Maude

At a guess I'd say the second one is the actual eight string as at the beginning the I think I can hear single strings sometimes rather than both courses, not using headphones though. Either way they're both hell of a close.

I don't comment much in 'Build Diaries' but I have to say we're spoilt with the level of craftsmenship on here. There really are some amazing luthiers showing their work which I love to see, so thank you. Now let's see those wooden machineheads 😀

Will do. I'll make sure it's working properly first but I'll PM you when I know what I'm doing.

Well I've just bought it 😀 I'll post some pictures another time as I'm a bit pushed for time at the mo. It's not a resonator but it does have a closed back (which is removable) so slightly mellower sounding which is good. Nice low easy action, strung for Scottish/Irish so should be even easier on the fingers once strung for Trad Jazz. The big, big bonus is that I might have effectively scored a free banjo and case as it came fitted with a Fishman Rare Earth active pickup, which will never get used. I had a quick Google and these seem to be in the £220-230 price range new, so quite possibly £80 for a second hand one. I don't really know what the value of the pickup is realistically but it's got to half the price of the banjo I'd have thought. As it's strung like a mandolin I'll leave it as it is for a bit and take it to rehearsal and let our mandolinist try it out through the PA to make sure it's all good. Pictures to follow .

Will do 😊

Going to look at the banjo tomorrow now but the owner says there are no scratches or marks on the body or neck so I reckon we'll get it. Good enough to dip his toe in with and test the water. Thanks for all your help 👍

As luck would have it one has popped up on Facebook for sale. An Aria tenor, with strap, pick up and hardcase for £80, I'm off to look at it later. Having had a read up the Andybanjo site it would seem a long/standard scale tenor would be better than a short scale at the budget end as the cheaper short scales frequently present tuning issues. I was going to get open back but as this facebook one has popped up locally, I'll more than likely go for it. If he doesn't take to it then we can sell it without loss, or I'll buy it off him https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2156600544657247/ Hopefully that link will work.

This may be a silly question but do all closed backs have a resonator, or are there open backs, closed backs and resonators?

Well yes, obviously, but you can't always have everything.

It just proves that you don't have to be a great singer to be a great frontman. A few years back I was in a band with a decidedly average singer but he was a great frontman, could get the most disinterested crowd eating out of his hand.

Just been doing some more listening and came across Skinny Tuba (I now want to watch The Sting) that sort of thing would be right up his street and the banjo looks relatively easy to get started on. Obviously not to master but if I can give him some diagrams of some chord shapes and he could strum along I think he'd be happy. If he really gets into it and wants to try a different style we can worry about it then. I think I'm sorted 🙂

Ah I see, that's why some mention aluminium tone ring in the advert then I suppose. In the £200 price bracket most seem to be resonator type. I wish I could try a few but living where I do there aren't many music shops unless I want a long drive. I do have a Hobgoblin local though, I'll ring them and see if they have any in. Thanks again.

Thanks @pete.young @Trueno Since my original post I've been doing a bit more research and watching some YouTube vids. My mother in law thought it would just be buy a banjo and had no idea of all the different types. I'd sort of narrowed it down to getting him a four string tenor to try his hand at trad jazz as it looks about the easiest and quickest to get up and running with. Just learn a few chord shapes and your away. I know it's not as easy as that but I really don't think he'll get to grips with finger picking, and Scottish or Irish style would need a bit more knowledge of what notes make up chords to be able to play melodic lines. I don't really want to go uke as they always seem to just sound slightly out of tune and too George Formby. Thanks for tip about the weight of a reso, I hadn't considered that, also as it will just be at home on the sofa I assume an open back will be quieter than a reso as well as being a little mellower sounding. So a four string, open back tenor it is then, I think. Just one more question, what average scale length are long and short scale tenor banjos. He'll need a balance between not stretching too far and being able to easily make the chord shapes.

I do love a happy ending 🤛

Coreen Bailey Rae is smart, she calls them records, be smart like Coreen 👍

They will never be referred to as "vinyls". 😋

Are there any banjo players on here that could offer some advice to me please. My mother in law has decided that my father in law would like a banjo for his birthday, he doesn't know this 🤔 He is in his seventies and has never played any instrument before and in all honesty I'm not sure he'll take it up but she wants to get him one. He is a big Billy Connolly fan and is Scottish himself, he used to be into trad jazz in his youth and still enjoys trad jazz, ragtime, blues, and traditional Scottish and Irish folk music. With that background is there a better style of banjo to go for? Is one easier to get started on? I've been doing a bit of research on four string and five strings, and what styles are suited to each, clawhammer, two finger, three finger, scruggs, etc. The standard when looking to buy seems to be five string and I'd narrowed it down to the Harley Benton BJ-55 Pro as a nice compromise between value for money and a nice looking instrument, but now I'm thinking for the sort of music that might be easier to play that would appeal to him, a four string may be better, is strumming and picking melodies easier than bluegrass style three finger rolls and stuff? So if anyone could offer any advice on playing styles and the ease/difficulty of learning them then I would very much appreciate it. Thanks, Allan.

I like the idea of luminlay dots on knobs (stop giggling at the back), I struggle to see my dots on stage nowadays.

I'd never liked P basses, the reason being that every cheap learner package in Argos, Toys'R'us and the like was always a P copy and I'd always associated them with looking cheap. Pathetic I know but there you go. After about twenty years of playing, and mainly because of this site I thought I'd give one a go, and not even a real one. Locally I'd seen an Aria STB Series P for sale for £40, I'd read that they had lovely necks and bought it, what's to lose? I put a 1/4 Pounder pick up in it and a set of Chromes, gave it a set up and it played lovely. Wasn't sure about the sound at home, first set of flats, first P and all that. Anyway took it to rehearsal and instantly with the band playing it was 'wow', the sound was just there, clear punchy and very audible in the mix. I gigged that bass for about six months until that band folded. I loved the simplicity, just plug it in to any PA and it just sounded how it was supposed to. It's at home now as my go to noddling/learning songs bass.

@Bobthedog Oh my.

I already have a free pass for Keira Knightley should the opportunity present itself so wouldn't want to push my luck. P.S. This is also tongue in cheek........ maybe 🤔😃

No you haven't misunderstood at all. Full blown, tongue in cheek, misogynistic tripe. As the first line of the original post is about finding Danni a hundred times sexier than her sister I thought maybe the eternally offended wouldn't be following this thread with any great interest, but you've caught me out. I'll still stand by my statement though, but will elaborate even though it will detract from it's original comedic intention. If Danni, Kylie and myself were all single and willing and no one else would be hurt or upset by the act, I could see myself being physically attracted to them. Obviously with myself being married with kids and the Minogues possibly being in relationships this won't ever actually be happening. It doesn't quite have the punch of the original line but there you, you can't have everything. 🙂

You could go into a record shop to "buy some vinyl", as you could drive to ATS to get new rubber for your car, it makes you sound like a knob but it's OK. But buying 'vinyls' or 'rubbers' is just wrong and I won't allow it 😋 Feel for you @Normski, it's a horrible position to be in.

Arrrghh, they're records, I can't take any more, please just call them records! Not a personal dig you understand, just don't like this new trend of calling a record 'a vinyl'. Vinyl if you really must but never plural. Next folks will be buying rubbers for their car. Sorry kevvo66 😁

Thanks borntohang. I'll give the knurled ones a try with a rubber washer. If not I may have to get some Schaller ones and just use one strap specifically for this bass then. If the buttons are standard Rick items then I'd rather keep everything as it should be.