Any one know about these banjos ? I have one and it is loud very loud heavy and nice inlays also . I still play it now and again but have spent the year studying guitar . will get around to playing the banjo again this spring . I understand it was made over seas like a lot of them are now .
Alverez banjo
Hey Welder,
Years ago (fifteen or so) I picked with a friend who had an Alvarez banjo. It seemed to be a higher end model if I remember right. He could play about any instrument well but was primarily a banjo player. He never kept instruments long unless they were special in some way and besides a twelve string Yamaha guitar, this Alvarez banjo was a keeper. He’d had it for a long time and I’d bet he still has it. I don’t know what model it was as I’m not much into banjos but I do remember it being a great instrument. He kept it over many “better”, more expensive banjos including a few Gibsons.
Speaking of Alvarez, I had an Alvarez Yairi classical guitar I wish I would have kept. I didn’t realize how good it was until I sold it and then had an itch again for a classical. I never could find anything that came remotely close to it for under a thousand dollars. I bought it for $350.00 and sold it for way more but could never replace it for even what I sold it for. I made out ok moneywise, but still have never found another classical that was that good for a decent price, so I really didn’t make out so well after all. Learn and Live I guess. Or is it the other way around?
Anyway, I’d dust it off, maybe have a good setup done and put some new strings on it. You may just find out you have something really good there!
One more thing:
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it is loud very loud
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That, I believe, is because it’s a banjo! 
J.W.
not so in this case it is louder than most I have played . and it is heavy, have to wear a strap to keep it in my lap and of course I play standing up but it wears me down holding up that weight . I was practicing the new lesson today with it "You are my sunshine:
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…and it is heavy, have to wear a strap to keep it in my lap and of course I play standing up but it wears me down holding up that weight…
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Any idea what makes banjos so heavy? I have a Fender FB300 that is lighter than a feather, and then my Washburn B19 is ridiculously heavy.
The tone ring can add much weight to the banjo also the type of wood will make a difference also .
The tone ring in my Nechville weighs almost 4 lbs. The Washburn has a real metal flange I think, so that adds a lot to the weight as well. Gibson Mastertones weigh in at about 13lbs. I have a Gibson with a tone hoop (just a quarter inch hoop instead of a big metal ‘bell’) and that weighs over 9lbs. There is a lot of heavy metal in a banjo.
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… There is a lot of heavy metal in a banjo.
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Boy do I love puns.
If it’s true that there is much heavy metal in banjos, then it seems rather odd that we don’t find more banjos in heavy metal.
— Begin quote from "mreisz"
If it’s true that there is much heavy metal in banjos, then it seems rather odd that we don’t find more banjos in heavy metal.
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Wish granted: youtu.be/3c7bISLhVl8
I love me some Iron Horse!!!
first picture of Alverez try at least it may not be small enough yet
here is another shot of it
That looks great. Did you see Ben’s series on banjo setup? There was a bunch of great setup information in it.
I have His DVD “Killertone” and I have really got in to it early on I know a lot about banjos but am reluctant to work on another person’s banjo for fear of inexperience doing some harm. I am sort of like the doctors “first do no harm” Ben’s video covers almost as much as the DVD does but he really get into some deep areas on the DVD . you can actually lower the strings by oval shaping the head and that is not the preferred method at all, you really want to avoid doing that . the way do it I make sure the head is round not under pressure and then take the bridge and take some off the bottom to lower the strings but you have to be careful because lowering it to much may sacrifice the tone you migh love so well . You can ruin a very expensive bridge if you are not careful. A slight oval on the head maybe the way to go for some but I prefer my way .