Newbie (sort of) looking for some banjo tips

[Paul Bock]

Hi All,

     New to the forum but have been playing a few classic pieces for several years and am now working on some more.  I've been using steel-string banjos and a Victor 5-string banjola but would like to switch to an open-back with nylgut strings.  However, at this point I don't want to spend an arm & a leg on another instrument (maybe later of I get really serious with this style), so here are my criteria:

a) Reasonable sound in terms of volume & tone;

b) Priced less than $1k;

c) American-built preferred (used OK) but I'll deviate from that if necessary (the Recording King California Deluxe with the Whyte Laydie ring looks kinda nice).

     I have seen a couple of early 1960s Vegas for sale (Folk Wonder) but it doesn't look like they have tone rings from the photos.  Maybe that doesn't matter for a classic banjo "starter" but if you more knowledgeable folks could offer advice & suggestions it would be deeply appreciated.

Paul Bock

Hamilton, VA

 

 

 

    

[Mike Moss]

If you can stretch your budget a little you can get a brand new handmade Weaver from Clifford Essex for 950 pounds (about 1500 dollars) and that's pro-quality. Otherwise for less than 1k any openback on the market will do (with or without a tone ring) as long as it has got a full scale length (not shortened for clawhammer style) and no frailing scoop (you will need those extra frets).

[Paul Bock]

Thanks, Mike.  Yes, I know about needing a full scale and no frailing scoop, and in fact have discounted several fine used banjos I've run across recently because of the latter.  I owned a couple of Wildwood tubaphones several years ago (Minstrel, Troubador) and my issues with them were that I didn't care for their sound using nylon strings (I wasn't familiar with nylgut at the time) and I found the heel of the Wildwood neck to be excessively long, making highest-fret fingering difficult.  By contrast, my Bluegrass banjo (which I built in 1982) has a *wonderful* heel shape & size for up-the-neck fingering - but it's a Bluegrass banjo with a 20-hole JLS flathead ring, tube & plate flange and very thick rim, resonator, etc., and totally unsuited for achieving a "classic" sound (you can see pictures of it on my BHO page).  I've been practicing the "classic" tunes on the Victor banjola and despite steel strings it's OK for learning the fingerings on new tunes, but sooner or later I'll need an open-back with nylgut for "public" performing of the style (schools, etc.).

Paul Bock