Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy sells
them.
I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
five strings, resonators, many brands.
I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
fender if it was a guitar.
If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
stores)? Which are the good brands and which the bad? How much will I have
to spend to have a decent instrument?
I know this is OT but I only read this newsgroup and I trust you guys!
Thanks for the help!
F.

Federico wrote:
Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.

Wow! That must be the only culture in the world that doesn't have some
sort of banjo-like instrument. Maybe Antonio Strativari never make one.
g

The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy sells
them.

I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
five strings, resonators, many brands.
I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
fender if it was a guitar.

As far as American banjos go, there are basically three kinds, each
associated with very different types of music. There are also some
oddball instruments that work like banjos, and there are "obsolete"
instruments and playing styles that have a small but fanatic base of
revivalists. And then there are new wave banjoists (such as Bela Fleck
or Allison Brown) who cross boundaries, usualy using modern American
style banjos.

Simply - Jazz banjo is almost always played with a flat pick, on
four-string instruments, usually with a resonator on the back. It's
usually played chord-style like a rhythm guitar, even when playing a
solo. Bluegrass is almost always played on a five string banjo with a
resonator, using a thumb pick and finger picks. Old-time (pre-bluegrass
styles) is almost always played on a five string banjo without a
resonator, and is mostly played with the finger, no picks. Irish banjo
players almost always use four-string banjos but play them like a
mandolin, playing melodies on single strings at breakneck speed.
Classical style is played on a five string banjo strung with nylon or
gut strings, and played with the fingers. Old time style is sometimes
played on gut-strung banjos, sometimes without frets.

So you see, even in America where the banjo is about as popular as it
gets anywhere, there are many styles, each pretty much calling for its
own banjo. Some players play only one style, some play several styles.
Banjo players usually have more than one banjo.

If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
stores)?

The first thing you need to decide is what kind of music you want to
play. That will determine the type of banjo you should learn on. Like
microphones, there's always something better, but today there are a few
good companies who sell relatively inexpensive but perfectly functional
student models that won't get in your way of learning to play. You
don't have to spend $8,000 on a vintage banjo just to get started.

Hi Federico,

For a decent starter instrument, look at this

http://www.deeringbanjos.com/goodtime.htm

I have one and its fine to get started with. Well made, decent tone, and
affordable.

Mark


"Federico" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy
sells
them.
I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
five strings, resonators, many brands.
I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
fender if it was a guitar.
If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
stores)? Which are the good brands and which the bad? How much will I have
to spend to have a decent instrument?
I know this is OT but I only read this newsgroup and I trust you guys!
Thanks for the help!
F.

I have 2 comments about banjos that may be useful:

1. you can buy 6 string banjos that have the same familiar tuning as a
guitar... might help you get that sound without learning a whole new
tuning.

2. don't spend a lot at first, I just sold a banjo on ebay that my mom
gave me 10 years ago. It was $100. It sounded & recorded great.

Banjos are really an amazing instrument... they create so much noise
with so little effort.

SirRupertNever wrote:

1. you can buy 6 string banjos that have the same familiar tuning as a
guitar... might help you get that sound without learning a whole new
tuning.

I have heard these alternately refered to as
Ban-tar and Guit-jo.
Lots of fun for us guitar players ;-

rd

"Federico" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy
sells
them.
I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
five strings, resonators, many brands.
I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
fender if it was a guitar.
If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
stores)? Which are the good brands and which the bad? How much will I have
to spend to have a decent instrument?
I know this is OT but I only read this newsgroup and I trust you guys!
Thanks for the help!
F.


I was actually a pretty decent banjo player years (decades?) ago. I would
advise you to get a 5-string banjo. They are by far the most common in the
US, with those with resonators outnumbering those without.

But if you have a very specific reason or use, we should know that - that
could change things. If you just want to have an 'american banjo', get a 5
string with resonator. I'll bet there's a usenet group or yahoo group for
banjos for more advice.

good luck,
Mikey
Nova Music Productions

"Federico" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy
sells
them.
....

Frederico,

I forwarded your post to my father who knows a lot about banjos. He will
probably email you directly. I'm sure he will be able to help you.

malachi

Mike's descriptions and advise are totally accurate as far as I'm
concerned. I play Irish and also play in a band with a banjo player
that does old time. I have previously in a bands that played
bluegrass.
My wife just bought an old time banjo on advise of several folks. This
is despite the fact that she is interested in Bluegrass.
Since they are both 5 strings and it's easier for a beginner to learn
old time and you can play bluegrass on a frailing ( old time ) banjo
it seemed to be a good move. The Deering "Goodtimes" that was
mentioned is a good place to start. There upscale Vega little wonder
model is very nice. My wife got an original Vega Little Wonder with a
newly carved 5 string neck, it originally had a tenor neck .
Two things to be wary of, There are Pete Seeger style long neck 5
strings for finger picking or frailing that are a bit of an oddball
item and if you are looking for an Irish style tenor make sure it has
a short neck (17 frets) . The 19 fret models are for Dixieland Jazz as
mentioned. They are hard to get around on quickly for melody work.
I'm 6'2" with large hands and find them a it of a challenge.

On Tue, 22 Nov 2005 15:19:48 +0100, "Federico"
wrote:

Hi,
I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy sells
them.
I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
five strings, resonators, many brands.
I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
fender if it was a guitar.
If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
stores)? Which are the good brands and which the bad? How much will I have
to spend to have a decent instrument?
I know this is OT but I only read this newsgroup and I trust you guys!
Thanks for the help!
F.

wrote:
if you are looking for an Irish style tenor make sure it has
a short neck (17 frets) . The 19 fret models are for Dixieland Jazz as
mentioned.

There are two styles of 4-string banjos, and they're both used in trad
jazz. The tenor banjo (tuned CGDA low-to-high) is most common, but
there's also the plectrum banjo with a longer scale that was easier for
guitar players who didn't want to cop out and play a 6-string
banjo-guitar to learn. It's tuned like the standard bluegrass G tuning
(DGBD) but with out the fifth string. Irish player always play tenor
banjos, though occasionally they'll string it with heavier strings and
tune it an octave below a fiddle (GDAE). And I suppose some of them
string it up with lighter strings and tune it the same as a fiddle.

But then those Irish banjo players have no tradition to adhere to.
Irish music hall had singers who played the banjo (more often than not
a plectrum banjo), but the modern hot nstrumental "fiddle style" is
very modern, relatively speaking.

You could look at http://www.cmcpeake.com/ and check out the list of what
banjos a long-time Nashville banjo player collects and sells. His
instruments are likely to be only good quality, so you could get a good idea
of what brands and models are good and what prices might be bought online.

Bruce Cooley



"Federico" wrote in message
...
: Hi,
: I think many of you know that I live in Italy. As an Italian I do not know
: anything about banjos. Neither do all other Italians.
: The thing is that I'd like to buy a Banjo but no music store in Italy
sells
: them.
: I surfed the web to make up my mind and it confused me. ...four strings,
: five strings, resonators, many brands.
: I need a "classic" intrument, nothing strange or too pricey, let's say a
: fender if it was a guitar.
: If you were me what would you buy (from internet or I can order in music
: stores)? Which are the good brands and which the bad? How much will I have
: to spend to have a decent instrument?
: I know this is OT but I only read this newsgroup and I trust you guys!
: Thanks for the help!
: F.
:
: