Insomnia50 - Posted - 07/29/2011:  19:07:10

Hello banjohangout!

I'm a student who lives in Sweden and I'm about to purchase my first banjo! As I'm a beginner I've been looking at the classic (Deering) Goodtime banjo, however, I'm going to to purchase a lefty version. I'm very left handed and NOT ambidextrous at all, I can't even touch a stringed instrument without holding it as a lefty because holding it righty feels very, very unnatural. I know the disadvantages people have said about playing lefty but I don't mind the challenge.

I've decided to choose an openback for clawhammer, and since I probably wont end up in a band (too rare here), I could always, in the worst case, if I want to try the three thinger style, use fingerpicks on an openback, not the same sound and volume as the most BG, but I don't think it will matter to me now as a beginner.

The reason I write this is just to introduce myself to a forum I hopefully will be very active on from now on. I love helping other people and I've been doing so on forums for the last couple of years, however, never on an instrumental forum.

Since I live in Sweden and need a lefty goodtime, the website I'm buying it from, need to buy it from Deerng Goodtime and they say it will take THREE MONTHS!, insane!, I don't know if the waiting time will be less if I order myself from Goodtime's website, does anyone have any experience with buying from Deering Goodtime from Europe, I'm also afraid the shipping will cost a fortune.

I like coming prepared so I've done alot of research, however, some beginners-tips would be appriciated!

I hope this doesn't come out too sloppy, it's in the middle of the night here but I wanted to post this now so you picking guys'n'gals in America get the chance to answer when you have daylight!

With best regards

Jonathan, a soon to be, banjoplayer!

johnv - Posted - 07/29/2011:  19:26:58

Welcome to the banjo hangout, I think that you picked a good learner banjo and you might try Elderly music instruments.com as they may have a banjo for you., If not you might have to purchase from Deering as I believe not too many leftys out there Cheers

f#dead - Posted - 07/29/2011:  20:00:04

Jon welcome. So if finding a lefty over there is limited, the Goodtime will serve you well. If it's gonna take weeks... get it on order now! Keep listening to the jukebox right here. playlist what you like. Good luck, keep us informed of your progress and welcome to BHO.

f#dead - Posted - 07/29/2011:  20:05:05

Oh there's this... banjohangout.org/classified/12024 I have no horse in this race but I did have a GT WL and this seems a reasonable price if shipping doesn't exceed say $200. Just my 2 cents worth. YMMV

Edited by - f#dead on 07/29/2011 20:05:49

Paul R - Posted - 07/29/2011:  21:30:22

Hi Jonathan - welcome to the Hangout!

You seem to have everything well thought out. Stick to the music and instrument forums, and go through videos, sound files, and the classifieds to learn more about the music and the instruments.

There are many good players and many members with good advice.

Above all, have fun!

Paul

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 07/29/2011:  23:01:42

Welcome

Is this your first instrument? If it is, try a right handed banjo. Some lefties can do it righty, some can't. I did. Others have. But I've met lefties who simply have no rhythm in their right hand - they need a left handed banjo

On buying (left or right) I would start by looking for something that is in Europe and will not have to be imported.

Check out my free ebook

rsb.pricklypearmusic.net

if you plan to go into clawhammer - or even if you don't. There are chapters on memorization, the tools you need to learn banjo, and many other banjo related subjects.

Edited by - oldwoodchuckb on 07/29/2011 23:08:51

erikforgod - Posted - 07/30/2011:  06:03:13

quote:

---

Originally posted by Insomnia50

Hello banjohangout!

 

I'm a student who lives in Sweden and I'm about to purchase my first banjo! As I'm a beginner I've been looking at the classic (Deering) Goodtime banjo, however, I'm going to to purchase a lefty version. I'm very left handed and NOT ambidextrous at all, I can't even touch a stringed instrument without holding it as a lefty because holding it righty feels very, very unnatural. I know the disadvantages people have said about playing lefty but I don't mind the challenge.

 

I've decided to choose an openback for clawhammer, and since I probably wont end up in a band (too rare here), I could always, in the worst case, if I want to try the three thinger style, use fingerpicks on an openback, not the same sound and volume as the most BG, but I don't think it will matter to me now as a beginner.

The reason I write this is just to introduce myself to a forum I hopefully will be very active on from now on. I love helping other people and I've been doing so on forums for the last couple of years, however, never on an instrumental forum.

