wrench13 - Posted - 06/20/2022:  06:39:37

I believe I have BAS. Not terminal yet but...

Here is my quandry. First a preface. I have only been playing banjo for 7 months. Among all the instruments I play, I am enjoying playing banjo almost as much as I enjoy fiddle. Sometimes more, because it is so new and fresh to me. When it comes to musical instruments, I always believe in getting the very best I can, within my personal taste parameters, especially on instruments I intend on playing out with. I freely admit I like fancy instruments. Aside from looking pretty, I think that makers put a little more care into building an instrument that is destined to be one that has that little extra inlay, binding, choice wood etc, etc ( this has proved MOSTLY correct). So here we go - I currently own 3 banjos.

R.M Anderson openback. This is a Vega Tub-A-Phone style pot with a neck that Bob Anderson made ( he wasn't sure if the pot was an original or he had it made for the project). The inlay work is spectacular, easily as beautiful and sophisticated as any Ramsey or Unger work. Heel carving is right up there too. The banjo has a Balch skin head. The sound is everything you would expect from a top of the line openback. In my studio, it has a rich warm sound. Price was a little north of $4K.

The Columbus banjo. One of the openback banjos made in 1892 to celebrate the 400th anniv. of the landing of Columbus in America. Inlaid ship and waves on the headstock, 1492 and 1892, American flag and Portugese (?) flag and the word Columbus + other stuff inlaid on the neck, plain heel. Condition is good, not great, easily a 8.6 on a 10 point scale. Weatherking head. The sound is very plunky, quiet and not terribly rich. I am ok with not ever playing it out, I bought it cuz I am a sucker for fancy, remember? Wasn't all that much, less then $1K.

Honher L.E. (Limited Edition) Artist - This is a reso, bluegrass style banjo, I bought from a source on BHO, within 5 minutes of it being listed. I know Honher did not make banjos, but I don;t know which maker actually did. Again, fancy headstock inlay work, full length tree of life on the fretboard, fancy checkered neck binding, the heel looks more like the 'carving' was impressed rather then carved. Fit and finish on this one is top notch. It is in great condition, a 9.5+. Like most reso banjos it is a lot louder then either openbacks. Soundwise I like it! In the studio, not as rich overtones as the Anderson, not plunky at all. I think I got a great deal on this mostly unsung banjo, at $875.

Playing out both the Anderson and the Honher, the Honher was easily the better sounding one. MIcs just like the Honher better. The Anderson has just a little too much resonance when the volume is pumped up to stage levels and the rich overtones become lost. I've tried several different mics, mic positioning. The Honher is, as one would expect, much easier to amplify. Positioning the mic over the holes in flange give it the punch needed for presence during solos and sounds like a good 'ol 5 string reso banjo should . It also plays easier then the Anderson. The Anderson has thin, tallish frets, the Honher as wider lower frets.

So here it comes - how do I justify keeping the Anderson, exquisite as it is, but being less than satisfactory for performance on stage, and tying up $4K+ ? I hate having instruments that aren't played, I'd rather sell or give them to musicians who will actually play them regularly.

chip arnold - Posted - 06/20/2022:  07:01:44

"How do 'I' justify..." Well there's your answer. Nobody else can tell you what you should do.

G Edward Porgie - Posted - 06/20/2022:  07:26:44

Even if he can't be told, I'm sure that suggestions and advice are not out of order.

I think a large part of the answer might lie in his final paragraph: "I hate having instruments that aren't played..."

Alvin Conder - Posted - 06/20/2022:  07:53:33

The workmanship on an Anderson banjo is hard to beat. That being said, all that pearl aNd scrambled eggs does not add a thing to the tone on any level. People tend to buy these as collector instruments, not players. Basically if you buy an original Tubaphone #3, same instrument with a bunch of bling. Some very beautiful bling, but bling all the same. If you are not happy with that instrument, you have a very limited buyers group to sell it back into.

The Columbus banjo is also a very cool looking instrument, and somewhat rare. Played one years ago. Not much impressed with the tone and playability. Also seemed somewhat fragile. But you have it for under 1k, not a major investment, and would be a nice second instrument.

You kind of answered your own question about the Hohner, better playing for you and better sounding to you. Probably the two most important aspect of any instrument to a player. So this would be the keeper.

Now as what to do with the Anderson? If you feel the value will go up, you like looking at it, and the 4K investment is not needed in other areas, just hold on to it. You may feel different about it in a few months or years and find you prefer to play it more.

I’ve been down this road many times, as have many others on this website. That’s how some of us wind up with a room full of instruments.

If it comes down to a point of self justification, Only you can do what is right for you. If it’s a moral point of holding on to a 4K+ instrument you don’t play, then sell it and donate the funds to a charity that you feel strongly about and take the tax benefit.

There is no right answer to the question you ask.

G Edward Porgie - Posted - 06/20/2022:  08:15:06

worked on one of those Columbus banjos, and would give it a minus 1 on a scale of 1-10. The only decent part was the tension hoop, but it really was too heavy for the rest of the banjo. These things were made (I've read) mostly by Lyon and Healy sub-contractors, so the quality varies, but is generally pretty sad. Most of them were actually made after the exhibition.

By the way, that other flag is more likely to be Italian or Spanish, not Portuguese. The man himself was from Italy, but his trip was financed by the King and Queen of Spain, and Columbus sailed from a Spanish port.