Page: 1 2
Hi friends,
I’m looking for a new bluegrass banjo!
Here’s a bit of info…..I’ve been a mix engineer and session musician for the last 25 years, and when I do get calls to play, it’s generally on guitar or pedal steel.
I have been playing Scruggs style for about 4-5 years, so I wouldn’t call myself a beginner, more like an intermediate level player. I have been playing clawhammer banjo for the past 20 years.
My current bluegrass banjo is a 1984 Stelling Bellflower. I love it, and the banjo I am looking for will not replace it, but will be another flavor to add.
I would like to get a banjo with a “classic” sound. So, naturally, I’m gravitating toward a Gibson or Gibson inspired banjo. The problem I’m having is that, first and foremost, there seems to be a lot of different Gibsons from a lot of different eras, and I imagine like their guitars there was lots of variation in quality from decade to decade…..and I’m feeling a bit lost. I am no historian, nor am I a traditionalist stuck on buying an actual Gibson….it looks like there are quite a few builders that make great stuff inspired by the classics (Hatfield, Huber, Yates, Sullivan). I'm open to new or vintage, but I want a stable, consistent instrument. I have a few vintage Vega conversions, and while they sound great, they sure are temperamental. My Stelling is stable and rock solid, which I like.
The biggest hurdle is that I, most likely, will be buying online. There just aren’t many banjos around me. I got lucky with my Stelling, as it showed up in my local shop randomly, and I jumped on it immediately.
As a result, I’ll probably be buying from a store online, with a trial period. Not ideal, but it allows me to get my hands on a banjo to try for the cost of shipping. Luckily, most of the banjos I mentioned seem to be available new or used.
So, my question is, which Gibson models should I be looking at? Or should I be strictly looking at smaller builders? I want something nice, but not something I, afraid to take out of the house to a gig. My only real need is no gold or gold plating….i just don’t love the looks of gold on a banjo. My budget is around $4k
Edited by - rawchuck on 04/24/2025 07:30:42
I love my Yates, but check out Jim's video on this one. I'm shocked it's still available honestly, sounds awesome to me. And the price is well in your budget, with a trustworthy seller.
banjohangout.org/classified/109290
If you need a longer trial period with your budget, the options get a fair bit narrower (probably looking at a gold tone twanger or the like - I think Accoustic Shoppe has a longer trial period so check them out).
Charley,
I have a 2000 Gibson RB250 with a custom neck. I also have to original neck, which was broken & fixed.
Let me know if you are interested. I am about 230 miles from SF.
Frank
Get the Gibson....travel to get it but get the Gibson.
Thanks for the replies so far. Just took another look online and it seems there are a few Gibson RB250s available from the post 1990 era, as well as a few Earl Scruggs models, and an RB3. They all look nice. I’m also seeing a few nice Hubers.
I guess there’s nothing left to do except take the plunge and try a few. Luckily, it seems like I could demo a couple Gibsons and a Huber with a few days trial for the cost of shipping.
A few unsolicited suggestions if you go that route, considering you are paying a good amount in shipping for only a couple days trial and want those days to count.
These will all respond differently from your stelling, so initial impressions should be taken with a grain of salt. You may be surprised by either the similarities (still your hand and brain) or differences (given a mastertone/clone) at first.
I'd invest in a drum dial and make sure they have the same fresh strings. Want set up to be as apples to apples as you can get within reason.
Test them facing a window or glass mirror. Record yourself. Ideally they sound better out front than up top.
A few days should be enough time to decide if the neck feels good or bad to you. A lot of people don't like the narrow profile /string spacing on Huber I understand. Not sure about newer Gibsons but something to be mindful of.
Fortunately, I'd wager you will only like your favorite more and more as time goes on.
Your budget will permit you to get a very good Gibson-like, or Gibson, banjo.
Huber is a fine Gibson-like banjo. They are usually made to look and feel like Gibsons too. Hubers come in 3 grades. The "Workhorse" is a workmanlike banjo which often sells used in the $2000-3000 range. The "Vintage" series was the professional model banjo Huber started with and still offers. The Truetone series is the top of the line because of the heavily researched special rim and tone ring design. Huber makes a full range of choices of wood, just like Gibson did. Maple, walnut or mahogany. Some of the best Truetones may exceed your budget by a bit, even used.
Used Gibsons post 1987 will offer similar choices in wood, although the walnut Style 4 may be priced a bit over your budget sometimes. The RB 250 (mahogany) will be lowest priced. Style 3s (mahogany) usually come priced $3000 to $4000. The maple Scruggs model is very sought after and seems to have broken the $4000 price point, at least asking price.
