Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Let's see em!

Hey, I’d like to see what kind of banjos y’all have. Post pictures tell your banjo’s story or whatever. Here’s my banjo, Screenshot_2018-10-04-17-00-17 Screenshot_2018-10-04-17-00-25 it’s a cheap model caraya (bj001 maybe?) That my parents got me for a late Christmas present on resurrection day last year (2017) but I payed half because my brothers all got, like, a lego set, so they thought it was slightly unfair. It was only the second banjo I had held/seen/played, and happened to be the same model as the first, I hadn’t seen it when it was bought. This happened late last year: IMAG0818 and I cut a new nut from a guitar blank (you can see it in the closeup of the headstock) so that’s my banjo’s story. I’d love to hear y’alls’

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OK, I’ll come back to the banjo later. What I want to know is have you ever shot your eye out with that “Official Daisy Red Ryder 200 shot Range Model Carbine Action Air Rifle”?
AirRifle
Oops, I just dated myself

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I’ve been in Seattle for two weeks. Your post really made me realize how much I miss my banjo. Wow. I’ll post pics when I get home on Sunday. I did bring a mandolin with me though because it’s smaller and easier to travel with. Best time I figured to start learning how to play it and I wanted to keep my callouses up.

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I’ve never shot my eye out with that daisy red ryder, but I almost shot my ear off with an older model :joy:

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I was just in another town four hours away for one night and only brought my fiddle and was already missing my guitar and banjo about five minutes after we got where we were staying :joy: :disappointed_relieved: I need to get a mandolin for that purpose too…

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Can y’all see the pics? I can’t anymore

Edit: never mind, they’re back

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Here are my little babies, Stelling Master Flower on the left Fender FB58 on the right

StellingFender

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Nice! Both much prettier than mine (but that ain’t sayin much :wink:)

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Well, here are my two. My first banjo was a Nechville. I got it because it was a little lighter weight than most tone ring banjos and it didn’t have hooks and nuts for adjustments. I was somewhat worried, as a beginner, that I would not be able to properly adjust a regular banjo. This one now has a super light wood and metal capped ring and weighs around 8 lbs.

My second banjo was a Kel Kroydon. During the depression, in the 30s, Gibson was not selling a lot of banjos so when the FW Jenkins store in Kansas City special ordered these banjos, Gibson was more than happy to provide them. They are basically rebranded Gibson banjos.

I was very surprised to find one in my town in Canada, so far away from Kansas City so I pounced on the opportunity to get it. It was a plectrum so I got a neck made. The original had a cellulose overlay on the fretboard so I got a neck made using a similar MOTS (mother of toilet seat) material.

I am really fortunate to have such nice instruments. But I am an old guy so I don’t need to save anymore so I can spend on instruments like these.

banjos

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Sweet! Those are cool, I also like that gretch (I spelled that wrong but can’t think how it’s spelled at the mo) in the background, and what’s the other electric?
Edit: actually looking at it now I think it’s another gretsch?

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These are my wonderful banjos! My first banjo is the one on the right, the Deering Goodtime Special. I got it for Christmas when I was 12. I played it so much that I wore the frets out. When we took it to see how much it would cost to get them replaced it was almost more than the banjo was worth. I had just been recruited by a band and I needed to upgrade anyway so I bought the Prucha - Fall in Love with all my spending money and then some. I did finally get it paid off and she’s the best.

IMG_1151IMG_1152IMG_1153IMG_1154

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Nice! I’ve got a guitar that needs frets but isn’t worth the price of them :grimacing: that prucha is really pretty!

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Yes, both are Gretschs. The red one is a 1997 Red Sparkle Jet and the orange one is a 2005 Roundup with Dynasonics.

It’s funny, I have loads of guitars which I don’t play very often any more but I have only two banjos which I play just about every day.

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It’s gorgeous daaaaallllling

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I want a Prucha!

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Well, here is mine. It is a Recording King RK-77 Elite Gold Limited Edition (#14). I know they only made 21 of these. I read somewhere a while back that they were made in the USA, not overseas.
I have had this one for over 5 years, bought it used when I was looking to upgrade my starter banjo. Now I am looking to move up one more step. Hopefully, I can purchase one more that will be my (cross my fingers) last one. I am looking at either a Bishline or Allen banjo, both are independent banjo makers. RK77

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I would love to have a Kel Kryoden. That is the one that Casey Murphy plays.

@BanjoBen When I was looking at an upgrade I must have played over 100 banjos (Think Elderly Instruments in MI) and nothing came close to the feel and tone of the Prucha. I picked this particular one because it has the speed neck and the radiused fret board. My brother bought a car with his saved money, I bought a banjo! LOL

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What’s a speed neck?

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A speed neck is unfinished but has a sealer on it that allows my hand to move up and down the neck with very little drag. The reason it is a different color is because it hasn’t even been stained. This was a VERY important feature for me because I love to play the fast songs and I really love to play up the neck. :grin:

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