Indian Banjo Bulbul Tarang Electric Benjo - Ebay has a ton of these instruments for sale.
THIS IS A BANJO?
Edited by - Toothless in Kentucky on 08/08/2024 15:04:37
Only if you live in India!
AC or DC?
Could be the Next Big Thing!
It's a benjo, banjo's distant cousin (from India).
Well, yeah
In the same way that a jaw harp is a harp.
I looked this thing up, and apparently it's derived from a Japanese instrument that got brought to India in the early 20th century.
Somebody called it "Punjabi banjo" and now it's a banjo*
The funny thing is that there are several Indian instruments that have a goat skin head stretched over a hollow body, and even drone strings with a peg part way up the neck.
They don't call'em banjos though.
It looks similar to a Hurdy Gurdy but without the crank.
I have a japanese instrument of similar design. Played somewhat similar to a mountain dulcimer by strumming with a pick of the right hand, but instead of fretting the strings with your finger, you press buttons which depress the strings with a bar underneath the button. My Japanese instrument sounds like a dying cat, I wonder what this one sounds like?
Edited by - banjo roo on 08/09/2024 01:24:21
I dunno what you guys are seeing, but to me this is an electric sitar, or some whacky derivation. LOL, read the ad, they don't even know how many strings it has. With this many its got to be a real bear to tune and keep in tune, even if all materials are "Finest in India". Most likely the best use of this is for fire wood.
Hi, have one of those " banjos". It is not, its more like a weird dulcimer with type writing keys, fun a different for a while, but NOT to be played with others, if you want to be invited back!!!
Ebay has dozens of models of this gizmo. But I never seen one to a couple weeks ago. I was searching for an electric 5-string banjo when these instruments started popping up in the search. It's not exactly what I had in mind for my search. 
Thanks for the replies. I feel better knowing there are others out there that are seeing this instrument for the first time. I really feel sheltered sometimes.
Newest Posts
'Good Monday Morning' 6 hrs
'1983 Gold Star GF-100 W' 10 hrs
'Software' 11 hrs
'Thinline banjo armrest' 11 hrs
'Brooks Matsen Spartan' 12 hrs
