Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Banjitar recommendations

#1

I’ve been a GPM since 2017 and using the forum since 2018. I joined to improve my guitar playing and it has worked out great. I can now comfortably hold my own jamming in a group. Then I decided to try the banjo so I purchased a Stelling Golden Cross from a well known Bluegrass Musician. Ben said it was like getting a fancy sports car as your very first car. I’ve been trying learn how to play it for 2 1/2 years without any improvement, so, I have decided to sell it and get a Banjitar. Since I am wanting the “banjo sound” when jamming and I can play guitar why not combine the two. So I turn to y’all. Who makes a good Banjitar?? I’ve looked at some reviews on Google, but most of the time they’re trying to sell something that may be less than par. I checked the Store, but they’re sold out. Not sure if Ben will be getting any more or not. Any input is appreciated.

Thankz,
Gary

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#2

I do NOT recommend the Dean Granjo (banjitar). It sounds like a muffled guitar, not at all like a banjo. I have not played any others, good luck.

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#3

Check :heavy_check_mark: No Dean Grango. Thanks Harrison!

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#4

I don’t know any particular brands, but no matter what you get, it won’t sound like a real banjo, it’ll sound a little like a tenor banjo, because of the playing style. So just don’t be under the impression that a guitjo will let you sound like Earl (or any other banjoist) because it’ll just sound like a bright percussive guitar

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#5

Respectfully… Nope… it sounds like a banjo, because it is a banjo. A 6 string banjo. The style of playing is up to the player. Claw hammer vs Scruggs style sounds different on the same instrument. Open back or resonator sounds different but it is still an banjo and sounds like it. You have to develop the playing style to what you want to play. Listen to the banjo in Sweet City Woman vs Washington Square. With a little work, the Banjitar can play many bluegrass songs with the same sound. You can’t compare Earl Scruggs to Leroy Troy, yet they both play bluegrass style music.

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#6
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#7

That’s what I meant when I said:

Yeah, but if you flatpick a banjo, it will sound like a flatpicked banjo, and if you can play it fingerstyle then it’d be easier to just use a five string.
I played once a five string and six string banjo of the same model next to each other, and they had very different sounds.

I don’t think I would call Leroy Troy bluegrass…

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#8

Buffalo Barfield uses a flat pick in combination with clawhammer. Don’t ask me how he does it.

Last week I flatpicked my 5-string banjo for a song at our church’s Christmas concert. :shushing_face:

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#9

@Viperhawk1 ,… @Dragonslayer ,… @D_HRRFan7303
I’ve been having so much fun with this thread that I just couldn’t help myself… I invite each of you to go to a new topic I started called “Bluegrass Purity Tests?” and give me a piece of your minds!

Lemme have it, bros!

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#10

Hi Gary,

When I first took up the 5 string banjo I was hopeless, Things just didn’t seem to work well in my first 2 1/2 years trying to learn from TAB Books, Working from the Murphy Method DVDs was a breakthrough for me and I started making good progress but it wasn’t until I signed up as a Life Member with @BanjoBen that my confidence grew and I started making solid progress. Let me just say 2 1/2 years is nothing when your learning the 5 string banjo. You have barely scratched the surface.

As for the Banjitar well I have to agree with Gunnar, They do sound more like a tenor banjo and if your hoping to sound like a Scruggs Style banjo player it’s just not going to happen on a Banjitar. simply because there is no high G drone string.

Is it possible to play bluegrass on a Banjitar? I guess it’s possible but in many ways you’d be duplicating whats played on the Guitar.

As to finding a Banjitar teacher who teaches bluegrass, that might prove more difficult.

If you value my advice, I would say stick with the 5 string and with @BanjoBen lessons. Work through the beginners learning track and by the end of the year you should be well on your way to tackling many of the Intermediate and some of the Advanced lessons. In short with 2 1/2 years experience it would be sad to give up now.

Whatever you decide I wish you good luck.

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#11

No Ukes, no grandjos, and Electric bass is allowed only if someone doesn’t have an upright.

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