Let's talk about the history and music of the American Heartland

Visit our Sister Sites
CreekDontRise.com Home Page Visit our sister site, School of the Rock
Visit our Classic Train Songs Page
A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
 

It is currently Sun Dec 01, 2024 12:29 pm


To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.

Either way, we'll be very glad to hear from you - Paul Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for this discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:49 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 3:39 pm
Posts: 1004
A reader writes:

Thanks for the extremely helpful article on 6-string banjos. I'm a novice guitar player (6 yrs. experience, started at age 62) who mainly plays fingerstyle acoustic rural blues. I'm interested in a 6-string banjo so I don't have to learn a new instrument (learning the guitar is a big enough mountain to climb at my age)and I'm interested mainly in playing blues on the banjo, a la Taj Mahal on his Giant Step/De Old Folks at Home album. Can you recommend a quality 6-string banjo model that is modestly priced (under $1,000)and well-adapted to fingerstyle blues? Thanks much in advance.

---------------------------------------

thanks for getting in touch. There are a few issues. One is that to play fingerstyle 6-string banjo you need a neck that is as wide as the neck on your guitar. I like a LONG neck on a 6-string, with a scale length of 26", 2" longer than the neck on a guitar, but many 6-strings banjos have a 24" scale so that might be worth considering.

You'll also probably want either a resonator or a tone ring (or both). You can't STRUM a 6-string with a resonator and tone ring - they're too %^&*()_ loud that way and the notes ring on after you've changed the chords. But you can fingerpick a 6 string with both.

My six-strings currently include a Deering D6, with a tone ring and resonator and a guitar-width neck. I have seen Taj Mahal playing one of these in photos, but he plays a lot of other banjos, so I won't swear it's his go-to instrument. That would be the best for you if you can find one - since they've discontinued them, the used price has gone through the roof.

The Deering Boston B6 has a brighter tone and is favored by Country pickers. It would work if you could find one in your price range. Again, since the D6 was discontinued the price for used B6s has gone up.

I also have a custom Deering 6-string Artisan special, but that had to be special ordered and would be out of your price range as well. This has a shallower neck than I'm used to, more like a Les Paul than, say, a Martin, but it plays VERY nicely.

The standard Goodtime 6 with a resonator would work for you, especially if you use fingerpicks. Here's one on e-bay, though you should try to get it from the dealer if you can: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Deering-Goodti ... SwLbJdA85c

If you want to try a Japanese banjo with more features and less quality control, the GoldTone in this add would be worth a try.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-Tone-GT50 ... SwKb5dS0nb

The big problem with Gold Tones, for me, is that they're never "set up" when they get to your front porch, and folks who don't know how to set them up can wind up spending another $100 to get them set up right - if they can even find someone who can do it. That said, if it's sound and you can set it up yourself, this should be a good choice, having both a resonator and tone ring. Instructions for setup are here: https://creekdontrise.com/tabs_instr/6_ ... _banjo.htm

At the cheap end, Musician's friend's "Rogue" 6-strings have too narrow a neck for any kind of fingerpicking. Jameson's 6-string banjos, also called "Davison" can be set up to play okay and they have a relatively wide neck - I use one for my travel guitar. I had to tweak the nut on mine to get the action right.

Dean's 6-strings are okay, a step down from Gold Tone, a step up from Jameson/Davison, etc. They also require a lot of setup when you first get them. Dean's entry level is a "pop-top" banjo that is a little tinny but pretty loud. If you don't mind a sound that borders on steel guitar. . . . .

Stagg, Savannah, most other brands in that price range are just cheap guitar necks slapped on cheap banjo bodies. But if you don't mind taking on a project and you can get one really cheap. . . . .

Once again,

Measure the nut width on your guitar and try to get a banjo with the same nut width, or at least close.

Look for a banjo with either a resonator or a tone ring or both.

After that, it's a question of quality and or quality control.

Best of luck,

Paul


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  




To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.


Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well.

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.



All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.

Note: Creek Don't Rise (tm) is Paul Race's name for his resources supporting the history and
music of the North American Heartland as well as additional kinds of acoustic and traditional music.

Creek Dont' Rise(tm) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.



Visit related pages and affiliated sites:
- Music -
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive.  Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. The Independent Christian Musician. Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos.  Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson.  Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Learn more about our newsletter for roots-based and acoustic music. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
- Trains and Hobbies -
Free building projects for your vintage railroad or Christmas village.
Visit Lionel Trains. Click to see Thomas Kinkaded-inspired Holiday Trains and Villages. Big Christmas Train Primer: Choosing and using model trains with holiday themes Building temporary and permanent railroads with big model trains Click to see HO scale trains with your favorite team's colors.
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles -
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site. Visit Howard Lamey's glitterhouse gallery, with free project plans, graphics, and instructions. Click to return to the Old Christmas Tree Lights Table of Contents Page Click to sign up for Maria Cudequest's craft and collectibles blog.
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
Visit the largest and most complete cardboard Christmas 'Putz' house resource on the Internet.
- Family Activities and Crafts -
Click to see reviews of our favorite family-friendly Christmas movies. Free, Family-Friendly Christmas Stories Decorate your tree the old-fashioned way with these kid-friendly projects. Free plans and instructions for starting a hobby building vintage-style cardboard Christmas houses. Click to find free, family-friendly Christmas poems and - in some cases - their stories. Traditional Home-Made Ornaments



Click to trains that commemorate your team!

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group