kayakeradam - Posted - 04/29/2026:  04:27:49

Hey folks, I'm considering a trip to bean town and wondering if there are any can't-miss banjo shops in the area?

eagleisland - Posted - 04/29/2026:  05:33:39

First of all, nobody in Boston calls it Bean Town. Just so you know.



Second, the answer to your question is... basically, no. Although there are some excellent banjo players and string bands in the Boston area, there probably isn't a shop worth a special trip. There IS one excellent stringed instrument music store in the area - The Music Emporium - but it's highly guitar-centric. They do stock banjos, and good ones, but they tend to focus on open-backs, so if you're looking for resonator banjos you're probably SOL.

If that's your thing, it may be worth stopping in. It's about 15 miles west of Boston - which will take you about half an hour.

wileypickett - Posted - 04/29/2026:  22:36:18

I lived in Cambridge, MA, for 43 years. I got lucky with banjos in a couple shops (Sandy's Music for instance) during that period, but today the Music Emporium is pretty much it. I visited all three locations regularly over the years (they're currently in Lexington) and I still stop in whenever I'm back in the area. If you're into openbacks, they always have some terrific ones on hand. Occasionally used ones turn up, but most of their stock is new.

eagleisland - Posted - 04/30/2026:  05:24:53

quote:

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Originally posted by wileypickett

I lived in Cambridge, MA, for 43 years. I got lucky with banjos in a couple shops (Sandy's Music for instance) during that period, but today the Music Emporium is pretty much it. I visited all three locations regularly over the years (they're currently in Lexington) and I still stop in whenever I'm back in the area. If you're into openbacks, they always have some terrific ones on hand. Occasionally used ones turn up, but most of their stock is new.

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I was a college student in Boston in the 1970s. The original Music Emporium was one of my favorite hangs.

clarinetagogo - Posted - 04/30/2026:  15:23:46

quote:

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Originally posted by wileypickett

I lived in Cambridge, MA, for 43 years. I got lucky with banjos in a couple shops (Sandy's Music for instance) during that period, but today the Music Emporium is pretty much it. I visited all three locations regularly over the years (they're currently in Lexington) and I still stop in whenever I'm back in the area. If you're into openbacks, they always have some terrific ones on hand. Occasionally used ones turn up, but most of their stock is new.

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Very nice, I'm living in Cambridge now; the last time I was at the Music Emporium, they mentioned they'd used to be here, and this was news to me!

They definitely have a fluctuating number of banjos around when I stop in for humidification packs for other instruments, and they're almost all open backs; that being said, this Gibson 5-string conversion just got listed. Wonder if they'd let you play it...