Richard Hawley

ok not guitar but this seems like the best place to post it.

I'm thinking about getting a 5 string banjo and wonder if anyone on board has any recommendations. I got a tenor banjo years ago which I bust the skin on (well actually me Mam did, dropped an iron on it) but it was crap anyway with an action like a wire fence and it's mouldered away ever since.

Think a 5 string banjo will suit me better in any case, just messing around for my own fun, ideally don't want to go beyond £200 but would sooner spend a wee bit more than have summat that will just piss me off cos it sounds shit, so would welcome any suggestions - don't do it is ruled out - if there is anyone who a ) knows and b) will confess in public

Cheers

I got a harley benton 5 String from Thomann.de

I can't compare it to more expensive brands but it's great for a beginner like me. It's got a removable resonator so you can practice (relatively) quietly and reattach it when you're as good as Earl Scruggs*



*may take some time

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accident?

Got a westfield one for Xmas last year - needed a little tweaking to set action and stuff sounds good though - was around £170 I think. A good beginner banjo.

worth setting the action makes playing and learning much easier - as you tune it open you can get some tunes out fairly quickly but getting the rythmn going with the picking hand is a challenge for me.

One of our dogs just hates the sound of the banjo - really funny as she just gets up and leaves the room - or maybe its just my playing.. mmm.

Now you mention it...

Thanks for the replies Johnny and Scott. Will check them out. Problem with a lot of music shops is they have nobody there who can tune never mind play the choice of two banjos they have.

Been looking at this website and quite fancy their own Grafton banjos but they seem to be out of stock - http://www.andybanjo.com/ It has remonded me that somewhere I have a mandolin banjo with no head and probably past sensible repair but it's got a lovely brass body and I might have a trip down to Faversham to see what they reckon sometime, any excuse to go down there.

Will report when I finally organise mesel.

Have bitten the bullet, and will no doubt be receiving bullets too, but have just got this banjo, Gold Tone CC50R



Sounds great - all I need to do now is learn how to play it ( the G tuning does mean I can get on and play something immediately but of course all the right hand techniques are the challenge ahead)

satans instrument of torture when played badly......










actually i meant satans instrument when played.......

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now,then!

My cousin's wife forbade him from doing it in the house.

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Am rather fond of the devil's music mesel

I cheated and bought a 6 string....you can bash away on it and pretend you're early Neil Young

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No banjo on the new record then?

definition of perfect pitch ?

throwing a banjo into a skip from 50 feet without it touching the sides.

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bring back the free trade hall

whats the difference between a Banjo and a Chain saw?


a chain saw has more dynamic range

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now,then!

Just ignore them! A bit of banjo in the right place never did any harm!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1D3ZaDJ1Bs&feature=BFa&list=PLDF43F7CCB38577AE&lf=rellist

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I love the banjo really

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now,then!