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paula - Posted - 03/08/2008: 20:21:48
Boy am I depressed. Big time! :-(
The more I learn about banjos the deeper I go into a depressed state.
I fell in love with a banjo, only to find out it cost 62,000.00! That's like falling in love with a guy, only to find out he's penniless.
Deering, I hate you!
I feel like passing out.
I can't even play a lively tune to get me out of this?
What's the cure?
Paula
Edited by - jazzylynne on 03/09/2008 09:53:25
wrightedward - Posted - 03/08/2008: 20:29:31
Paula ,what kind of Banjar are you buying (looking at)that cost 62,000.00??? I would have to hock my house to do that ..ha ha I am depressed for you .
Eddie
Phillipians 4:13
Edited by - wrightedward on 03/08/2008 20:30:49
RONLD - Posted - 03/08/2008: 20:39:34
The gabriela, is a beautiful banjo but it sounds no better than many much,much less expensive banjos.Ask Mary z cox, she owns one i think- shes a hangout regular.
The true beauty is in the tone & life of the instument!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep your friends close,and God even closer...
Edited by - RONLD on 03/08/2008 20:40:55
Gus Bloch - Posted - 03/08/2008: 20:58:40
I supose for $62,000.00 one could just settle for a top of the line Gold Tone or G-Star and a lifetime supply of LEXAPRO.
Not sure which would be a better mental health investment.
J-Walk - Posted - 03/08/2008: 21:05:25
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
http://www.deeringbanjos.com/gabriella.htm
No offense to Gabriella owners, but I think it's pretty gaudy. You can get 15-20 great custom-made banjos for that price, and they would all sound just as good, if not better. And you wouldn't be afraid of taking them out of your house.
I also think that it's probably about a $15,000 banjo that they try to sell for $62,000. Deering has a way of charging WAY too much for some of their banjos. Send me an email if you want my opinions on Deering (I can't post them here). The small custom builders are the way to go.
But, whatever floats your boat.
36 TB-1 - Posted - 03/08/2008: 21:26:51
Nicely said.
prossignol - Posted - 03/08/2008: 22:07:22
never was a fan of those uber decorated flowery jobs myself. I dont even usually like fancy inlays. I like the looks of the inlay on Gold Tones elite classic, although the shiney brass pot is really what I like the looks of best. Give me a nice ebony finger board with a couple of good size stars and moons on it and that about as fancy as I really dig. I agree about the price of Deering stuff. They make fine banjos...but price them right out of contention as far as Im concerned. If youre gonna drop serious coin get a small custom job or maybe a Nechville.
"....I wish I had that pan full of squirell head gravy..."
burlap - Posted - 03/08/2008: 22:35:47
I just saw the price at $23,295.00.......if THAT makes any difference!
aletheia - Posted - 03/08/2008: 22:58:00
"That's like falling in love with a guy, only to find out he's penniless."
Geez, that bad? I think I see the root of your unhappiness...
David
"Banjo players have got it made. A banjo will never interfere with your other pleasures." --Stringbean
dustyelmer - Posted - 03/08/2008: 23:08:01
for $62,000 it better play itself and make me breakfast.
- Dusty
wrightedward - Posted - 03/08/2008: 23:10:33
Now that i have seen it ,i understand your depression .Some say gaudy and i understand that ,but i like my old RB 800 because it looks so pretty .And they say (some do) that it is to gaudy .As has been said already ,beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is an eye full to say the least .I you can aford it ,want it ,jump on it with both feet .Believe me everone that see's it will want to play it at least once .
Eddie
Phillipians 4:13
beeliner - Posted - 03/09/2008: 08:22:05
Ridiculous !!!!!!
beeliner- Revis Martin
Acts 16:31 [ KJV ]
dhergert - Posted - 03/09/2008: 08:30:04
I've always liked showy banjos, but wouldn't ever want one for myself. While I have some nice old vintage banjos, they are all playing banjos, not museum pieces. I'm a player, not a collector, and I could never play the more showy banjos, I'd have their gold plating worn off in a year and their finishes scratched and dinged shortly, and I'd feel miserable that I'd desecrated a beautiful museum piece.
If you're wanting a banjo for playing, you will probably be happier with a more realistic playing banjo.
Best,
-- Don
http://home.att.net/~dhergert
http://mysite.verizon.net/don_hergert
"If you must use your banjo as a snow shovel, do so:
only don't wonder if it sounds dull afterwards."
-- S.S. Stewart catalog, 1896.
jazzylynne - Posted - 03/09/2008: 09:57:27
I like fancy inlays on a banjo, but gold plating does nothing for me. It's just a look I never got used to.
Having a dream of owning a fancy banjo is OK, gives you something to work up to.