When you're comparing different banjos, remember that different neck woods will have some difference in sound/tone even among the same builder. Maple is often considered the sweetest, with obvious pleasing overtones and "shimmer". Mahagony is usually expected to make a note of shorter duration, less shimmer, less overtones -- "drier". Walnut is usually described as in the between.
Any banjo can be adjusted (set up) to alter tone somewhat. Choices of bridge, strings, tailpiece, nut material (bone vs mother of pearl), head choice, head tightness, etc. give you room to change things. But "in general", at least consider any two banjos you compare based on the neck wood if possible.
The worst place in a store to try out to banjos is in a room with 20 to 40 banjos hanging on the wall. ALL those banjos will echo the banjo you're trying and your hearing will be buried in reverb, making it hard to judge. Do your comparing in a small "listening room" if you can.
There are many Gibson-like banjos in the market, in addition to Huber. A couple of Deering models look (and feel/sound?) just like Gibsons. Generally the rest of the Deering line makes a point out of NOT looking like Gibsons. Private builders like Hatfield, Sullivan, the used American Made Banjo Company's Kel Kroyden line, Ceres, the late Robin Smith, all strive to provide fine Gibson copies with their own name on the peghead. Frank Neat has a GREAT reputation and usually a bit higher price based on his sterling reputation. All of these are US made.
Chinese-made banjos are all over the market nowadays. The top of the line Recording Kings are very Gibson-like and some of those are "assembled in US", at higher price points. You tend to find these new, not used.
Your budget and quest align very well. Your shopping experience will have a huge impact on which of many fine banjos you end up with. At least check out Gryphon String Instruments to see what they have in stock. Intermountain Guitar and Banjo in Utah is worth checking on line. Greg Boyd Instruments in Montana is another place to watch.
Check the Classifieds here to get a look at banjo appearances, specs and asking prices.
Always check that a banjo you're looking at has its original parts. A lot of banjo players like to swap out parts attempting to "improve" their banjos. They don't always add $$ value!
Have you visited and talked with the folks at Gryphon in Palo Alto?
If you want to replicate as close as possible the vintage Mastertone sound check out the Deering Golden Era banjos. Or, if you want a sound different from your Stelling, but still solid bluegrass sound, check out the banjos that have a wooden tone ring, the Deering John Hartford, for example. A number of smaller builders also provide wooden tone rings. Tom Nechville's banjos actually have interchangeable tone rings
But are you sure you want something more than the Stelling? They have been a reference standard for many years in the search for the old pre-war Mastertone sound, fully the equivalent of the Deerings and Hubers, and even the Gibsons.
Good luck on your search, but watch out for Banjo Acquisition Syndrome, which can take over a player and destroy marriages, finances, careers.
Hi!
So, just wanted to report back. I had a few minutes and stopped by my local shop, and they happened to have a Huber Roanoke as well as a Gibson RB from the 1990’s. Not sure which Gibson it was, but judging from the price of $1999, it was probably not one of the RB250’s.
I did not care for the Gibson, but I imagine that was because it was a budget model.
The Huber was nice. My initial impression is that my Stelling has a crisp, focused tone that projects very well, is very loud, and can cut through a mix like butter. The Huber had less volume and projection, and the best way I can describe the sound is that there was just more “air” around each note. The tone was a bit warmer and very rich. It was clearly a well made banjo. Is this a characteristic sound of a Huber banjo? I generally liked it, but I like my Stelling more. This, of course, might change if I spent more time with the Huber….i only got to play for about 5 minutes.
Id say that is just characteristic of a stelling compared with any masterclone banjo, rather than speaking to Huber specifically. The wedge fit of the tone ring on the rim on the stelling gives it that power and unique tone I'd call piercing (not saying that is good or bad).
That is also consistent with walnut neck being a bit warmer than maple.
quote:
Originally posted by Bill RogersHave you visited and talked with the folks at Gryphon in Palo Alto?
at the moment they've got quite a few nice open back banjos, but no resonator banjos that I'm interested in...
