What banjo brands and models are considered great for classic banjo playing?

[Milwaukee Matzen]

Hi everyone,

I have recently been bitten by the classic banjo bug.

I currently have a Deering Artisan Americana banjo with a 12” pot.

I ordered some LaBella strings, a bridge from Joel Hooks, and the Frank Bradley book. Hopefully, this will be adequate for me to get started.

Since I do not know much about classic banjo, I was wondering what brands and models of banjos are considered to be great for this style? What would be considered a great banjo to own and play (vintage or contemporary) by a competent player of this style?

Thanks,

Milwaukee Matzen

[Jackie Cook]

I have an old Ome Grubstake open back banjo that I setup for classic style, a few years ago. I put some of the nylgut strings on it, but had a problem with the action being way too high. So, I contacted Tanya at Ome banjos and sent it to them to set it up for those strings. They had to make some adjustments with the nut and bridge to accommodate the new strings, but I am very happy with their work and it is a very happy banjo.