TaterHead - Posted - 03/23/2026:  11:20:22

After being disappointed in the Recording King RKOH-06 "Dirty 30s" open back that I bought 3 weeks ago (bent tension hook from the factory) ... I'm returning it and want to go with a different brand plus a little upgrade... more and stronger tension hooks etc.



I've got it narrowed down to a Gold Tone CB-100 for $9xx or so and the Whyte Laydy WL-250 for $12xx or so. I'm a very new banjo player trying to get started with learning clawhammer - I doubt that I can hear the difference between two banjos but want to buy one that's reasonable in quality and how well it plays so I won't feel tempted to sell it in a couple of years. Note that I will likely always play solo if that makes a difference.



Comments? Feedback or other make/models that I should look at?

Edited by - TaterHead on 03/23/2026 11:20:45

pinenut - Posted - 03/23/2026:  12:19:03

It's  a little more work; buy a 'used' closet queen of domestic construction.  $800-1500 will get a solid player.

I would choose something plain with a brass tone ring of any sort and produced by a known maker in the last 50 years or so...

Here are a couple of potentials (there is lots of nice banjos being neglected in closets, just waiting for adoption):

banjohangout.org/classified/114434  clawgrass types are versatile and sound great for 3F, 2F, and clawhammer

banjohangout.org/classified/114408  the old entry level standard with a tone ring, very nice...

Edited by - pinenut on 03/23/2026 12:28:51

GrahamHawker - Posted - 03/23/2026:  13:11:06

My decent rim, rolled brass tone ring banjo (essentially a Recording King RK-OT25 with added tone ring and badged for Gretsch) sounds good but my banjos with a whyte laydie style tone ring sound really good, one essentially being the same as a Goldtone MM150, which isn't that much different from a WL250. I'd always choose something with a whyte laydie tone ring if I could afford it but there wouldn't be anything disappointing about something with a rolled brass tone ring and decent rim.

pinenut - Posted - 03/23/2026:  13:51:15

quote:

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Originally posted by pinenut

It's  a little more work; buy a 'used' closet queen of domestic construction.  $800-1500 will get a solid player.

I would choose something plain with a brass tone ring of any sort and produced by a known maker in the last 50 years or so...

 

Here are a couple of potentials (there is lots of nice banjos being neglected in closets, just waiting for adoption):

banjohangout.org/classified/114434  clawgrass types are versatile and sound great for 3F, 2F, and clawhammer

banjohangout.org/classified/114408  the old entry level standard with a tone ring, very nice.

banjohangout.org/classified/114176  Whyte Laydies are a consistent favorite.

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Old Hickory - Posted - 03/23/2026:  14:18:34

quote:

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Originally posted by TaterHead

I've got it narrowed down to a Gold Tone CB-100 for $9xx or so and the Whyte Laydy WL-250 for $12xx or so. I

Comments? Feedback or other make/models that I should look at?

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If you can really afford $1200+, then the Deering Eagle II that Kam pointed to -- banjohangout.org/classified/114434 -- is a potentially good buy.

Know this: Even though the one being advertised has a resonator and decorative flange plate, the Eagle II is designed to be played as an open back with those removed. It's a versatile banjo with a very sweet sound. If my banjo buying days weren't over, I'd get this for myself.

If you think you might want to play three-finger/bluegrass in the future, you would hold on to the resonator and flange to use the Eagle as a bluegrass banjo. If you think you will never do that, you could sell those parts for several hundred dollars.

Only problem with this one is the finish, which has gone cloudy. Maybe it's not adhering in spots. I love the Eagle II and this is the lowest price you're likely to see for one. But I don't know if that finish flaw is repairable.

Edited by - Old Hickory on 03/23/2026 14:21:46

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/23/2026:  14:43:18

Looks like a decent used WL-25O is available for about $1,000 from several reputable sources. I’ve played a couple; It’s a good banjo, and has the scalloped tone ring similar to those found on the old Fairbanks and Vega Electrics and Whyte Laydies. That’s my favorite tone ring. It has a distinct sound and is the choice of many old-time players. The WL-250, assuming you like the sound and feel, is a banjo you should be able to to play for years, maybe decades. I believe beginners should buy the best banjo they can afford. A beginner is more in need of a quality banjo than a veteran player, too. So I’d get a WL-250. If you turn out to want something very different, it should not be hard to get most of your cost back.