I already have a great Cedar Mountain openback, as well as a 1924 Style M Tubaphone with a Wyatt Fawley neck. I'm all set with open backs at the moment!
quote:
Originally posted by calicoplayerIf you want to replicate as close as possible the vintage Mastertone sound check out the Deering Golden Era banjos. Or, if you want a sound different from your Stelling, but still solid bluegrass sound, check out the banjos that have a wooden tone ring, the Deering John Hartford, for example. A number of smaller builders also provide wooden tone rings. Tom Nechville's banjos actually have interchangeable tone rings
But are you sure you want something more than the Stelling? They have been a reference standard for many years in the search for the old pre-war Mastertone sound, fully the equivalent of the Deerings and Hubers, and even the Gibsons.
Good luck on your search, but watch out for Banjo Acquisition Syndrome, which can take over a player and destroy marriages, finances, careers.
No plans on replacing the Stelling. I love it! Just looking for another flavor, and figure I should stick with a classic sound
Someone listed a 2009 Gold Star for $1300 on the HO with an accompanying video in case you want to give it a listen to. Definitely a Gibson-like banjo.
Bobby
So, I’ve been thinking about the Huber Roanoke that I played yesterday. I have a question bout Huber banjos…..is “Truetone” and upgrade for the banjos, or is it simply the name he uses to help describe the classic sound?
The reason I ask is that the Roanoke I played does not say Truetone, and is priced fairly low at $2399 for what looks to be a fairly recent banjo with no repairs. I see that a new Roanoke will run me close to $6k, and the other Hubers I see listed on Reverb cost around the $4k mark. Is this just a screaming deal, or is there some reason this model may not be worth as much?
I’m considering going back and picking it up, as I’ll be driving by the shop this afternoon. Thanks!
I believe there is a significant difference, but I also think Roanokes typically just say "Roanoke" on the name block in the neck, not "Truetone". If I'm right about that, take of the resonator and read the rim. Truetone banjos have the HR-30 and special engineered rim, and are marked as such. Those are commonly prefered and have been the Huber gold standard for the last decade. The non-Truetone would have an ordinary rim and the ring that is now called the "vintage" ring. Still, a good price even for the old Hubers, if you like it I wouldn't necessarily avoid.
Also, worth checking the rim in all cases, even if its an older Huber. I think some folks sent their vintage Hubers in to get the truetone "upgrade" (swapping the rim and ring).
In my opinion, a Truetone rim and HR30 ring are worth the difference. As you say, that may account for the price.
So, I went back today and played the Huber some more. I’ve decided to pass on this one. The tone was outstanding, the fit and finish were outstanding, but it just didn’t speak to me like my Stelling does. I'm going to try some other Mastertone style banjos, hopefully more Hubers too!
Edited by - rawchuck on 04/25/2025 23:10:31
One issue with the Huber was tuning stability. As I said, the tone was great. But the banjo just did not stay in tune at all.
My only frame of reference for resonator banjos is my Stelling, which is totally stable. I’ve even had a few occasions where I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time, and when I grab the banjo after not touching it for that long it has always been perfectly in tune.
The Huber had been setup and adjusted by a great tech, who lives and breathes banjo. So, I don’t think it was a setup issue. At first, I thought maybe it was because it has a brand new head, but I have a 1924 Style M openback, which also has trouble staying in tune. Even my 20 year old Cedar Mtn gets out of tune after a few songs….and the heads of each banjo have had plentyof time to break in. Up until I got the Stelling, I just thought that was the nature of the banjo. But the Stelling is so solid that I decided to never buy another banjo that doesn’t stay in tune.
Is my Stelling an exception to the rule, or are all my other banjos inferior?
If I come upon another banjo with similar tuning issue, is there something I can do to make it more stable? I'd hate to dismiss a great banjo because of an issue that is solvable?
Thanks!
Edited by - rawchuck on 04/26/2025 16:49:09
quote:
Originally posted by rawchuckOne issue with the Huber was tuning stability. As I said, the tone was great. But the banjo just did not stay in tune at all.
My only frame of reference for resonator banjos is my Stelling, which is totally stable. I’ve even had a few occasions where I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time, and when I grab the banjo after not touching it for that long it has always been perfectly in tune.
The Huber had been setup and adjusted by a great tech, who lives and breathes banjo. So, I don’t think it was a setup issue. At first, I thought maybe it was because it has a brand new head, but I have a 1924 Style M openback, which also has trouble staying in tune. Even my 20 year old Cedar Mtn gets out of tune after a few songs….and the heads of each banjo have had plentyof time to break in. Up until I got the Stelling, I just thought that was the nature of the banjo. But the Stelling is so solid that I decided to never buy another banjo that doesn’t stay in tune.
Is my Stelling an exception to the rule, or are all my other banjos inferior?If I come upon another banjo with similar tuning issue, is there something I can do to make it more stable? I'd hate to dismiss a great banjo because of an issue that is solvable?
