fphoppe - Posted - 02/28/2011:  21:54:06

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My daughter, who loves hard-core metal, also loves Greg & Jerry Canote's music and has expresed an interest on learning OT banjo. I naturally wish to encourage this. It will give me someone who might want want to play with me (I'm a fiddler) when I'm old. crotchety, and arthritic.

I'm looking for a good-ish banjo in the $300-800 range, but if this is a bad general idea, I would probably go as high as $1100 or so. I don't want to go that high because of the tsuris I would experience if it was lost or stolen.

I don't want a Good Time. A Smakula Gold Tone might be OK. A low-end Bart Reiter or Kevin Enoch might be better. I also came to be virtually adopted by a 1923 Fairbanks-Vega Tubaphone (11 1/2") Banjo-Mandolin and some have urged me to put a 5-string neck on it.

What do you all think is the preferred way to go? What would work best for a musically-inclined 17 year old who also plays fiddle and guitar?

Thanks for your help with this.

DantheBanjoMan - Posted - 02/28/2011:  22:10:23

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There are many, many good open back banjos, and if you are patient you can often find a good deal, so that price range is not unreasonable for a used instrument, but I wouldn't tie myself down to a particular maker at this point. I think you need to let your daughter play a few banjos to see what she likes. I've made a few banjos for female players and they tend to like shorter scale lengths and lighter instruments, but your daughter might not be a typical female. Also, the neck profile on some vintage instruments can be uncomfortable, especially to electric guitar players who are used to slender necks.

abbey - Posted - 02/28/2011:  22:41:57

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My first banjo was a Gold Tone MM-150 and I see there is one in the classifieds now for $400.
It had a very nice sound and I loved learning on it.

If there is no way for her to try different banjos, buying a solid and not expensive used one could be good, as you could easily sell it and buy a different one later. It is likely her taste in banjos could change as she learns to play.

RG - Posted - 03/01/2011:  00:12:07

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Can't go wrong with an Enoch tradesman, great banjo for the money...

derwood400 - Posted - 03/01/2011:  02:47:04

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quote:

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Originally posted by RG

Can't go wrong with an Enoch tradesman, great banjo for the money...

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I agree. They may be near the top of your budget, but I always recommend a Tradesman. They're light, sound great, and extremely playable. Sometimes you can get a good deal on a used one. I've got a couple banjos, that I paid a lot more for than my Tradesman, but most of the time, especially when I'm just playing around the house (which is probably 90% of the time), I reach for the Tradesman for the very reasons mention above.

banjot - Posted - 03/01/2011:  05:56:22

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I just bought my daughter a Gold Tone BC-120...It's the stripped down version of the Bob Carlin model. I'm really blown away by it: It's really hard to beat for the price. Between that banjo and the Kyle Creed book by Bob and Dan Levenson, she sounds more like Kyle than I could ever hope for.

Tom Mylet

mike gregory - Posted - 03/01/2011:  06:42:56

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I have a Recording King openback, and Weds morn, one of my students is going to pick on it, and see if she likes it better than the bottom line Fender that she's renting.

If she doesn't buy it, I'm up for selling it, but you can probably find one IN California, and not have to pay shipping from Milwaukee, Wisconsin ( The Centre of the Civilised World).

Anyway, I'd recommend Deering's Good Time as a great banjo for the money, and the Recording King.
Gold Tone also sells a banjo kit that does a good job for the money.
And they're not hard to put together.
I don't DO hard work.

If you look in the Banjo Hangout classifieds, you can find good stuff, since we are banjo nuts, and tend to take good care of our stuff.
ALSO: If you click upper left, MEMBERS, and then Home Pages, and then fill in Caifornia, and click HELPING JAMMING SOCIALIZING TEACHING and hit ENTER, you'll get the list of all the members in California who want to do that.
Conatct a few nearby, and ask if your kid can look at any of their banjos.

Happy searching.

majikgator - Posted - 03/01/2011:  07:26:19

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If it's a banjo to KEEP until you are old and crotchety get the Reiter's or the Tradesman, these are high end instruments really, just not fancy ones. In the not quite as old and crotchety time line being a Goldtone owner i would have to say that the Goodtimes probably sound better even if they lack features on the lower end but then with either of these two choices you may end up buying another banjo if she sticks with it. But hey she will be the one playing it so get her input.

halfshavedma**hole - Posted - 03/01/2011:  09:40:50

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You can find old Lyon and Healy Banjos in good to great shape for anywhere to $300 to $1000. They sound fantastic and being from the 1890s to early 1900s are real OT banjos. I have a Lyon and Healy Mystic from late 1890s (I was told) and its great for clawhammer an old time fingerstyle, I paid 400 bucks for it . I just picked one up for my daughter its a lot rougher than mine but I tweaked it a little and put Nylguts on it, she loves it.

