Tips on buying a beginner banjo

The first thing you must have in order to play the banjo is...a banjo! Most people start with some kind of budget. Banjos sell for anything from $100 to many, many thousands. There are no guarantees that you'll succeed in becoming the next Earl Scruggs so buying a $5000 banjo may not be the best choice. On the other hand who wants to play something that sounds bad and plays worse?

There are several things to look for in a student banjo. First it should play easily. The strings should be easy to push down, both right in front of the nut (the white piece at the top of the fingerboard that holds up the strings) and farther "up" the neck closer to the round part of the banjo. You don't want to have to slice your fingers like a piece of cheese in order to play a fretted note!

Secondly, the banjo should be easy to play with the right hand. You should be able to pick a string lightly near the bridge and hear a clear note. If you have to really pound on the strings with your right hand to hear anything that sounds remotely like a banjo you will quickly get frustrated. There's no point in trying to learn on an instrument that can't produce a pleasing sound and is painful to play at the same time.

Most student instruments today are quite adequate for starting out on. You should be able to hear a difference in sound as you progress as a student. Otherwise you won't have an incentive to continue.

The first thing to know is that most student instruments you'll see are made in Korea, China, or another country in Asia. This has been true for many years. In fact, many of these instruments are made in the same factory even though they have different brand names and have different finishes, inlays, etc.

Differences in sound or ease of playing will usually be caused by setup issues. The head may need tightening, the neck may need adjusting, etc.

Gold Tone makes some very good quality and good sounding beginner banjos. They also back up their work and stand behind their warranties.

Keep on Pickin'

Angie's Banjo.com

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