Actually I haven’t traded off my Martin. Yet. Since I caught the banjo bug, I’ve put guitar to the side completely, and my Martin is being neglected (not really. That thing sleeps more comfortably than I do). I’ve been playing the Deering Goodtime 2 Artisan exclusively, and I’m looking ahead to upgrading. I’m considering selling or swapping my D28 in order to make this happen buuuut but something tells me I’ll live to regret it. Probably just the banjo bug talkin’. Am I crazy, dumb, or just flighty?
I've traded off my Martin, but my troubles are not over
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I’m thinking about the story of Billy Strings and his dad… His Dad had to sell his Martin to pay the bills… and as Billy got better at what he was doing and was making the bucks he found his Dads exact guitar for sale 7 years latter on eBay and bought it back for his old man who deeply regretted it.
My advice. Don’t do it. Save your dough! You made this thread for a reason. You want someone to give you closure to sell it! I don’t think you want to 
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If you isten to a bunch of flatpicking and play guitar for 7 days, you’ll probably feel a lot differently about the decision than you do now. But if you go back to the banjo, your mind will probably change again. So I definitely wouldn’t recommend selling off the only guitar you have. That being said, if you have another good guitar, you may not go through complete withdrawals.
Of course, you might just get the banjo and not look back to give the guitar a second thought. Who knows?
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Here’s my two cents.
My wife is canning tomatoes in the kitchen. I walk-in with my banjo and she says Go Outside. That thing is too loud. Even with the mute.
I can sit and play the guitar and she will tolerate my singing.
You need options, and that D28 is a mighty fine guitar.
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My fiance is the same with the mandolin sometimes 
“i dont wanna hear that darn thing this early!!!”
(dont play mando before wife has coffee) The guitar she never has a issue with. Thats so funny lol!
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Don’t do it!!
Just my opinion, you can easily play two instruments at a time, and i think that in a few days you would severly regret it.
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Exactly. You already have a banjo and a great guitar. The banjo still works? still makes noise? Than just set aside a little money every week and get a new banjo and maybe sell the old banjo if you decide too! #Reverb.comGetsYouPaidFast (I have over 60 sales there and love that site)
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Thanks guys. I needed that. Can I quote Madonna in this forum without being forever cast out? “I’m keeping my baby…”
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Yay!
I’m crossing over to the other thread and going to request that Ben give us a nice arrangement of the Madonna classic.
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I’d keep the guitar. You’ll want it for more things than you’re realizing right now.
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I’d keep the guitar. I don’t play much guitar. Just a little rhythm, but every time I sell mine I regret it and end up buying another one… and that doesn’t save any money:)
Check the Banjo Hangout classifieds. You’ll see something you have to have before long.
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Keep that Martin! I have a D-28 that I bought in 1976–I’ve had it longer than I’ve had my husband and they’re both keepers. You can always put it aside for a while then come back to it.
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As a 100% banjo man, and a Beginner, here’s my expert advice:
Skip the voodoo economics and keep the Martin. It can sleep comfortable for decades if it has to, but it cannot be replaced.
You have a decent banjo with the Deering, so go ahead & beat it to death while saving a few pennies. By the time the banjo dies, you’ll have enough cash for a Sierra. Even if it is used, it’s still a great banjo for the buck.
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Well said, BanJoe. Love that E-Card, by the way. I was wondering about the Deering Sierra.
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I’d keep the D28. I’m D35 man, myself. Some day you might want her back and lord knows what they’ll have to make your next one out of. Next, be sure you go down and lift that Deering Sierra before you get yourself in a dither about buying one. Mine is brand new and I swear it weighs 40lbs. The weight shouldn’t keep me from playing it, but it does a little. I feel kinda like Naven Johnson dragging that car wheel chained the bathroom key. It’s sweet sounding, and its beautifully made. I may buy a clawhammer GoodTime for the everyday playing and practice.
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I love mine, but over the past year & a half, I have learned that selecting the right banjo is like choosing the right wife. It’s a deeply personal decision. You look at all the ladies out there and realize they are all beautiful, they are all going to cost more money than you thought; once you buy it you’re pretty well stuck with it, and there is always another prettier one right around the corner.
So you go out and meet one, hold her gently and the two of you begin a conversation.
“G” she says, and you listen closely. When the right one comes along, the “G” will resonate through your whole being while your toes curl a little.
And like many wives, she might be a little ugly, but she sure can cook!
Just make sure you treat he with love & respect.
As St. Paul could have said, “Husbands, love your banjos.”
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Phenomenal Joseph!
I’d like to add that we just had our anniversary, and I am surprised to find that I like her more now than when she said “yes.”
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