A lot of banjo players I know - including myself and my wife - tend to prefer to be the only banjo player in a small session, mostly because of the sonic space the banjo occupies in the ensemble sound. Multiple fiddles (up to a point), with their continuous sound, tend to blend better, but banjos, with their more staccato sound with relatively short sustain, can easily muddy each other’s sound. Unless their timing is precisely locked in, with a similar attack, it’s easy to “step on" each other. There are exceptions to this problem, for instance, if one banjo is playing in a higher register up the neck, especially if one player is fingerpicking while the other is playing clawhammer, it can be a really nice sound. Or as my wife and I do sometimes, one of us plays in the usual range, while the other plays our Jere Canote tackhead banjo with nylon strings tuned about a fourth down, in a different tuning , e. g., regular banjo in standard G tuning (gDGBD) and tackhead banjo tuned down in double-G tuning (dGDGA). The combination of tonal differences and different but overlapping ranges can sound really great, and the other players often comment on that appreciatively.

But several banjo players playing in the same range in a small session, unless they are listening closely and leaving sonic space for each other, can too easily sound like jangling fistfuls of silverware, muddying up the whole session. On the other hand, in a big group session, with multiples of many instruments, all bets are off! Whether it’s a big session at a regular jam, or a “love jam” with a group of old friends on the last night of a festival, the social and party aspect is more important than exquisite sonic perfection! As always, YMMV.

Yes, the sound of multiple banjos can be not what some participants want to hear.

I don't live in the old time world, so I have no solution. Only a question:

Is it an open session or a band rehearsal?

I don't play in jams or anything like that, but in my duo, the other guy (who's usually on harmonium) occasionally picks up a dulcimer to play. And it just doesn't work - too much clackety-clackety going on. So I switch to a shruti box or a hurdy gurdy instead.

We've jammed with 2, sometimes 3 banjos. As long as they understand that they are loud and tone it down until it's time for a break, there's not a problem. It's the hotshots that think only they can do breaks and tend to butt in on other's breaks .... t hat's what breaks up jams!

We had one of those hotshots once in our jam. He played loud backup and immediately jumped in for breaks even though he didn't get the nod. He was talked to and asked to tone down the backup and take turns with the other banjo(s) on breaks. He was eventually asked to leave the jam as he refused to be a team player.

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Originally posted by Old Hickory

Yes, the sound of multiple banjos can be not what some participants want to hear.

I don't live in the old time world, so I have no solution. Only a question:

Is it an open session or a band rehearsal?

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That is a false dichotomy, as it often neither.