Deering Goodtime open back at 4 1/2 lbs.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the Goodtime because of the lack of truss rod. Also, I should have mentioned that I'm interested in a resonator 5-string banjo.

Last year when I was traveling through Michigan I stopped in Elderly Instruments. I spent some time in their banjo room and one of the instruments I tried was a Gold Tone AC-1. I seemed like a decent player, sounded pleasant, and weighs under 4 pounds. I don't know if that would suit you, but it is something you should try out.

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Originally posted by kwl

Last year when I was traveling through Michigan I stopped in Elderly Instruments. I spent some time in their banjo room and one of the instruments I tried was a Gold Tone AC-1. I seemed like a decent player, sounded pleasant, and weighs under 4 pounds. I don't know if that would suit you, but it is something you should try out.

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I really want to stick with a resonator banjo, mostly because it would feel more like my Stelling, just withou the weight.

Gold Tone ac-5, sounds nice, has resonator, no tone ring. Around $400 to 450. Weight is around 4 pounds. Banjo is composite material. Heard one played for weeks while a friend was getting his Gibson fixed. Be sure to check it out.

Rich

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Originally posted by cobra1

Gold Tone ac-5, sounds nice, has resonator, no tone ring. Around $400 to 450. Weight is around 4 pounds. Banjo is composite material. Heard one played for weeks while a friend was getting his Gibson fixed. Be sure to check it out.

Rich

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I have looked at the info about that banjo and it's very interesting.  I would be very interested in knowing how well it plays and how it sounds.  And is it easy to set up (unlike the bottle-caps).

I like the tone and play of a full diameter rolled rod on a quality rim.  The really light ones are open back with a 1/4" rim, but that isn't what you asked about.

Many makers provide a good quality banjo of this type (~ex: RB-170, RK R20, etc) and loosing the extra 2+ pounds is noticeable.

https://www.banjohangout.org/archive/381462

For lightweight resonator banjos, it's hard to beat a 1960s Vega Wonder or Ranger. Not expensive.

Recording King had a very nice RK 50 with a thin rim and no tone hoop. Nice and light with a one piece neck from the earlier days. Gloss finish, metal like a Mastertone. They are somewhat rare to find for sale, but then again, they are'nt very expensive if you can find one.

Have you looked into Nechville or a Deering John Hartford?

The other option is an old aluminum-pot banjo, but if you're used to Stellings and don't like the sound of the Goodtimes, then you probably won't be happy with aluminum-pot banjos either.

Check out Chris Sorensen at Companion Banjos, and Hunter Lemon at Lemon Banjos. They both make banjos with wood rings and they are both members here.
Also, the Vega Ranger and the Wonder that Dick mentioned are fine banjos. My Wonder weighs in at six pounds.

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Originally posted by Ybanjo

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Originally posted by kwl

Last year when I was traveling through Michigan I stopped in Elderly Instruments. I spent some time in their banjo room and one of the instruments I tried was a Gold Tone AC-1. I seemed like a decent player, sounded pleasant, and weighs under 4 pounds. I don't know if that would suit you, but it is something you should try out.

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I really want to stick with a resonator banjo, mostly because it would feel more like my Stelling, just withou the weight.

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My bad, memory wise at least. I also played the resonator version, the AC-5, which is a little heavier. Same evaluation. I played a bunch of banjos that day.

I have the same issues with back pain and heavy banjos. Here is my 2 cents worth. I’ve owned and played sterling’s, deering hartfords, even a recording king which sounded good enough to play on stage. Stelling made a banjo that used a wooden rim that sounded good. Murphy Henry was playing one last I had heard of her. But my favorite is a 1926 gibson tb 1 that had a 5 string neck put on it. That one has the 1/4 inch rolled brass hoop that sounds really good. Some of the tb2’s has a1/2 tubular silver ring which I did not like. I just received today a 1926 tb1 pot and will attach a neck and reso to and play that on
Long gigs Warren Yates made a few and those sound great as well. The deerings were still a little heavy without the tone ring. YMMV.

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Originally posted by Ybanjo

I have looked at the info about that banjo and it's very interesting.  I would be very interested in knowing how well it plays and how it sounds.  And is it easy to set up (unlike the bottle-caps).

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I thought you said it didn't have to sound great. 

Can't say for sure about how much the AC-1 can be set up, but I played one in a shop and it was extremely playable. Already set up with great low action. Downright fun to play. And it sounded surprisingly good for what it was. Open back. Haven't played one with the resonator kit.

