Here's a video where I distill 25 years of banjo buying wisdom. These are just my own thoughts on how to buy a banjo, and I hope they're useful to someone! To gain access to beautiful tablature, and banjo instruction: / tomcollins
Great video, i’m all about heavier fret wire as well. Two of my dealbreakers. Check the connection between the neck and pot. If I can slide a piece of paper In between those joints , it’s a no go. Last one is, I don’t like zinc parts that are plated brass or nickel. Love all the woods and tone rings, although I do notice a difference. Sometimes banjo players can get a little to into wine words to describe tone 😂. Keep up all the great videos, hope to run into you someday at a camp or festival and meet you in person!
Stil mostly a beginner here without decades of experience, but I'll just add that if your budget is really low (like, $400 or less) or you're not sure if you'll stick with playing a banjo, Gold Tone's AC line is probably currently the best deal you can get in terms of features and construction per dollar.
This is what I get to play for now.. and it seems great for a beginner. But, it does inspire me to someday want a another banjo, because I am actually learning pretty quick and it is really fun and sounds great!
Great advice Tom, good to have particular things in mind if you’re picking up and handling banjos with a view to buying. Sadly, places where someone can peruse and play a variety of well made instruments are few and far between! Especially outside of the US. But this vid is on point. Not exactly on topic, but one thing I don’t hear people talk about when it comes to tone is the player themself! Hand your banjo to someone else and it’ll sound different. The amount of variables with this stuff can start to melt the brain. 😁
Thank you very much for your videos! I have learned a lot from them!! I ordered the Vega Vintage Star from the Deering brand, what do you think? I've been on your patreon for several months but due to work I've set it aside for now! but I'll be back soon!😅❤🪕 Muchas Gracias desde Galicia!
You are going to LOVE the Vega Vintage Star. GREAT choice!!! Several of my students own them, and I've got to handle them in person. Stunning instrument! Thanks for being a patron! Can't wait to have you back! Much love from the US, Tom
Been playing for 62 years. I’m playing on a 1960s era made in USA Trutone banjo. Iv put an elite remo head on it and a wood armrest. Still has the original guitar open gear tuners and friction fifth string tuner. Got a nice banjo that cost a heck of a lot more but I play the old one the most.
I agree with most of your points. There one other thing I look for in a banjo, especially non-modern banjos. That is the location of the bridge with respect to the head center and rim. I find a lot of beautiful old banjos have a scale length that places the bridge too close to the tailpiece, so the tone ends up too trebly (thin).
I agree, Tom! It's one of the reasons that I tend to steer towards modern instruments...although those vintage ones do have a lot of romance and mojo! I leave the antiques for others.
Hey Jeff! It sure is an awesome 'jo. Here's an example of me playing a traditional old time tune on it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7I1MOHt2R5E.html Thanks for the comment!
I've played for decades but not enough to get any good. My band thinks I'm good.. but I know so little about theory and not good at learning melody by ear so much. (Don't practice enough - so I'm maybe going to become one of your patrons finally for the guilting). Anyway, back in the day I purchased a Mike Ramsey tubaphone copy (he was still making them) from Donald Zepp. I think Mike's wife was doing inlay and boy it sure is purty. Hate to think what it would cost today. But if we have a gig.. we stand. The weight, nearly 20lbs, hanging off my shoulders (I have a good strap) really isn't any good anymore. Plus, if I travel with the banjo - all travel from here is by jet - with the hard case.. packing it thru airports and whatnot gets old quick. So I'm thinking light weight, at least as a traveler. Just thought I would throw that out as an issue.. standing with a weighty banjer. Another issue is there are no music stores (Alaska) with any inventory of openbacks to speak of that I've found. So online shopping.. I don't travel enough to hit stores with inventory. I may try building one.
Thanks for the awesome comment, Jim!! Agree that if you're standing a lot, you really need to heavily factor that in when looking for a banjo. I love a banjo with no tone ring and minimal hardware if I'm standing. Really hope to see you over on Patreon. Our Discord community has a whole "banjo building" section too populated with pros and enthusiasts all helping each other out. It's awesome! Best to you, Tom
I have been fortunate to live in places around the U.S. with stores that carried a lot of open back banjos so with few exceptions, I have gotten to play both high end newer banjos and high end vintage banjos and the tonal qualities were all over the place. Given my ability, some were easier to play than others, but that was probably more dependent on my skill level. One of my teachers who worked in a music store, could play any banjo in that shop and make it sound perfect, but when I tried, some of them didn't sound good in my hands. As I've gotten better, banjos that I didn't like at first now sound better when I play them. I now own only two banjos as opposed to the ten I used to own. It's called Chasing the Dragon.
Chasing the Dragon....wow. Yup, you just described me when I was starting out. Banjo after banjo. I had 15 at one point! Yikes... Now I've got a handful, and they all get played a ton. Thanks for your comment!
Hello Tom. A very thoughtful presentation. Respect. In the past I've spent £££ on various Banjo's 🪕. Some Good, some not so good. Yes; I've changed Bridges, Heads Tailpieces and even got Vintage Pots and had Necks married to them. The current one I'm using is a Deering Vega Vintage Star. It arrived with a 5/8" Bridge and I changed it for a Deering 11/16" Bridge. This has been the only change and I'm very pleased with It. I have no association with Deering. While very pleased with it, I still however put it down and play another for the glow. As said, Respect. STP.
the Vega Vintage Stars are GORGEOUS banjos, STP. You are lucky to have one. I've taught some folks who played them, and was always very impressed. Cheers!
While I agree with everything you've said, when I play a banjo that sounds bad (to me) I move on right away. It took me years to buy my second banjo, because I want a particular sound. Sure, you maybe able to adjust the sound broadly, but it's a guess on what you have to do to get the banjo where you want it. Except for the first banjo I ever owned, I still have every banjo I've ever bought - and that's only four after about 50 years of playing.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't under sell how important it is that a banjo feels nice when it sits on my knee and is light enough to hold and play standing up without a strap. I mean, yeah it needs to sound good... but if there's something annoying about the simple act of holding or playing the banjo, it's unplayable. I love the sound of a gourd banjo I'm so glad I got the opportunity to play one because it sliding off my lap was insufferable. I convinced Bob Thornburg to build me a grain measure banjo and it's my favorite instrument.
Right on the money, Zach!! Totally agree with you. The feel of an instrument is so important. I also find gourds to be a little .... squirrely on the lap!
