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Just to get an answer, are there any student brands that I should absolutely steer clear of?
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Oct 28, 2012 03:00
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dexefiend posted:
Let us know what you think of it. I think it's pretty difficult to cross over a tenor style to 5 string because of the tuning. Maybe you can get a cheap tenor banjo after you settle in with the Goodtime. Pufflekins, I know nothing about fiddles. The local shop rents "Gliga Gems 1", a $450 Romanian fiddle, so that might be a place to start looking.
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Oct 29, 2012 06:34
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I have decided I would rather be Earl Scruggs over Barney McKenna. I guess I am going to buy a Deering Goodtime.
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Planet X posted:Pufflekins, I know nothing about fiddles. The local shop rents "Gliga Gems 1", a $450 Romanian fiddle, so that might be a place to start looking. Alright, thanks for the tip.
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Oct 29, 2012 20:52
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Honestly just ask in a local shop, I'm a recent fiddle beginner and couldn't find much in the way of consistent brand recommendation. To be honest, think about renting first too. Fiddles do not scale down into bargain beginner models very well at all, and can sound pretty dreadful. Renting a decent one might be an affordable alternative worth considering.
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Oct 30, 2012 00:59
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Captain Mediocre posted:Honestly just ask in a local shop, I'm a recent fiddle beginner and couldn't find much in the way of consistent brand recommendation. To be honest, think about renting first too. Fiddles do not scale down into bargain beginner models very well at all, and can sound pretty dreadful. Renting a decent one might be an affordable alternative worth considering. Ya, I think that's the route I'm going to go. I don't want to spend the money if I don't like it.
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Oct 30, 2012 01:54
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Sometimes shops let you accrue a certain amount of credit for every rental period you take the instrument out for. Maybe you can work something out.
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Nov 6, 2012 21:03
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Planet X posted:Pufflekins, I know nothing about fiddles. The local shop rents "Gliga Gems 1", a $450 Romanian fiddle, so that might be a place to start looking. I own a Gems 1 and a $900 Gama that I ordered online. The Gems 1 is a pretty acceptable beginner instrument, but I think the Gama is really at the sweet spot in terms of value. If you practice consistently, you'll want to upgrade eventually, so keep that in mind. The sound of the Gems 1 is good, but the neck feels chunky and the finish on it is rough, so it's less comfortable to hold for a long time or slide up the fingerboard to play in higher positions. The Gama projects a lot more than the Gems 1, and the varnish and workmanship is surprisingly high-quality. I'm very happy with mine (especially after getting geared pegs installed), and I'll keep playing it at my advanced beginner / intermediate level for a few years until I feel like I can justify paying for a custom built instrument. Bubbacub fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Nov 7, 2012 |
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Nov 7, 2012 20:41
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I just took a lesson with a local badass here in Austin, and as a result am starting to get into melodic banjo playing more. Mainly I'm practicing my G scales a lot, it's so different than guitar. I keep trying to get my friend to loan me his beginner fiddle so I can try to squeak out a few tunes like Soldier's Joy and Roanoke.
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Nov 8, 2012 01:07
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I forget where I found this (I hope it wasn't just from this thread earlier), but some dude put a lot of time into putting up backing tracks for lots of old-time tunes for you to jam along and practice with: http://oldtimejam.com/Jam.html Choose from fast/slow guitar backup, or fast backup with guitar and banjo and/or fiddle. Pretty useful!
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Nov 9, 2012 20:11
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I'm trying to tune my banjo and it's really difficult and middle g string sounds a little off. Is there something I should tighten or buy or should I just keep trying?
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Nov 12, 2012 07:37
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There could be a number of things wrong with it. I use compensated bridges on my banjos to help to eliminate the ubiquitous 3rd string funkyness. Are you able to get it to pitch confirmed by a tuner, and the tuning slips over time? Is it binding up in the bridge or nut slots? You can shave off some graphite from a pencil and rub it in the slots and it will make the string move much smoother. Really, there's a bunch of different things that could be wrong with it, and the 3rd string tends to present problems pretty often. <edit> This thread here will cover a lot of the common responses you'll get to this problem: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/121239 Search Google for banjo 3rd string intonation, and you'll get a better idea. Loaf32 fucked around with this message at 18:43 on Nov 12, 2012 |
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Nov 12, 2012 18:37
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I'll try those, thanks!