RWJones1970 - Posted - 03/02/2011:  04:07:07

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*** If you already own the pot, have a fine builder make you a 5 string neck for that 1923 Tubaphone pot. I had Wyatt Fawley build me a neck for a 1922 WL pot that was formerly a banjo mandolin. I want to tell you this banjo is the finest I have yet to own. I have always heard from Vega/Fairbanks enthusiasts that the 20's pots were very much to be desired and now I know why. You own a nice piece of history as well as a beautiful sounding instrument. Here's a few pictures of mine. Just my 2 cents.

Clawdan - Posted - 03/02/2011:  06:04:40

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The Gold Tone CC-OT is a great starter and is already set up for Old Time (scoop, fiberskin head, no knot tailpiece, armrest). The 120 is essentially the 12" version. Save the "upgrade" until you see if she sticks with it AND gets to where she can decide what tone and feel she is looking for. As for the tubby pot, that is what I had Kevin do a neck for years ago and it is still my favorite instrument.

Play nice,
Dan
Clawdan.com

John Herrington - Posted - 03/11/2011:  12:52:33

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I would certainly underline what Dan says. My choice, going away, in the Gold Tone line. I have a number of banjos, Tradesman included, and my Gold Tone WL250 which I bought 3 years ago second hand for 565 with hard case is my favorite. The worksmanship is impeccable, and the sound is grand. In quality it tops my Tradesman by a great deal. The sound is great on both, however. I'd buy another Gold Tone...probably not another Tradesman

Old John on the Big Horn

fphoppe - Posted - 03/11/2011:  13:04:56

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Thanks to everybody for their replies to this topic. I learned a lot. I ended up getting my daughter the Gold Tone BC120, which delighted her and arrived IN TUNE!!

Steve Donnelly - Posted - 03/11/2011:  13:23:25

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I bought a GT CC-OT for my son to give his son.

I set it up and played it. It sounded very good.

My grandson plays it a lot and likes it very much.

oldwoodchuckb - Posted - 03/11/2011:  14:34:32

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I would be inclined to go with a Reiter, Enoch or Ramsey - new or used in your price range. If your daughter continues with the instrument she's got a good 'un. If she doesn't I would bet you would find some use for it, and over time it will grow in value.

My Ramsey Special was supposed to be the banjo I would use until I could find something better. It turned out to be everything I needed and more.
It was 11 hundred with a $250 case, 5 years ago - I know Mike is trying to keep his prices down and he frequently has non-custom instruments available if you are willing to SEARCH SERIOUSLY. I googled two or three times a day for 45 days before finding mine.

fesso - Posted - 03/11/2011:  18:33:12

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If you have the time you really should have a nice plain no frills but sturdy neck built for the Tubaphone! In the long run breathing life back into it will pay off! I love my Fawley Electric and would like to someday have a Tubaphone too!
You can't go wrong win Any of the banjos you mentioned but I believe you really can't beat the genuine Old School Pots! It will become a real heirloom!

Jay Bird - Posted - 03/11/2011:  20:26:51

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Which one would be the better choice, the Goodtime by Deering or the CC-OT by Goldtone?

clawforlife - Posted - 03/12/2011:  11:40:07

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I really like those Recording Kings with the whyte ladye tonering. Great price. I like Goldtones alot, you can't go wrong with anyone of their banjos. But I would put a new neck on that Fairbanks. Or if you want to do a project with your daughter you can get a Saga kit banjo for around 100$. Ive put together a few of these and they always sound awesome. Built in arch top ring, nice feeling neck you can shape and scoop to your liking. It's a great, and simple project. One of the necks they sent me even had a Goldstar sticker on it. Good luck, I think it's awesome y'all have this connection.

richla - Posted - 03/15/2011:  14:28:37

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Any thoughts on the Gold Tone "CB-100"? I tried one in a local store and was pretty impressed, but I rarely see it mentioned. Seems like that would be right in the range that fphoppe is looking for? (suggested retail is$699, but I see it listed at $500 in multiple places)
Thoughts?

Clawdan - Posted - 03/15/2011:  17:26:49

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I think the cc-ot is better for old time and costs less than the 100. has the scoop, fiberskin head, no knot tailpiece and arm rest and is set up for old time players. 100 and for that matter the good time (much as i like them) are usually set up with low low action and bluegrass sounding and no scoop. if you could find one set up the same way, you could compare.

play nice,
dan
off to arkansas in the morning!
clawdan.com