 

Since I live in Sweden and need a lefty goodtime, the website I'm buying it from, need to buy it from Deerng Goodtime and they say it will take THREE MONTHS!, insane!, I don't know if the waiting time will be less if I order myself from Goodtime's website, does anyone have any experience with buying from Deering Goodtime from Europe, I'm also afraid the shipping will cost a fortune.

 

I like coming prepared so I've done alot of research, however, some beginners-tips would be appriciated!

 

I hope this doesn't come out too sloppy, it's in the middle of the night here but I wanted to post this now so you picking guys'n'gals in America get the chance to answer when you have daylight!

 

With best regards

Jonathan, a soon to be, banjoplayer!

---

 Hello Jonathan in Sweden - I am the owner of a Deering Goodtime the Crow banjo and am very happy with my purchase, you can see it if you click on my profile and view the pictures. I really recommend these banjos and I even believe they can go even beyond the beginners level as well...even though they are advertised as beginners banjo.

Check with Deerings website ...they have a list of some Deering distibutors throughout Europe...maybe you will find a place where you can order one and it wont be so long a wait.

dmar57 - Posted - 07/30/2011:  06:17:58

 Hi , welcome to the forum.

I am also a lefty learning clawhammer . I live in Europe too(Ireland).

I can't imagine playing right handed and never could. Like you said, it just feels wrong. I think often right handed people don't quite appreciate that, for whatever reason.From a playing point of view, I don't know what the disadvantage of a left handed player playing left handed is.

My recommendation to you is to check out http://lefthandbear.co.uk

I have puchased a Gold Tone WL-250 and also a guitar from that site and recieved excellent service both times.

They are in England. I have always found them to be extremely helpful and quick to reply and their delivery prices are always reasonable. I recieved my puchases within 3 days of ordering them.

They don't stock the goodtime as they seem to sell mostly Gold Tone products. As a beginner banjo, I don't think you could go too far wrong with the gold tone cripple creep openback they sell. My first banjo was a goodtime , which I bought as a resonator version and removed the resonator and flange.

I think a lot of the support for the goodtime on this forum is due to the fact that it is "American made", which is understandable.

My thoughts on the goodtime are that it is light, so easy to carry around. Also, the frets seemed to wear down astonishingly quickly, something I haven't noticed with the gold tone, even though I've played it as much or more than I ever played the goodtime. I very rarely play it these days, but it is good to have a light banjo around, I suppose.

mwc9725e - Posted - 07/30/2011:  08:56:45

quote:

---

Originally posted by oldwoodchuckb

Welcome

Is this your first instrument? If it is, try a right handed banjo. Some lefties can do it righty, some can't. I did. Others have. But I've met lefties who simply have no rhythm in their right hand - they need a left handed banjo

On buying (left or right) I would start by looking for something that is in Europe and will not have to be imported.

 

Check out my free ebook

rsb.pricklypearmusic.net

if you plan to go into clawhammer - or even if you don't. There are chapters on memorization, the tools you need to learn banjo, and many other banjo related subjects.

---

 I second the suggestion that you try to play right handed. I've known instructors who won't teach left handed students, it's too much of a PITA -- everything seems backward. Let's face it, a big part of instruction is demonstration. It's pretty hard for a right handed teacher to effectively demo something for a left handed student.

I had a close friend who was left handed and learned classical guitar at about the same time I was learning. His instructor insisted that  he learn to play right handed. My friend said the instructor did him a HUGE favor by insisting he play right handed. He had no regrets at all about learning to play right handed.

The banjo has a problem that a guitar doesn't have -- that pesky fifth string. You can string a classical guitar upside down and you're ready to play. Not so with the banjo, unless you figure out how to re-position the fifth string tuner and nut.

Insomnia50 - Posted - 07/30/2011:  09:38:20

Thanks for the feedback guys!, I really appriciate it!. However, this is not my first instrument, but it is the first stringed instrument I would like to take serious and keep up with. Played trumpet with right hand on the finger buttons. I will mostly teach myself since there's not really any banjo-market in Sweden.

mwc9725e: The thing about being lefty is that I have tried playing normal guitarr and stuff like that, but you see, I really can't adapt to the nature of righty. I dont like having many demands when you guys help me, but being lefty is a big deal for me. I really have tried going right but I can't adapt and right now I want to focus on it feeling right.

dmar57: I'm really in love with the sound and style of the Goodtime banjo, but I will check the Gold Tone out today since I'm probably buying the banjo this weekend.