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Nov 16, 2012 19:20
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No problem. On another note, to all the banjoistas, Gold Tone is doing a deal where you can pick up a zero glode nut from the for $9.95 (to cover shipping). I got mine the other day and installed it myself using only my teeth (read: dremel and sandpaper). Really improved the tone of my Goodtime. Highly recommended! Go to http://www.zeroglide.com/ and use code ‘FREEZG’.
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Nov 16, 2012 19:26
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I borrowed my friend's fiddle. I'm trying to squeak out Soldier's Joy and the Meow Mix theme. This instrument is hard!  Not only do you have to press down, get the bow angle right, hold the thing up, and fret it....but as a guitar / banjo player, I'm totally overshooting the spacing on the neck with my fingers. I'm not going to pursue this seriously, but I figure since my buddy wasn't playing his fiddle due to interest, I'd pick it up and see what I could do.
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Nov 18, 2012 02:15
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Planet X posted:I borrowed my friend's fiddle. I'm trying to squeak out Soldier's Joy and the Meow Mix theme. Tell me about it. I had to make little frets out of masking tape in order to get my guitar/banjo bred head around it. The rest doesn't take that long to get used to though, surprisingly.
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Nov 18, 2012 11:24
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Anyone have some good tabs for a beginner with Cripple Creek under my belt? It seems the only stuff I can find is super easy or very difficult. My 3rd strong problems sort of resolved itself so that's a little weird but I'm greateful!
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Nov 21, 2012 02:25
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I went to a local shop yesterday and asked if they taught banjo or fiddle. Their response was no, but their guitar teacher taught very basic mandolin. And that mandolin was essentially the same instrument as the fiddle(said that it has same tuning as mandolin, basically if you turned it sideways, same instrument) and banjo(said that most people tuned 4-string banjos the same as a mandolin). They said the mandolin was essentially the 'weed' of the banjo/fiddle/mandolin world. Personally I am sceptical, I would appreciate feedback.
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Nov 21, 2012 05:32
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Pufflekins posted:I went to a local shop yesterday and asked if they taught banjo or fiddle. Their response was no, but their guitar teacher taught very basic mandolin. And that mandolin was essentially the same instrument as the fiddle(said that it has same tuning as mandolin, basically if you turned it sideways, same instrument) and banjo(said that most people tuned 4-string banjos the same as a mandolin). They said the mandolin was essentially the 'weed' of the banjo/fiddle/mandolin world. Personally I am sceptical, I would appreciate feedback. If they are trying to convince you that a guitar teacher who dabbles in mandolin will be able to teach you the fiddle... that is ridiculous and obviously not true. Irish banjo is often tuned the same as a mandolin sure, but if you're interested in bluegrass thats not really so relevant because standard 5 string banjo tuning is not the same. A mandolin teacher is unlikely to be able to teach you 5-string/bluegrass banjo very well at all. If they are trying to convince you to learn the mandolin rather than the fiddle or the banjo, or even as a precursor to it or something then just look somewhere else. If you want to learn the mandolin, play the mandolin. If you want to learn the fiddle or the banjo then find a teacher who can actually teach them. Not really sure what their angle is here. edit: the thing about mandolin/fiddle/tenor banjo all being similar is slightly misleading. They are all tuned to the same, and if you were a master of the fiddle you'd probably find it much easier to pick up the other two. This doesn't really hold so much in the other direction though, especially not for a complete beginner. Captain Mediocre fucked around with this message at 16:20 on Nov 21, 2012 |
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Nov 21, 2012 16:16
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Yeah, those guys are totally bullshitting you. I consider myself relatively competent on the banjo and the mandolin and wouldn't even consider attempting anything on the fiddle without some decent instruction.
