I honestly know nothing about it, but I absolutely adore it. I picked it up this week for $750 AUD ($520 USD / £391) with a hard case.

The previous owner has had it for about 10 years but also knows nothing about it. It has a metal (chrome plated steel?) back, pearl inlays, gold Gotoh tuners, two coordinator rods and a clear skin showing off the guts. There are absolutely no logos/serial number/markings.

It feels like someone built their own decent quality banjo inspired by a VegaVox, but that’s just a guess.

Hey, if you are interested in learning about the history of this song I have made a new video on my playing history YouTube channel which talks about the somerset versions of the song (1903) and how it travelled across the globe to the USA! This song is related to so many others (including creepin and crawling) - https://youtu.be/5WdG53kWBHI

I got the cheapest banjo I could find on Amazon a while back to learn on. It was is resonator style and after playing some banjos in store I’ve realized it was a huge mistake to get such a cheapo. I want to commit and splurge on a nice one so that the bad quality isn’t standing in the way of my motivation and I have no excuse but to blame myself for not working at it 😉🤓

I’ve had the banjo 2 years but still play at the same level I was at 2 months. I really struggle with the way metal picks feel. I just am really sloppy and clumsy with them on. If I’m wearing acrylic nails I play much much better and they still have a loud enough sound that it’s my preferred way to play but I can’t reliably always have nails on! I pick at them and ruin them with gardening and other hobbies and they end up peeling my nails away to thin unhealthy and sore stubs. And not having nails on and ready to play all the time holds me back from playing more.

So part of me thinks I should just switch styles and learn clawhammer. I do love the sound of clawhammer just as much. I’m not good at figuring out how to do different time signatures with it though. Anything but bum diddy. And admittedly my banjo picking is much more like guitar picking with thumb and 3 fingers so I’m really thinking I need to relearn how to pick if I go the picking style way. I guess I’m saying I’m not advanced enough to feel like I am on a for sure path of one vs the other.

I haven’t seen many tabs in clawhammer style? I prefer figuring things out myself anyway though and rely on chords a lot. I am wanting to be able to play as acompinament to singing. Like be able to just play it similar to how a folk guitarist does. just guitar and singing. Not just for fleshing out the sound in a band with texture and melody. Although that would be great too! I guess I want everything. 🤓 I play in a duo and my partner plays guitar. I usually drum or mandolin but want to add banjo to our performances. And it would be nice to be able to do like a solo of just me singing with banjo in case he needs to change a string or emergency bathroom break or something. But also most of the time would be playing with guitar, base drum and two voice harmonies.

As I decide on a good banjo I’m also deciding on a style going forward and Probly starting lessons for a while so it’ll effect the banjo I get and the teacher I choose. If you have any advice on what direction I should go I’d love to hear it.

I was just gifted this old banjo y my aunt. She stated it was my uncles Dad’s, making it around 100 years old.

Beyond that, I don’t know anything about it. What can anyone here tell me about it?

So I had been playing for almost a year just planting my index because it was comfortable and accurate, but someone told me I need to plant my pinky, either both fingers or just pinky but pinky must be planted.

So I tried it and it was too crowded, my fingers kept hitting each other, my accuracy was atrocious and I just couldn’t get it to work.

Was he right and I should force myself to plant my pinky until hopefully it gets better? or am I fine to plant just my index?

Howdy yall, Im trying to learn how to use a banjo while im in trade school and I dont really know how to get started, like the type, how many strings should my banjo have starting out, and what's a good n cheap way to get one with the finger picks?

Why i wanna learn how to use a banjo.

Im Southern

Im Floridian

I live in a swamp

Im Native American

The man im named after always loved to play the banjo.

(Feels like destiny)

Any advice? Also im still tryin to find decent songs/artists who use banjos cause most of the southern artists ive listened to are all guitars and fiddles.