OME
fnw - Posted - 03/09/2008: 10:01:03
I was watching a couple of Earl Scruggs videos the other day and really enjoying the man's music. His banjo looks simple and, in the hands of a legend, sings like a bird. I'd rather have Scruggs' banjo and put the rest of the money into the retirement fund. Not only would I have a great sounding instrument but I'd have some extra incentive to get better. If it's good enouth for him, it's certainly good enough for me.
banjogramp - Posted - 03/09/2008: 11:31:17
I can't see dragging that banjo around a festival going from jam to jam so I don't need one.
Kevin
sundance - Posted - 03/09/2008: 12:48:12
The more I practice....the more I really like the banjo I have.
BanjoDiva - Posted - 03/09/2008: 13:09:32
quote:
Originally posted by paula
Boy am I depressed. Big time! :-(
The more I learn about banjos the deeper I go into a depressed state.
I fell in love with a banjo, only to find out it cost 62,000.00! That's like falling in love with a guy, only to find out he's penniless.
Deering, I hate you!
I feel like passing out.
I can't even play a lively tune to get me out of this?
What's the cure?
Paula
Paula, trust me that banjo is over-priced. You can live without it.
Diva
farley - Posted - 03/09/2008: 13:57:43
WOW!!!
Jusr think what would happen if you fell in love with a really good looking feller, that was penniless... and he played the banjo... Farley
wrightedward - Posted - 03/09/2008: 16:55:33
Farley that makes good sense and the price of the banjo is to high .And i still say you would want to play it at least once and no i wouldnt carry it to a gig for fear of scratching it
Eddie
Phillipians 4:13
Edited by - wrightedward on 03/09/2008 16:56:16
uncledelphi - Posted - 03/10/2008: 07:54:21
quote:
Originally posted by littlepicker
http://www.deeringbanjos.com/Deerin...osaurus.html
I really don't get who would pay $62 000 for this, but if someone wants to give me one I won't complain!
I know a guy who has one of these. It's absolutely gorgeous to look at, but tone-wise it is as mediocre as they come. He's playing a new Tubaphone now, which sounds much better (and costs much less).
Proud member of the Banjo Mafia
www.banjomafia.com
TN_Picker - Posted - 03/10/2008: 09:29:51
quote:
I was watching a couple of Earl Scruggs videos the other day and really enjoying the man's music. His banjo looks simple and, in the hands of a legend, sings like a bird. I'd rather have Scruggs' banjo and put the rest of the money into the retirement fund. Not only would I have a great sounding instrument but I'd have some extra incentive to get better. If it's good enouth for him, it's certainly good enough for me.
If Earl's banjo were for sale $62K wouldn't even come close to the purchase price, nowhere near enough zeros on that figure!
“Oh! Come and see the violence inherent in the system! Help, help! I'm being repressed!”
beeliner - Posted - 03/10/2008: 18:36:47
Yeah, it would take a good FARM to buy it !
beeliner- Revis Martin
Acts 16:31 [ KJV ]
eruannu - Posted - 03/11/2008: 02:17:50
and earl did and does own some pretty gaudy banjos just look at some of the pictures in his book actually alvarez makes a master clone clone that is gaudy enough for my tastes the one i played sounded great but it had just been setup and was sitting in a shop in madison WI wating for its owner it was a b1 i believe any way it was gaudy enough for my liking and maybe a bit past and sounded great
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather, try to become a man of value." -- Albert Einstein
banjoman69 - Posted - 03/11/2008: 08:39:30
Before I'd invest that kind of money in a "new" banjo, I certainly would look around for a pre-war Gibson and as time goes by, based on current trends, your banjo will only increase in value. Check with Jim Mills or some of the others that have pre-wars for sale.. I'd much rather invest 15-30K for one of those, which won't buy a Granada but it will be enough to buy some of the others as conversions.
banjogud - Posted - 03/11/2008: 08:39:44
Ahhhhhhhhhh ! You mean the Deering Dinosaur- ossser -ous, ..inlaid with fossild and all that neat cr@p..
Why not just marry a paleontologist ? They can get you all that stuffr and still keep you in the poor house because they don`t make any money,...(unless they come up with a new "extinction theory", and publish a book that becomes a megahit movie )
Life is like a banjo,..ya never know what you`re gonna get !
..wellll,..I got me a skillet an I got no lid,.....
my ashcakes taste like sh
Edited by - banjogud on 03/11/2008 08:40:46
valdae - Posted - 03/11/2008: 16:55:54
And I got depressed over losing a $550.00 Washburn pawnshop prize! No diss at Deering (as I would love to own one some day), but I find it rather sad that if you want to buy a highend American made 'jo, you better have counterfeiting as a hobby.
"Creativity is inventing, expe
maryzcox - Posted - 03/15/2008: 12:30:12
Hello Paula,
Sorry the Banjosaurus is making you miserable. I was never attracted to it myself and I'd never spend $62,000 on it ! This is only a guess--but I would be surprised if you could actually order that banjo for that price. It may be priced that way because it is actually unavailable or because the owner said they would sell it at that price ?
