I’d like to learn to play the banjo. What banjo would you recommend? Lessons or is YouTube a good way to get started?

Thanks.

I am playing a song in sawmill tuning (gDCDG) and am trying to capo it at the 3rd fret. What does the fifth sting need to me tuned to?

I'm pretty new to banjo and after trying to teach myself, I have been thinking I need a teacher. Where I live they cost about a million dollars per session and I happened to stumble upon Artistworks. I did find a few posts here about them but they're all 2+ years old so I'm curious to know if folks think they're still any good? I'm in Canada so have to add 40% to the cost due to the exchange. Thanks!

I found a used deering goodtime for $200 but it needs strings and has a replacement drum head. Still a good deal ? I’m pretty new to banjo and I’d like something decent and affordable

So it begins…

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Hello!

I'm attempting to help a friend of mine who has inherited an old banjo. Based on what we can find it is an early 1960's model Vega, and it's in decent condition.

The unusual part, is on the drum of it is a stamp that says "Genuine Human Skin", and while we're both skeptical that this is literal or real. Neither of us have been able to locate any details on what this stamp means. His family doesn't know the history of the banjo, and he's attempted to reach out to the company that currently owns the Vega brand, but they say they have no records on what this means.

My friend doesn't use reddit, so I thought I would try posting here. Important to note, he does NOT want to sell the banjo, it's considered a family heirloom, but if anyone happens to know anything about the history or backstory of this stamp that would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

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I think I'm going to fill my method book with not only precomposed graded exercises, but also a chorale tune in each key for easy sight reading practice.

Hi please could someone help me. I have bought my partner what I thought was a Stagg bjm30dl off eBay for £180 including delivery. I have tried to do some research however I don’t know anything about banjos. The seller said it was new and not use however the strings are rusty even though they have brown paper wrapped around them. Also something else seems a little off with the head as it seems to have a stagg logo but the writing says AMG rather than stagg. I am based in the UK country side so and we don’t have loads of music shops locally. Should I raise this with the seller or is stagg some times also labels up as AMG and do I need to raise the fact the strings are rusty even though or is this common. Any help would be appreciated.

okay so I've been wanting to learn classical music on my banjo for a bit and have just started practicing arpeggios but i am in a bit of a dilemma in whether I should stretch my absurdly long fingers or slide to hit far away notes...

here is one example of what I mean: in the G major scale, you have to hit the 7th and then the 12th fret on the 3rd string which most people would slide but because of my long fingers i can just hit it regularly with my pinky.

the main thing I am worried about is whether it'll tire out my hand but does that matter? should I use my long fingers to hit it anyways for speed or should i be more conservative and just slide? ty for reading this, hope you have a good rest of your day

Hi all,

I’ve been playing guitar for many years and found a pretty inexpensive banjo at a thrift store so I picked it up. However, I’m having a very difficult time getting the intonation right.

I’ve tightened the drum head using some guides online.

Made sure the action is decent, not perfect but pretty good towards the last fret.

New strings that are in tune when open and the harmonics vs the 12th fret sounds good.

What’s weird though, is first and second frets are way out of tune.

The open d string is perfect but second fretted its a super sharp E

I’ve done my best to adjust the bridge ever so slightly but I still can’t manage to get it to sound good.

Any advice?

Thank you!

I was at an estate sale and I found an essentially brand new Recording King RK20, and they were selling it with its equally new hard case for $350. I was looking to buy a resonator banjo at some point, but admittedly not in the near future. I needed an excuse not to buy it, so I decided to hardcore lowball them and offer $200 for it. That way, when they said no, I could walk away guilt-free knowing that I “tried”.

Well, they agreed instantly and with absolutely no pressure. So now, not only did I spend $200 on a banjo I didn’t really need, I haggled a grieving family at their relative’s estate sale.

The banjo’s great, though.