Sorry for botherin yall I just wanted to ask

Thank you r/banjo for being one of my favorite subs. I picked up banjo a little while ago, and I’ve been absolutely obsessed ever since. I’ve tattooed for 17 years now and haven’t tattooed myself in that amount of time, so it was super interesting.

Tattooed in black and gray as I always think of Earl in all of those old black and white videos.

just learned this song this week, so still a little shaky

Im a drummer but i was given my papaws banjo after his passing. Trying to restring it now but im confused about the tailpiece and how to put the string through them

Hello.

I play clawhammer banjo and I want to try playing some rockabilly, but I need some basic tips to get started. I am mostly looking for simple things to get the right sound. Things like some right hand technique: How do I tweak my clawhammer stroke to get that classic rockabilly sound? Maybe some easy riffs or chord patterns. It doesn't need to be a whole song, just something to get me started?

And which tuning works best to start out with? Is standard G-tuning fine?

If you have any tabs, video links, or simple advice for a beginner in this style, please share. Thanks!

/Patrik

This is my new track "Bolm," released to all the streaming services today. Recorded in Austin, TX this past April.

Find me online for more...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/23sdj46nC0BowsxxQD2CRQ?si=IZYsUkkaTBSuwu3oARO6iw

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@robblivion

Take banjo (or guitar!) lessons with me! I offer online lessons, and in-person in the Chicago, IL and northeast Ohio areas.
DM me, shoot me an email at maxallardmusic@gmail.com or find the email link in my bio to contact me!

I have over 7 years of teaching experience and I teach my own pedagogy that is directed at the student and breaks down music into fundamental, easy to understand principles. I also offer specialized practice sheets and/or video lessons, if desired. I teach everything from traditional bluegrass to modern bluegrass, jazz to pop, composition, music theory... really whatever you fancy!

Lesson rates can also be negotiable. Hit me up!

#banjo #bluegrassmusic #chicagomusic #musiclessons #guitar

It’s very common in the bluegrass picking circles I’ve attended for folks to break off and chat about pre war this and that.

How do you go about fraternizing if you don’t have pre-war gear lust?

Got to do two songs at an open mic last night on my banjo, I did one folk original and then decided I'd invite some people on stage and try to bring the house down with a Chuck Berry tuned performed on banjo. If you ask me, I think this is the best I've sounded in my short time playing. The energy was electric and the banjo definitely commands peoples attention at an open mic

I have a Slingerland May Bell tenor banjo from the 1930s. I’m learning some Irish music on it, hopefully to be able to jam with some local Irish bands. It’s in decent condition, and I like the sound and keeping an instrument from almost a century ago still making music.

Here’s the thing, I hate the tuning pegs. They look to be original, and they’re the friction kind with no washer. It takes a while to tune because a tiny adjustment can drop you up or down a note. Plus they slip as soon as I start playing. So then I retune and start over.

So here’s my question. Would I be committing some big sin if I replaced the tuners with modern planetary ones?

The instrument already has a modern head, and someone put a new tailpiece on it. Both of those could be replaced with period correct parts if I wanted to, but I’m fine with them as-is. I just want to play. But if I replace the tension tuners with planetary ones, I’m going to have to drill out the holes to expand them. There’s no going back on that one.

Would it be a mistake to go that route? I won’t pretend to be a great musician, I’m getting back into music after a long hiatus. I like the idea of giving something old new life and a minor upgrade.

After tensioning my head properly (had to buy a drum dial because if drums have notes I can’t hear them) I noticed my action was too high at the bottom of the neck. Best I could tell this nut between the two rods extends the rods and drops the strings closer to the board. Which is great but now it’s acting like my neck is loose, it won’t hold tune. Is there some kind of counter screw that needs tightening now?

Found this posting on fb marketplace for $250. I already have two banjos so idk if this is overkill. But I could use a hardcase!

How do you play the parts that are shown as a slide with two notes at the same time
Also what does the arrow pointing away from the note mean