But, I'm only guessing and do not know this for a fact. 
The reason I bought my Gabriella is it is a beautiful banjo and the Brazilian rosewood on it is breathtaking. It was built when it was still legal, but I do think I would have trouble getting it back inside the states if I ever took it out of the country. I was very fortunate to be able to buy the only used (?) Gabriella offered for sale on the open market.
I thought it over a long time and thought about the future. I thought about a future great granchild looking at me in wonder and saying,
"Grandma, you actually had a chance to buy a real Gabriella at the turn of the 21st century, made from some of the last available primo Brazilian rosewood available on the planet and you didn't ? "
IMHO it is one of the most beautifully made and sounding banjos of the
20th century It is not that valued by current collectors because they are really only interested in primo vintage banjos. And, of course, it is much too flashy for most players. Especailly old time pickers--most like the elegance of fine woodwork and sparse tasteful inlay.
But--I wanted to play this banjo instead of collect it. It is an exquisite banjo and in another hundred years it will be every bit as interesting and valuable as the prewar Gibsons are today. :)
In the meantime, I will be recording on it, and I sometimes take it to concerts for the audience to see. If it is a smaller concert--I'll actually walk through the audience and let everyone have a close up look. Afterall, it will probably be the only time in his/her life that they will ever see or hear a Gabriella in person. I think there have only been about a dozen ever made and I'm told the others are all locked up in collector's vaults.
What a shame for one of the finest banjos ever made to never ring out and be heard. 
Now, I do want to say that I currently own 3 banjos that came out of the Deering Custom shop--and they are all excellent.
Paula, I'd like to make a recommendation. Order one of the John Hartford models. It has an exquisite tone and playability and everywhere I go--that is the one everyone wants to play--because it is a big time banjo with lots of charisma and it is still very affordable.
The stock steamboat inlay is very pretty. I had them put only two extras on it--a black head and gold hardware---and all of a sudden--it looks even more special.
You can get one--even with the gold hardware for around $5,000 and I'll bet it will sound a whole lot better than the Banjosauras --just guessing. 
Hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Mary Z. Cox
www.maryzcox.com
If you suspect you need a new banjo--you do. Trust your musical instincts. If a banjo calls to you to buy it, don't fight destiny. It was meant to be. :)
Ottawa - Posted - 03/15/2008: 13:29:50
The great looks of a banjo only last for a short while, and then you come down to the heart of what matters- playin' music and sharing/enjoying this with friends. Getting caught up in the aesthetics of the banjo will only get you tired of it after a while and wanting another banjo in no time at all- at the expense of more important things your money can go to- like home, family and the community. Many of the best players have/had humble, simple- but elegant- banjos. I guess its a matter of priority if one wants to be a collector to show them off or enjoy the music for music's sake.
I agree with some of the previous posts- the banjo took a lot of fine/skilled work but its really gaudy by my regard.
Steven
Edited by - Ottawa on 03/15/2008 13:31:29
5-stringreiny - Posted - 03/15/2008: 14:37:47
Whew... pricey and trendy... makes me appreciate my Gibson!
brokenstrings - Posted - 03/20/2008: 21:40:53
I can't look at that price without thinking that it would buy the harp I want, the Morgan/Arabian/Morab horse and feed and shelter for it for some time to come, and a handsome donation to The American Chestnut Foundation or Doctors Without Borders or another favorite cause.
Like Mary, I dearly love Brazilian rosewood, but I'm satisfied with the Brazilian rosewood on the back and sides of my old Mexican guitar (dato 1958/59, when the stuff was legal.
Re the aesthetics: I like both very simple and sleek banjos (my minstrel banjo, for example) and more highly decorated ones in some cases (my Etruscan-Minoan banjo, where the inlays have a personal meaning for me). I've seen some heavily inlaid banjos that looked so crowded that they gave me a headache.
Certainly, the sound and feel is the main thing; no reason you can't have that and decoration too, but that's rarely the case.
Jessy
Frailaway, ladies, frailaway!
phischer - Posted - 03/20/2008: 22:13:38
Not to drag this out or bag on it but it seems you can buy a similar style handmade american made banjo for a fraction of that price. I like Deering but some of their prices seem a bit unreal. I won't go into details. If you want the sound buy the no-frills real deal that will last a lifetime.
Fischer
wkb28791 - Posted - 03/21/2008: 08:52:43
I've always thought of those really high priced banjos as more of a collector item than a player.
You can just about have your pick of fine banjos for under 5G's.
Regards,
wkb28791
"As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain, as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality."
"Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
Albert Einstein
MTBanjo - Posted - 03/21/2008: 10:18:26
quote:
Originally posted by aletheia
"That's like falling in love with a guy, only to find out he's penniless."
Geez, that bad? I think I see the root of your unhappiness...
David
"Banjo players have got it made. A banjo will never interfere with your other pleasures." --Stringbean
I'm with you on that..
Zach
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