TaterHead - Posted - 03/23/2026:  15:52:08

I lean towards new since I'm not the person (yet) who can look at a used one and to tell if it's an expensive project waiting for a new owner or if it's a good deal.

No comments on the CB-100? It's a couple hundred bucks cheaper, but most are leaning towards the WL?

Thx

lucas73b - Posted - 03/23/2026:  16:47:52

The MM150 also could be a serious option: same tonering as the WL250 for a lower price. Sounds great

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 03/23/2026:  17:01:43

Enoch Tradesman 12" with hardshell case - Banjo Hangout

Also, there are a bunch of Zachary Hoyt banjos in the classifieds.  I can't personally vouch as I've never played one, but I hear good things about them.  They seem to be in your price range.  There are a good number of reviews of them here on the Hangout.

Perhaps there are folks here on BHO who can offer an opinion of these banjos.

Edited by - R.D. Lunceford on 03/23/2026 17:06:35

TaterHead - Posted - 03/23/2026:  17:28:34

I like the MM150 too but not the blonde finish... just a hang up of mine I guess

TaterHead - Posted - 03/24/2026:  08:15:25

Okay, Gents ... I've decided. I'm going to order the aforementioned (by lucas73b ) Gold Tone MM-150. I spent a couple of hours on the topic last night, including lots of back and forth with AI, videos, people's feedback etc versus my intended usage and realistic judgment of my own skills-vs-talent equation etc. More and more as I went, the MM-150 became the clearer and clearer answer. It was a fun exercise ... and I'll have to ignore the fact that I don't like the blonde maple finish but ... "pick the lady, not the body, to be your wife" applies here. Actually, my dad told me to pick a good cook 'cuz looks only fade while cooking just gets better over time, LOL. In any case, I think the MM-150 will suit me just fine both as a good choice for learning and as a longer term solution that I won't easily be persuaded to upgrade some day (I will never, that I can predict, sit in on a jam session for example). Now .... if that banjo only came in a deep cherry w/copper undertones stain and satin finish, I'd be 100% satisfied instead of only 99%!  



Thanks again for all the help ... 

Edited by - TaterHead on 03/24/2026 08:17:20

pinenut - Posted - 03/24/2026:  12:05:50

quote:

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Originally posted by TaterHead

I will never, that I can predict, sit in on a jam session for example.  Note:  small groups or individuals can significantly enhance progress; large groups are good for networking.  Timing is important; when you are ready, you will know that it's probably past due.

Now .... if that banjo only came in a deep cherry w/copper undertones stain and satin finish, I'd be 100% satisfied instead of only 99%!  BEWARE: this is an indicator of BAS.  I predict that there will be more banjos acquired in the next two years...  

 

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Edited by - pinenut on 03/24/2026 12:10:21

TaterHead - Posted - 03/24/2026:  12:13:50

Ok, I'll bite ... what is "BAS"? Beginner Attitude Syndrom? :)

Like holsters, women, and city buses ... each one you get is always the last one, but if you wait 10 minutes ... another comes around the corner...

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/24/2026:  12:21:27

Banjo Acquisition Syndrome

TaterHead - Posted - 03/24/2026:  12:31:46

quote:

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Originally posted by Bill Rogers

Banjo Acquisition Syndrome

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Ah... makes sense.  Oh, and I forgot about guns and fishing rods :)

banjered - Posted - 03/24/2026:  14:45:19

"Good looks fade but cooking gets better.... I think I am going to have to smoke that one awhile as I ponder my place and purpose in the banjo universe.... banjered

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/24/2026:  20:42:10

quote:

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Originally posted by TaterHead

MM-150 became the clearer and clearer answer.  ... if that banjo only came in a deep cherry w/copper undertones stain and satin finish, I'd be 100% satisfied instead of only 99%!  



Thanks again for all the help ... 

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Good for you.

It's possible to change the color on a blond poly finished banjo. Maybe not easy, but doable. The color on a lot of instruments is sprayed over a clear sealer. Not rubbed into the wood. So basically what you would do is spray a tinted lacquer onto the wood parts. Then top that with clear coats of satin lacquer.