For light-weight knock-around banjos, I'd look into Gold Tone Cripple Creek models with resonator, either the 100 or the 50RP. These are also easy-playing and can be set up to sound good. I'd also look at the current version of the Recording King RK-20, the one with a "Madison" (RK-35) headstock. $699 at banjoteacher.com. More expensive elsewhere.

If you want to get into thousand of dollars, Deering makes a woody variation of the Eagle II called the White Lotus. Made of oak, so it's really different.

I started playing lighter banjos eight years ago after my doctor said I had missed two heart attacks and needed a 4X bypass. I had just purchased a Recording King R25R banjo when it was discontinued and heavily discounted, and with a good setup it sounds great. Most people are impressed when they hear it. It is now my second banjo after acquiring a Bishline Patriot, and I also have a Flatiron Montana Rose. I play the Bishline and RK all the time with my band, not just at home. Stelling had the Afton Star, and Deering has the White Lotus (a friend of mine loves hers). I have usually looked for alternatives to Gibson, but I have thought of owning an RB-100 or the more recent RB model. There are lots of woody and tone hoop banjos out there, and they can all sound as good as your playing can make them sound.

I second the Bishline patriot. I also have a nechville Zeus. Both are in the 10 pound range, made in US if that matters. Nice sounding playable banjos.

Deering Hartford is lighter, not light (but sounds awesome). I would recommend an rb-00 or a Nechville with the timbertronic wood rim; both very light.

For this banjo I don't want to spend much money, since it's just for practice & not required to be "Stelling grade" sound. So far the Gold Tone AC-5 look pretty appealing with a weight of 5.5 lbs. I would really like to hear from any folks that have one or have played one. There's a couple of things that I don't care for, like the cheap j-bolts and the tuners. I'm also curious about how easily it sets up. I like a very low action along with 11/16 bridge. Can I accomplish all that with this banjo. So, any takers??

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Originally posted by Ybanjo

I like a very low action along with 11/16 bridge. Can I accomplish all that with this banjo. So, any takers??

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Most of the modern stuff is designed for a 5/8" bridge.  An 11/16" bridge and typical 1/8" action may prove challenging.  

Does the AC-5 allow the neck to slide up?  Many of the vintage entry level banjos were designed to do this.

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Originally posted by pinenut

Most of the modern stuff is designed for a 5/8" bridge.

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Very much aware of that.  I often have to do some work on the neck to get the angle that is needed.  In most cases I can handle that, but don't want to if there is any other way.

I’m curious… if it doesn’t have to sound great, and just be playable for home playing… why the aversion to an open back? I ask, because I have a full blown 20 ton bluegrass banjo for acoustic jams, and gigs, but an open back featherweight Goodtime for most of my home playing. Why the need for a resonator for plinking?

Another vote for Chris Sorenson at Companion Banjos.

You can get a Nechville down to 7-8 pounds with a timbertronic tone ring. The hybrid adds 4 ounces but also a ton of tone. You can also replace the steel bearings with silicon nitride ones to shed another 8 ounces or so.

Bishline makes a woody at about 8 pounds. His ultralight flange got it down to 7 pounds but those are currently out of stock.

The white lotus from Deering comes in at 8 pounds.

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Originally posted by mrbook

I started playing lighter banjos eight years ago after my doctor said I had missed two heart attacks and needed a 4X bypass. I had just purchased a Recording King R25R banjo when it was discontinued and heavily discounted, and with a good setup it sounds great. Most people are impressed when they hear it. It is now my second banjo after acquiring a Bishline Patriot, and I also have a Flatiron Montana Rose. I play the Bishline and RK all the time with my band, not just at home. Stelling had the Afton Star, and Deering has the White Lotus (a friend of mine loves hers). I have usually looked for alternatives to Gibson, but I have thought of owning an RB-100 or the more recent RB model. There are lots of woody and tone hoop banjos out there, and they can all sound as good as your playing can make them sound.

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Have you had a chance to play the white lotus? If you have, what do you think of that compared to the bishline?

Have you had a chance to play the white lotus? If you have, what do you think of that compared to the bishline?


I have tried tried the White Lotus briefly and like it. I would probably be happy playing one, but I like my Bishline so much that I don't think about getting or playing another banjo. It's the first one I grab when I leave the house to play (I took my RK R25 as a spare when I played at a festival this weekend, but it never came out of the case). The White Lotus seems to be equivalent in quality to the Patriot, and you just have to decide which is best for you.

Has anyone played a Turtle Hill banjo with wood tone ring? I believe they are light and well regarded. Don't see any in the classifieds though.