Has anyone ever bought or tried this banjo? I frequently wait in the car/truck for a few hours while my wife shops. Having a small banjo like this seems to be perfect for practice while passing time. I saw it on you tube played by Russ Carson and now want one.
Gold Tone BG mini banjo
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Bad news. That banjo Russ is playing is a custom job hand built specifically for him. There ARE some smaller banjos out there, but so far, I haven’t been able to find one that is even close to the quality of the one Russ has.
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Here’s the cool backstory on that mini banjo.
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That’s interesting. I guess it was too good to be true to be a regular production unit. Maybe I should try the mandolin for a car sized instrument. Though I already have enough to learn/practice. Thanks for the reply and video.
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Gold Tone actually does make a mini, it’s just not anything near what you see Russ playing. Check it out.
https://goldtonemusicgroup.com/goldtone/instruments/bg-mini
If I recall correctly, it’s about 8" longer than Russ’s.
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When people talk about “travel” guitars, etc., I always remind them that guitars, banjos, mandolins, and violins, are already pretty portable. It’s why they were brought here in such large numbers in the first place. They’re all travel instruments. If you’re looking for a smaller banjo, just try an open back; without a resonator, they’re smaller, quieter, and much lighter. That’s what I bring to work on my 7 day on hitches; either that or a mandolin.
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No but I want one! It’s not quite as cool as Russ Carson’s mini, but it would be great for playing in the car. The mandolin is also a great choice
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I got to play Russ’s and it’s incredible the detail that it has!
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I think the mini is around $700US or $1000 Canadian. A little too much for a practice instrument that will be used a couple times a month. My banjo(s) and guitar are too long to comfortably play while sitting in the car. I guess I could buy a mandolin, I know a good website to learn how to play it.
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I do have an open back Travel banjo, Deering good time. Still just a bit too long to comfortably play in the car.
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You could always buy a uke. They’re tons of fun!
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This is true, but I prefer mandolin, there’s pros and cons to each: uke is cheaper, a bit smaller, and more comfortable (plastic strings) but mandolin is a more versatile instrument and easier to find proper instructional materials for beyond just playing chords. One good option is to get a uke and tune GDAE
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The uke isn’t just for chords any more. 
Check out this kid’s channel. He’s unbelievable.
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I have an Ashbury Banjo Uke and it holds it own. I’d like to buy a Goldtone Mini 5 String but they are pretty scarce over here and also overpriced when compared to other instruments.
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I know, but it’s hard to find any instructional material to learn how to play it like that, and there’s relatively few musicians doing it so you often have to make your own way
Not so Gunnar. Check out YouTube there’s ton of free stuff and other’s are offering subscription lessons through Patreon Cynthia Lin
On DVD Dave Brozman is one to check out
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You bet. Ukuleles are wildly popular right now. It goes in cycles, but I think they’re more popular now than I’ve ever seen them. A lot of my daughter’s friends have ukes, which is why she asked for one for Christmas last year.
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Really popular in the UK, US and Canada. A few years back I recall a group from Alaska travelled to Hawaii for a big ukulele festival. I am not sure if it’s an annual event.
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Unless things have changed drastically in the past few months 90% of the YouTube tutorials are incredibly basic usually just teaching chords, I’ve looked and tutorials for more advanced playing are few and far between
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I’ll admit it’s hard to find stuff on YouTube due to the high volume of vids out there
Check out these channels, websites and promo vids that’ll get you started.
Couple of websites
https://ukuleletricks.com/ukulele-blues-fingerpicking-lesson-pattern-1/
https://www.ezfolk.com/uke/Tutorials/Clawhammer/clawhammer.html
DVD Promo Videos - Bob Brozman teaches advanced techniques
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