I'm so incredibly happy that I found this forum, the more I look on this forum the more kind people I meet. Thanks alot!

torpedo - Posted - 07/30/2011:  09:55:57

                   Think about  how difficult it is for a right hander to play left handed, everyone can feel your plight.  Welcome to The Hangout.  Joe

SWCooper - Posted - 07/30/2011:  09:57:25

There are several left-handed banjos up on eBay in the UK at the moment. Wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a few closer to you. If you narrow it down to a specific model, be sure to ask about it here. People are helpful and they sure know their banjos.

Welcome!

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 07/30/2011:  11:46:32

I think there are at least two "different" types of left handed people - and probably as many kinds of righties.

I was taught that the left hand was the devil's hand as a small child and did almost everything right handed growing up. When I started playing music in the 50s I had never seen nor heard of a left handed player of ANY instrument.

The first leftie I ever saw was either Paul McCartney, or the left handed 12 player in The Rooftop Singers - and for several years I more or less believed they did that for the album photo. I first saw a man playing left handed when McCartney was on Ed Sullivan's show.

By then I had been playing guitar for 6 or 7 years and had been through my first affair with the banjo. The subject of playing left handed had never come up. I had been taught to write right handed in school because I wrote left handed backwards - my aunt Nellie never mentioned that everything I did was backward, perhaps because she really couldn't understand it? Once I had that Big lined School paper she was really helpful in getting me "reversed" so I didn't have to have my desk up by the teacher where she could keep me doing my writing in the proper direction.

As I say - there are lefties like me and there are lefties who can't do otherwise. I think there is a rhythm "center" that determines whether you have to be single handed or can go with either. I think this might have a lot to do with people who cannot make progress on an instrument. I might be wrong. Works for me though.

mwc9725e - Posted - 07/30/2011:  14:36:44

quote:

---

Originally posted by oldwoodchuckb

I think there are at least two "different" types of left handed people - and probably as many kinds of righties.

I was taught that the left hand was the devil's hand as a small child and did almost everything right handed growing up. When I started playing music in the 50s I had never seen nor heard of a left handed player of ANY instrument.

The first leftie I ever saw was either Paul McCartney, or the left handed 12 player in The Rooftop Singers - and for several years I more or less believed they did that for the album photo. I first saw a man playing left handed when McCartney was on Ed Sullivan's show.

By then I had been playing guitar for 6 or 7 years and had been through my first affair with the banjo. The subject of playing left handed had never come up. I had been taught to write right handed in school because I wrote left handed backwards - my aunt Nellie never mentioned that everything I did was backward, perhaps because she really couldn't understand it? Once I had that Big lined School paper she was really helpful in getting me "reversed" so I didn't have to have my desk up by the teacher where she could keep me doing my writing in the proper direction.

As I say - there are lefties like me and there are lefties who can't do otherwise. I think there is a rhythm "center" that determines whether you have to be single handed or can go with either. I think this might have a lot to do with people who cannot make progress on an instrument. I might be wrong. Works for me though.

---

 In baseball I use to bat left handed, until I was told that's the "wrong" way to do it. Than I started batting right handed, no problem. I still wield an ax in what most people would call a left handed swing, I'm afraid I'd cut my foot off if I switched.

But I'd never be so bold as to play what God obviously intended to be a righthanded instrument lefthanded. Eternity's a LONG time to burn

Edited by - mwc9725e on 07/30/2011 14:39:39

majikgator - Posted - 07/30/2011:  16:19:44

Welcome to the hangout. i can understand your left handedness because i am the same way about being right handed, maybe worse, i almost go into some sort of traumatic state trying to play a left handed instrument. i am sorry to hear about the availability of your banjo of choice, i have heard nice things about that banjo and have liked the ones i have seen. i started with a Rover, then a Gold Tone CB-100 which i still have and use as a second banjo, i have been happy with it, If Gold Tone is not for you then it isn't, the three months will pass and you will have a lifetime of banjo playing ahead. Good luck and great to have you here.

dannnjo - Posted - 07/30/2011:  19:43:05

i agree with woodchuck, experiment with both and see which feels more natural.
i am rt. handed but as soon as i pick up a rifle i shoot lefthanded. good luck

Insomnia50 - Posted - 07/31/2011:  10:10:18

I just found the banjo I'm looking for on eaglemusicshop.com/ which is Deering Goodtimes master dealer. Anyone with feedback on this website?, good support?, I will call them tomorrow morning.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 07/31/2011:  11:50:06

I don't think I've ever seen them before.

I do know that Zepp (google Zepp's Country Music) sells Goodtimes and ships internationally. Zepp is a good guy and he also has a whole series of banjo video lessons, plus you can listen to him playing most of the banjos he carries.