quote:

Originally posted by CHAS:
Tuning?

Tune a banjo?

I thought they came that way from the factory.

quote:

Originally posted by CHAS:
My preferences:
Deering, OME, and Nechville banjos.

A little banjo porn for you:
https://bellingham.craigslist....ring/7327582848.html

Porn is the correct word for that.
Banjos are nothing if not classy.

So, I'm sure many of you have been wondering how it's going with pj's banjo.

After watching a lot of yootoob videos, I was just getting more and more frustrated. Several had one little nugget of useful information, but as far as teaching value, they were almost all pretty lame.

One woman who goes by banjolemonade is pretty good and gives good information, although it's clearly just her and a banjo and a camera... there may be some editing. What's irritating is that at the end of EVERY video, she has to remind you that Jesus loves you. Sheesh.

So...

I found a teacher! She lives in north Seattle... a bit of a trek for me, but not too bad. (It would be much better if I could take my motorcycle, but I can't quite figure out how to carry my banjo on my bike.) Reasonably-priced. She has books and a couple albums out. She's clearly taught a lot and I like her approach. She only teaches clawhammer style. I had my second lesson this weekend. We're going to try for lessons every other week. Getting some in-person instruction and feedback beats the heck out of the yootoob vids.


I'm still disappointed with the quality of this banjo. In fact, I have seen the exact same instrument on various places (etsy, ebay, amaz'n), with several other brand names stenciled on them.

But suddenly, it got better. I was practicing the other day and noticed that one of the brackets (the hook thingies that hold the head on) was loose. The back needs to come off to tighten a bracket. I took the back off. On a whim, I played it a bit with the back off. It sounds WORLDS better! So, I removed the plates that hold the back on, then loosened all the strings and went around and tightened all of the brackets evenly, and tuned it back up.

It's much more pleasant to play, now. And a heck of a lot lighter.

I keep an eye on craiglist. I'm sure in the next year, my new banjo will show up there. There is a guy about 120 miles away (or 70 and a ferry ride) that tinkers on and sells banjos. It's quite a schlep there. But if I don't see anything closer, I may go pay him a visit.

Have not read this but it has a great rep.
banjo dynamics

I am sure many of you have been curious how it's going with the banjo and the lessons.

Of course, I need to practice more. Ten minutes every other day doesn't cut it.

I never played a guitar or banjo before and the strings are still slicing my fingertips to shreds. I am still trying to get the second chord to work. I need to make more time to practice. That's all there is to it.

My banjo teacher is wonderful. She did finally say that my banjo really isn't very good. Still, she is patient and pushes me to try a new song every week. She's already having me work on hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. My poor fingertips!

I asked her for recommendations for a better banjo and she said I need to try several and decide for myself what I like. The problem is that there is really one good acoustic instrument shop in town--Dusty Strings, another small one, and then Guitar Center (bleah). I have tried a Recording King Dirty 30s (sounds very guitar-like), a Gold Tone CC-100 (heavier and loud), and a Deering Goodtime. I really like the Deering. It's light and plays nicely. I hear the company had to shut down several times last year and has quite a backorder, so I'm basically limited to what any store has in stock right now.

There's a store in NYC that has a used Goodtime Americana which has a 12" pot. Deering says it is more mellow and has a better bass voice. It sounds intriguing, but I'm not buying another banjo without getting my hands on it first.

I haven't looked at anything in the over-$1000 category. There, I would definitely not buy anything without playing it first. So, I will probably be limited to a "beginner" instrument for a while.

I have been watching craiglist. The guy over on the peninsula still runs several ads. I asked him to send me a list of open-back banjos he has. I haven't heard back.


So, I'm working on Crawdad Hole, Sugar in my Coffee, and Goodnight Irene. Mostly, I'm working on trying to hit the C chord without stopping for several seconds.

Yes, you must play any instrument before committing to buying.

But I don’t know any knowledgeable musician who regretted paying a bit more for a better instrument.