Maybe a tinted polyurethane can be sprayed, then topped with a satin clear.

Something to think about on the future after you've had time to enjoy the banjo as it is.

TaterHead - Posted - 03/25/2026:  03:30:04

I was wondering about doing something like that.... maybe later after buying additional banjos ??

R.D. Lunceford - Posted - 03/25/2026:  18:51:37

I agree with pinenut.

I can only say that in my own experience, once I get a bee in my bonnet about something I might as well just go for it because I will sooner or later anyway.

I guess in the the big picture there's worse things than having 2 (or 3 or 4 or...) banjoes!!!

TaterHead - Posted - 03/25/2026:  19:57:42

quote:

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Originally posted by R.D. Lunceford

I agree with pinenut.

I can only say that in my own experience, once I get a bee in my bonnet about something I might as well just go for it because I will sooner or later anyway.

I guess in the the big picture there's worse things than having 2 (or 3 or 4 or...) banjoes!!!

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I'm sure you guys are right on the used banjos, and I'd really like to buy American, but don't feel that I have the knowledge and experience to buy a used one without it turning into a project because I didn't know what I was getting into. Maybe on the next go 'round? We're at the end of March 2026... I've only been (learning) playing since early March 2026... Less than one month! All the banjo manufacturers were foreign to me, and mostly still are, just a couple of weeks ago!

Bill Rogers - Posted - 03/25/2026:  20:40:25

You will have a distinctly higher-quality banjo than most beginners. That will make it easier and faster for you to learn. And you will be playing a banjo of your choice, which tends to make learning more comfortable.

Old Hickory - Posted - 03/26/2026:  14:25:42

quote:

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Originally posted by TaterHead

I was wondering about doing something like that.... maybe later after buying additional banjos ??

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Enjoying the banjo as it is while you to play sounds like a good idea. As does waiting until you have another banjo, since refinishing can make a banjo unavailable for over a month -- depending on what top coat you choose and how long you let it cure before final sanding and polishing.

Be aware, I described just the gist of the approach, not all the details -- which you don't need at this point.

Have fun learning to play.

TaterHead - Posted - 04/03/2026:  12:15:11

Old Hickory Yes ... understand and agree. The most likely answer for me is just "Shaddup! It's MAPLE! Get over it!", LOL... No problem, and I expect that no refinishing will occur. And if I do get the bug, I will thoroughly research and learn before proceeding.

writerrad - Posted - 04/24/2026:  13:22:23

The WL-250 is more banjo than the other one.   I have been playing one since 2003.  It the banjo I am holding in my Banjo Hangout picture. I  know other people who very competent banjoists who play WL-250s.

I  also have a 19th century Fairbanks, a 1920s Vega Tubaphone, and an Enoch Tradesman, among others, but that WL-250 stands up as a go to banjo both for finger style and for frailing.  It takes very well to being tuned up.  I have mostly kept mine tuned up for D and A tunes for about 12 years.   

Over the years, I have noticed that a number of old time banjoists who record and teach at banjo camps have them.   I have not stepped back from it even though I have banjos that cost a lot more and are supposed to be finer.

I have had a sheepskin head on mine since I obtained it.  It gives it a depth and character.  

I was lucky to buy one before they started putting scoops on them,   It is a great banjo for both frailing and finger style

Rusty - Posted - 04/24/2026:  13:30:42

If your budget is $1200 spend a little extra and buy a Pisqua or one of the other small banjo makers.

Edited by - Rusty on 04/24/2026 13:31:22

writerrad - Posted - 04/24/2026:  13:57:32

The MM150 is  a pretty good banjo for the money.  It is as close to a WL-250 as you can get without one. 

If it is what you have money for, it has a lot of the graces, though not all of a WL-250.  The best banjo is the banjo that you can afford, not the banjo someone else who is not paying your bills says to get.  You are never going to stop looking for another banjo, I say sitting in a room with 7 banjos in it, and I did have one stolen years ago.

This is another banjo that I see people I know who have other banjos with a much higher reputation holding on to and chosing to record or give classes using when they have more expensive banjos.  Such a banjo is a keeper even if some day you will get better banjos.