Hi, I usually play Irish music and the 4 string tenor banjo, but I'm looking at buying a Clifford Essex popular banjo, as I've heard lots of good things about Clifford Essex banjos and they seem to be pretty cheap. Is the Popular able to handle Scruggs style? (as most of the ones I've saw have only had nylon strings) and how does it compare with the more well known Clifford Essex banjos ie:- the Paragon? Thanks
If you want to play Scruggs fingerstyle, then buy a banjo made for wire strings in the style of Gibson Mastertones. There are plenty and they are still being made.
The Popular is at the cheaper end. The Paragon is much more high end.
For masterclones some decent Japanese and Korean made ones come up in the UK. Like this - price is ok but I'd be making an offer looking to get it at least £50 cheaper.
reverb.com/uk/item/83402188-fe...ing-banjo
There's an Ibanez Artist available on Reverb if by chance you lived not too far away from Stratford on Avon.
Everything CE put out was of high quality, even the lower end. That said, they are what they are-- and that was for what we now call "classic banjo".
Think of it like this; say you want to flatpick G runs on a Dreadnought style guitar, you don't look at Spanish Classical guitars and ask if they can handle steel strings. Sure, beginner classical guitars are cheap, but they are not what you are really looking for.
