From: Joe.Bethancourt@f72.n114.z1.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: alt.music.filk
Subject: Re: banjos?
X-Sender: newtout 0.02 Nov 17 1992
Date: 13 Dec 92  11:12:00

 -=> Usenet said to All on 12-10-92  18:01 <=-

 Us> Organization: Sophomore, H&SS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh,
 Us> PA From: Eli Brian Goldberg <eg1n+@andrew.cmu.edu>
 Us> Message-ID: <kf9zOA600WA71nwpRt@andrew.cmu.edu>
 Us> Newsgroups: alt.music.filk

 Us> Does anybody here play the banjo or is anybody on the net familiar
 Us> with them?

        <EVIL HAPPY GRIN!>

hehe! Banjo happens to be my favorite instrument.....I own a collection
of quite a few of varying ages.....

 Us> to falling in love...enough said? ;-)  Is there a reason that I
 Us> haven't seen banjos at filksings at all?  Is there some "hidden flaw"
 Us> to them or weak spot that isn't apparent from 5 minutes of
 Us> fiddling...err..finger-picking? How much does a reasonable (i.e. an
 Us> instrument I wouldn't MIND playing and SOUNDS GOOD) instrument cost?
 Us> Are there any good standard book/tape courses for learning the banjo?

Well, to start with, there are two kinds of 5-string banjo: resonator type
(with the covered back) usually found in bluegrass bands and the like, and
the open-back sort, usually referred to as "folk" style. Whichever you prefer
depends on you.

They are not popular, IMHO, for two reasons: it is difficult to play it
-well- (tho easy to play adequately), and finger-style banjo is not really
suitable for solo singing. You need a guitar or something along with it for
the rhythm and chordal fills. If you learn frailing style playing, however,
you will have it sacked. GO FIND A TEACHER. Frailing can't really be
explained in words real well.....(if you really want me to, I'll do my best,
tho)

 Us> Is it possible for somebody who knows guitar-purchasing and playing
 Us> very well to actually know how to select a good banjo? [No, I'm *NOT*
 Us> refering to myself in this statement!!!]

No. Banjos have different needs and restrictions. For a rule-of-thumb: if
it is a modern-made banjo, look for one that is -heavy-. This means that the
metal tone-ring (inside the wooden ring between the head and wooden ring) is
solid bell-brass. Good names are Deering, Gibson, Ome (one of the best),
Wildwood (another one of the best) & Stelling. Older Vegas (made in America)
are excellent, as are the older Odes, if you can find one. For Oriental made
banjos, Ibanez makes an excellent banjo indeed. Most Korean made banjos are
P.O.S., and Hohner/Hofner (Germany) banjos are terrible.

My personal favorites are the pre-1900 banjos that used catgut strings (the
1st four of a classical guitar will work on these, tuned to E chord not G)
like Fairbanks, Cole, Dobson and S.S. Stewart. Some of these are real gems
that can be had fairly cheaply. Note that they are made -lightly-, with no
brass tone-ring, and many times if you use wire strings on them, you will
ruin the neck. La Bella still makes nylon banjo strings, and they are VERY
good indeed, but have to be special ordered, and nagged for.

If the fifth-string peg is a friction peg, not to worry. Good geared pegs are
made, the best being the Planet Peg.

... BANJO: The most fun you can have with your clothes on


--- WM v2.04/92-0475