Thanks!
Do you know if it had new or old strings? I'd hate to hear Huber has trouble holding the tuning as its up on my list on the banjo to buy.
quote:
Originally posted by JohnnySilverquote:
Originally posted by rawchuckOne issue with the Huber was tuning stability. As I said, the tone was great. But the banjo just did not stay in tune at all.
My only frame of reference for resonator banjos is my Stelling, which is totally stable. I’ve even had a few occasions where I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time, and when I grab the banjo after not touching it for that long it has always been perfectly in tune.
The Huber had been setup and adjusted by a great tech, who lives and breathes banjo. So, I don’t think it was a setup issue. At first, I thought maybe it was because it has a brand new head, but I have a 1924 Style M openback, which also has trouble staying in tune. Even my 20 year old Cedar Mtn gets out of tune after a few songs….and the heads of each banjo have had plentyof time to break in. Up until I got the Stelling, I just thought that was the nature of the banjo. But the Stelling is so solid that I decided to never buy another banjo that doesn’t stay in tune.
Is my Stelling an exception to the rule, or are all my other banjos inferior?If I come upon another banjo with similar tuning issue, is there something I can do to make it more stable? I'd hate to dismiss a great banjo because of an issue that is solvable?
Thanks!Do you know if it had new or old strings? I'd hate to hear Huber has trouble holding the tuning as its up on my list on the banjo to buy.
New strings, but already stretched and on the banjo for a few weeks. As I mentioned, I've been playing stringed instruments for 30 years, and I really don't think it was the strings.
Tuning issues are not typical of a well setup Gibson style banjo in my experience. It sometimes takes a few days after a tear down and reassembly or a new head to stabilize, but after that, it should hold tuning if temperature is not erratic.
Edited by - lightgauge on 04/26/2025 17:59:36
quote:
Originally posted by rawchuckquote:
Originally posted by JohnnySilverquote:
Originally posted by rawchuckOne issue with the Huber was tuning stability. As I said, the tone was great. But the banjo just did not stay in tune at all.
My only frame of reference for resonator banjos is my Stelling, which is totally stable. I’ve even had a few occasions where I’ve been traveling for weeks at a time, and when I grab the banjo after not touching it for that long it has always been perfectly in tune.
The Huber had been setup and adjusted by a great tech, who lives and breathes banjo. So, I don’t think it was a setup issue. At first, I thought maybe it was because it has a brand new head, but I have a 1924 Style M openback, which also has trouble staying in tune. Even my 20 year old Cedar Mtn gets out of tune after a few songs….and the heads of each banjo have had plentyof time to break in. Up until I got the Stelling, I just thought that was the nature of the banjo. But the Stelling is so solid that I decided to never buy another banjo that doesn’t stay in tune.
Is my Stelling an exception to the rule, or are all my other banjos inferior?If I come upon another banjo with similar tuning issue, is there something I can do to make it more stable? I'd hate to dismiss a great banjo because of an issue that is solvable?
Thanks!Do you know if it had new or old strings? I'd hate to hear Huber has trouble holding the tuning as its up on my list on the banjo to buy.
New strings, but already stretched and on the banjo for a few weeks. As I mentioned, I've been playing stringed instruments for 30 years, and I really don't think it was the strings.
I dont doubt your experience, Im more curious about the issues before/if I buy one. Im interested in Stelling as well but not too sure yet.
Well, I cannot speak to other makers as I just don’t have the experience with them, but the Stelling I own is outstanding in every regard. It’s got a forward, cutting tone without being harsh. It’s got power and volume. It’s rock solid and stable. It’s a cannon. If there is any drawback, it’s that it’s on the heavier side. But that seems to be a common trait among banjos
Well, I’ve narrowed my choices down to either a post-1990 RB75, RB250, or an ESS. They range in price from around $2700-$4000. None are available locally, so it would require getting them shipped to me, and paying return shipping on whichever I send back. I’d like to get two of the three here to try.
I am not an expert on Gibson banjos, but the main differences I can tell are that the ESS is maple, while the other two are mahogany. The ESS has a Kulesh tone ring, while the other two have the standard Gibson ring. Finally, the inlays are different on all 3.
I’d love some opinions on which two to try? Apart from differences in price, are any of these three banjos considered a cut above, or is it all subjective at this price point? My current banjo is a walnut Stelling, so either the maple or mahogany would be a change for me.
Page: 1 2
