not sure how humidity and age affect a wooden truss on a banjo. There may be a way to tighten the wooden dowel, but I've never tried. In general banjos with a truss rod running the whole length are pretty resilient, a picture of the back would help to see how it's constructed. I'd still take it to someone that knows their stuff about old string instruments before attempting to string it up to tension or even attempt to adjust the neck/hoop tension. Without being able to see the back, I'd say the inlays are going to be the most expensive part of re-habbing the banjo. The truss rod is probably second if it's truly been damaged over the years, otherwise it just needs adjustment, the head, nut, etc are all pretty easy. The frets look surprisingly good, I have a banjo a century younger than that one with worse wear. I'd wager there's someone in Colorado who could fix it, you might poke around on banjohangout.org . 4) The answer to this one depends on what hardware is on there already and how much you want to play it. If it's gonna be hanging over the fireplace more often than not, I'd maybe get the inlays done, get a new banjo to play and call it even. A banjo that old may have friction-fit pegs, which are a total pain, especially when they've worn loose over a hundred thirty years. I cant tell from the front what kind of tuners are on there. If you want to bring it back to life and play it, you'll be happier with modern tuners and maybe a new tailpiece, but that may require reaming out more space for tuners in an antique banjo. edit: I will say that old banjos like that sound beautiful if they're in good shape, I wish I could find a lefty of that vintage. If you do get it playing again it'll be worth it, but it can be a lot of work. TheCondor fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Nov 18, 2013 |
# ? Nov 18, 2013 00:38 |