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Nov 21, 2012 16:34
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Thats what I figured, definitely avoiding that shop now. Thanks guys.
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Nov 21, 2012 22:26
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Pufflekins posted:Thats what I figured, definitely avoiding that shop now. Thanks guys. Go in there and ask for mandolin lessons. Maybe they'll offer you banjo lessons instead.
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Nov 21, 2012 22:32
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Captain Mediocre posted:This doesn't really hold so much in the other direction though, especially not for a complete beginner. As a mandolin player learning fiddle I agree with this message. Getting good tone is much more difficult than good players make it look.
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Nov 23, 2012 03:49
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I know I've posted both about banjo and fiddle in here, however, I can't decide which I want to play. I have enough money for both, and love the sound of both instruments. However, I can't decide which instrument I want to play. Any help would be appreciated. I have a pretty decent understanding of a 5-string bass. I understand that with my experience with bass guitar, I might be able to play the banjo. I appreciate the sound of the banjo and fiddle equally. I know the fiddle will take a lot more training to be able to master. But I enjoy the tin-ny sound of the banjo. I'm in a weird position with bluegrass music, however, I love it all.
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Nov 25, 2012 05:30
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I've never touched an instrument before the banjo and I really don't know anyone who is very musically inclined, but do most people learn more than one tuning? I've always played open G, but now that I've gotten to something new in the book I'm learning from I feel like a complete newbie.
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Nov 25, 2012 05:46
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Smeed posted:I've never touched an instrument before the banjo and I really don't know anyone who is very musically inclined, but do most people learn more than one tuning? I've always played open G, but now that I've gotten to something new in the book I'm learning from I feel like a complete newbie. If you're playing bluegrass, you can get away with just G, and maybe D tuning once in a while (f#DF#AD), if you're playing old time/clawhammer you'll probably want to be comfortable with Open G, Double C (gCGCD), and sawmill (gDGCD). It pretty much totally depends on what tunes you want to play, and if you eventually start playing with others, what tunes they play. There are like a gazillion banjo tunings, you can't possibly know them all, but it's good to know a couple.
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Nov 25, 2012 06:43
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Pufflekins posted:I know I've posted both about banjo and fiddle in here, however, I can't decide which I want to play. I have enough money for both, and love the sound of both instruments. However, I can't decide which instrument I want to play. Any help would be appreciated. I have a pretty decent understanding of a 5-string bass. I understand that with my experience with bass guitar, I might be able to play the banjo. I appreciate the sound of the banjo and fiddle equally. I know the fiddle will take a lot more training to be able to master. But I enjoy the tin-ny sound of the banjo. I'm in a weird position with bluegrass music, however, I love it all. Fiddle is a heck of a lot harder, and probably more expensive as you are more likely to need/want proper lessons. I find the banjo much more of a sedate, sit down relaxation instrument that I can pick up and play whenever. With the fiddle I have to decide a time for it to come out of its case, I stand bolt upright and concentrate very hard and just practice until my arms hurt. I love them both but learning each of them involves a very different experience. Maybe learn the banjo first because you're less likely to quit out of frustration? Real answer of course is to just to decide which one you want the most and go for it, nothing else really matters compared to that.
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Nov 25, 2012 13:39
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sailorjosh posted:If you're playing bluegrass, you can get away with just G, and maybe D tuning once in a while (f#DF#AD), if you're playing old time/clawhammer you'll probably want to be comfortable with Open G, Double C (gCGCD), and sawmill (gDGCD). It pretty much totally depends on what tunes you want to play, and if you eventually start playing with others, what tunes they play. There are like a gazillion banjo tunings, you can't possibly know them all, but it's good to know a couple. I'm playing clawhammer and the tunings in the book are open G, double C and sawmill so I might as well suck it up and learn those instead of half assing it. Thanks.
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Nov 25, 2012 16:47
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Reuben is a cool song to learn on the banjo in D tuning, and not really that hard if you've got your rolls down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0POsH4oZf5M I sometimes tune in C to play some clawhammer and old time tunes too. Good thing about the banjo tunings is that you usually only have to tune a few strings to get there. Sometimes on the guitar you have to tune most or all of the strings to get to your open tuning.
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Nov 25, 2012 18:12
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edit: nvm fixed it
Dr. Gene Dango MD fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Nov 26, 2012 |
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Nov 26, 2012 03:56
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Not sure if this is the best place to put this, but my pseudo-bluegrass band just released a demo on bandcamp: http://uponthehill.bandcamp.com/ Give it a listen and let me know what you guys think.
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Nov 29, 2012 16:27
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Dr. Gene Dango MD posted:Anyone have some good tabs for a beginner with Cripple Creek under my belt? It seems the only stuff I can find is super easy or very difficult. From a while back, but never answered. I would be interested in answers to this as well, as I find myself in the same spot.
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Nov 30, 2012 17:14
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snorch posted:From a while back, but never answered. I would be interested in answers to this as well, as I find myself in the same spot. I keep recommending it in this thread, and if you skip back you might find more stuff, but He Will Set Your Fields On Fire is good for a beginner-to-intermediate shift.
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Nov 30, 2012 17:52
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Dr. Gene Dango MD posted:Anyone have some good tabs for a beginner with Cripple Creek under my belt? It seems the only stuff I can find is super easy or very difficult. What songs do you like? I have a much harder time learning a song I've never heard from tab than one I know or like. With that said, you should learn some jam standards, like Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Blackberry Blossom, Salt Creek, etc. Also, remember that often times it's possible to start with the melody notes, get those down, then fill in your rolls afterwards. This is how I taught myself High On a Mountain.
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Nov 30, 2012 18:55
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Would adding a list of jam standards to the OP help? Anything else I need to add? Not sure how helpful it is 7 pages in. Let me know. Also, good music there, Pete. Which instruments are you?
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Nov 30, 2012 20:44
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Thanks! I'm vocal, guitar, and the occasional banjo.
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Dec 1, 2012 18:24
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PoorPeteBest posted:Not sure if this is the best place to put this, but my pseudo-bluegrass band just released a demo on bandcamp:
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Dec 1, 2012 19:16
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I just took possession of a 200+ year old banjo killer! I commissioned this reso guitar back in April. It's build from Koa salvaged from a Hawaiian hotel that was demolished in 1922. The tone, volume and playability are amazing.
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Dec 9, 2012 23:54
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That thing is an incredible piece of work. You should upload a sound file so we can hear it.
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Dec 10, 2012 17:55
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What do y'all think of The Music Tapes? Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JCHb_LQF7s Oppressed Otherkin fucked around with this message at 05:49 on Dec 17, 2012 |
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Dec 17, 2012 05:45
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 12:49 |
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Crossposting here from the guitar thread, might be more likely to get a good answer here: Anybody have some insights on resonator guitars? Do any of you own one? What do you think and what did you pay? I tried one out yesterday at the store for the first time and I think I'm smitten. I was playing a Gretch model, which was all they had in stock. Tried both the wood and the metal bodied versions, slightly edging towards metal for now. I really like the sound, how present and loud it is. Looking to probably try and trade in my Taylor 214ce for one. After the trade in, I don't mind spotting a couple hundred dollars to work up to something nice. So maybe in the 800-1000 dollar range? However, something about the feel of the Grestch didn't jive with me, it felt a bit cheap and things seemed kind of hard to fret. I'd been playing two thousand dollar Guilds right before that, on which fretting felt like silk, so smooth and easy to play. I don't know if it was this Gretsch model specifically that felt chintzy or if resonators at that price point will just have that kind of tacky feel? They were retailing for about 500 dollars. Apparently they are new to the market, too? Anyway, looking for more advice on where to proceed here. Checking Craiglist next but have a feeling the ones on there are going to be vintage/owned by old rich retired dudes and way out of my price range. Also, are most dobros/resonators meant to be played with a slide? Hence the lack of refined feel on the fretboard? Because the store had both 'normal' nuts and then ones with a raised nut that were specifically for slide.
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Dec 20, 2012 17:25
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