Andy P
C.O.G. 
Posts: 5,055 
My main instrument is: Furch Vintage, Taylor 312ce, Deering 5string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
|
Post by Andy P on Feb 2, 2018 22:05:45 GMT
Watching Red Tail Ring last night has got me interested in having a go at learning to play clawhammer banjo. Any recommendations please? Anything to avoid? To use the Tesco analogy, something midway between Blue Stripe and Finest. I reckon there are plenty of reasonable pre-used banjos out there so I would hope to be able to pick up a decent instrument for no more than £300 if possible.
Thanks.
|
|
Martin
Administrator
Posts: 11,994
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"http://mandocello.org/lytebox/images/adirondack.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0a530b
Mini-Profile Text Color: 4f3517
|
Post by Martin on Feb 2, 2018 22:33:59 GMT
As with most guitars, buy used if possible. It's tricky as there are far fewer quality instruments out there compared with guitars, but for £300, the new banjos you'll get generally aren't very good. The only thing I'd recommend at around that price is a Deering Goodtime, a basic but very well made and decent sounding American banjo. www.eaglemusicshop.com/prod/5-string-banjos/deering-goodtime-banjo.htmIf you'd like to try before you buy, I have a nice little short-scale Gold Tone you could borrow to see if the instrument is for you? |
|
Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 5,055
My main instrument is: Furch Vintage, Taylor 312ce, Deering 5string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
|
Post by Andy P on Feb 2, 2018 22:43:55 GMT
Yay, I hoped I'd hear from you Martin, but that was superfast! Yes I reckoned I'd need to buy second-hand but I'll make a note of the Deering. And YES PLEASE I would love to borrow one for a short time! Are you in Falkirk? |
|
Martin
Administrator
Posts: 11,994
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"http://mandocello.org/lytebox/images/adirondack.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0a530b
Mini-Profile Text Color: 4f3517
|
Post by Martin on Feb 2, 2018 22:51:28 GMT
Yay, I hoped I'd hear from you Martin , but that was superfast! Yes I reckoned I'd need to buy second-hand but I'll make a note of the Deering. And YES PLEASE I would love to borrow one for a short time! Are you in Falkirk? I'm in Hamilton (about 50 miles from you) but maybe we can meet up somewhere? PM me and we can sort something out  |
|
|
|
Post by earthbalm on Feb 3, 2018 10:25:01 GMT
There are some really nice people on this here forum.
|
|
stringdriventhing
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,874
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"101011"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: E61921
Mini-Profile Text Color: e6ce19
|
Post by stringdriventhing on Feb 3, 2018 10:37:40 GMT
Dunno if they still make them, but I've got a Pilgrim "shady grove" 5-string banjo with open back and a "frailing scoop" on the neck which I've been very happy with. Still haven't quite figured out what to do with the scoop thing yet.
I believe Pilgrim banjos are from the same stable as Vintage guitars. I think it was about £250 new, but that was about 4 years ago.
|
|
stringdriventhing
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,874
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"101011"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: E61921
Mini-Profile Text Color: e6ce19
|
Post by stringdriventhing on Feb 3, 2018 10:40:15 GMT
Yay, I hoped I'd hear from you Martin , but that was superfast! Yes I reckoned I'd need to buy second-hand but I'll make a note of the Deering. And YES PLEASE I would love to borrow one for a short time! Are you in Falkirk? I'm in Hamilton (about 50 miles from you) but maybe we can meet up somewhere? PM me and we can sort something out Geeza shout if you're having a banjo meet up! |
|
Andy P
C.O.G.
Posts: 5,055
My main instrument is: Furch Vintage, Taylor 312ce, Deering 5string banjo
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"8e2be1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 060607
Mini-Profile Text Color: 0b0b0c
|
Post by Andy P on Feb 3, 2018 12:01:17 GMT
I'm in Hamilton (about 50 miles from you) but maybe we can meet up somewhere? PM me and we can sort something out Geeza shout if you're having a banjo meet up! Sure will Gordon. You can bring your banjo along. Maybe we should arrange a kind of one-day Scottish HB! I'd be well up for hiring a pub room somewhere central for a day and having a get-together. |
|
|
|
Post by Cams on Feb 3, 2018 14:57:09 GMT
Maybe we should arrange a kind of one-day Scottish HB! I'd be well up for hiring a pub room somewhere central for a day and having a get-together. Ooh. That sounds like fun! |
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 35,711
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Feb 3, 2018 15:00:32 GMT
There are some really nice people on this here forum. Well, yes, I agree wholeheartedly, Dale. But the mystery is why such nice people would play the banjo...  Keith |
|
Martin
Administrator
Posts: 11,994
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"http://mandocello.org/lytebox/images/adirondack.jpg","color":""}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 0a530b
Mini-Profile Text Color: 4f3517
|
Post by Martin on Feb 3, 2018 18:34:39 GMT
There are some really nice people on this here forum. Well, yes, I agree wholeheartedly, Dale. But the mystery is why such nice people would play the banjo... Keith  |
|
ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 35,711
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: 182a3f
Mini-Profile Text Color: 733a1c
|
Post by ocarolan on Feb 3, 2018 20:32:28 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2018 12:51:03 GMT
I was perusing The Music Gallery in Berwick on Tweed last week. Was looking at guitars mainly but noticed they had some s/h banjos in there. Check them out online or FB.
|
|
|
|
Post by Onechordtrick on Feb 4, 2018 13:25:16 GMT
Hobgoblin also have a range of second hand banjos
|
|
|
|
Post by vikingblues on Feb 4, 2018 13:53:17 GMT
This thread got me having a wee look at banjo stuff online. I hadn't realised that there were so many types of banjo out there.  It all looks very confusing even to try to work out the type of banjo that's best (cue jokes about broken ones!), let alone finding a good quality one. Mark |
|
Jo whoever he is.
