can anyone help me with banjos?

[PittPoliSci]

i'm looking to start playing, and i'm trying to find a relatively inexpensive one to learn on.

any ideas of a reliable brand?

[LynzM]

1. No help from me...

Wish I'd known to look yesterday, had dance class with an excellent banjo player... hrm.

I want to learn to play bodhran, myself. :)

[Bake]

2. OK, I guess I qualify ...

There are several decent inexpensive makes out there. The Deering Good-Time Banjo is not bad for a beginner instrument, and won't set you back much money at all. I don't know what your budget is, but Morgan-Monroe makes a pretty good banjo for not nearly as much as you'd pay for a Gibson (the gold standard).

Good luck, and good pickin'!

Bake

[PittPoliSci]

4. thanks!

i'll have to look into it. I don't think i'll be shelling out for a Gibson right away though, lol.

[ashling]

3. Sorry, I can't help, but I think there is someone in

the kitchen with Dinah.
:rofl:

[PittPoliSci]

5. hahahaha

jokes are helpful, don't kid yourself.

[TK421]

6. This guy can !

[midnight armadillo]

14. Or how about this guy!

[unpossibles]

7. I am not a brand loyalist, so I'd say your best bet is to shop around

look online at stores and check craigslist for cheap deals, but also go to flea markets, swap meets, and bluegrass festivals or whatnot - often music dealers go to those.

Are you looking for a five or a four string?

It's always a good idea to play with it when buying, even if you don't know how yet. Push down on the strings to see if the action (height of the strings) is comfortable under your fingers, etc., and play a few notes up and down the fretboard to see if there are any bad buzzes or noises. Some of these things can be fixed, some are harder to fix (or have fixed), but an uncomfortable or untunable instrument will discourage you from playing.

Good luck!

[PittPoliSci]

10. thanks!

[Bennyboy]

8. What's the difference between a banjo and......

What's the difference between a banjo and a(n)…
Chain Saw:

a chain saw has a dynamic range.

you can turn a chain saw off.

South American Macaw: one is loud, obnoxious, and noisy; and the other is a bird.

Harley Davidson Motorcycle: you can tune a Harley.

Onion: no one cries when you cut up a banjo.

Trampoline: you take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.

Uzi: an uzi only repeats forty times.

[PittPoliSci]

11. lol thanks!

:hi:

[Heidi]

12. My husband feels the same way about the harmonica.

Nearly every time I play an old Bob Dylan album, CMW gets this look like, "Bob, put down the instrument of torture harmonica and back slowly away from the mic."

:rofl:

[Bennyboy]

9. How many banjo players does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

How many banjo players does it take to screw in a light bulb? Five; one to screw it in and four to:

complain that it's electric.

lament about how much they miss the old one.

complain that Earl wouldn't have done it thata-way.

argue about what year it was made.

argue about how much it costs.

ask what tuning she's using.

stand around and watch.

10: one to do it & the other 9 to stand around & say, "I could have done it better."

none: but hum a few bars and I'll fake it.

How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb?

All of them are too layed back to bother to change it.

Six: One to change it and five to keep the banjo players from hogging the light.

[mac56]

15. How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb?

None. The keyboard player does it with his left hand.

[harmonicon]

13. I can't offer much more that what's already been said...

...but I should add that elderly instruments in Lansing Michigan have a great selection, including used instruments