have been playing the tenor banjo for about 3 months on a rubbish banjo and have been thinking of upgrading to a better one. my limit is 350 pound. any advice?
There was another thread just like this about 4 or 5 pages back, Somebody mentioned one that was cheaper than Goldtone. Of course in Ireland I imagine it's a ton easier to find an affordable vintage tenor. In the states they are mostly not shortscale.
Most players??? really. I don't know that many banjo players but all the irish tenor banjo players I know play short scale. But...if what you say is indeed true I must ask, are they playing new or vintage. Vintage 19 fret banjos are much easier to come by. If your hands are not large, your pinky won't be able to reach the 6th or 7th fret in "1st position" which in my opinion is very important when playing tunes which are meant to be played on the fiddle. Of course nowadays people write tunes on the banjo, and there are ways around the stretch such as switching position or changing the tune to avoid it (ugh!). Yeah those folks (that you know of ) might play longer scale banjo's because they want to play with lighter gauge strings, which may sound better to them. But it's definitely not because they want the two frets!!!. I've never seen someone play an Irish tune on banjo that went past the 12th fret.
Actually, I prefer my long scale banjo over the short scale one, but I think it's just a matter of personal taste. Both are vintage, both made in the US in the 1920s, both are great but very, very different.
Angelina is indeed the only prominent player that immediately came to mind when I posted the above, certainly a fine player. The issue with scale length is not at all a matter of how many fret are available, but a matter of the resulting tone, which, as many have observed, is a matter of personal taste. If you are going to have a neck that long, most builders fill it with frets, whether they will be used or not. One of the first tenor banjo players to tune his instrument GDAE was the jazz player Earl Snowden. A picture of him and his banjo shows an instrument without frets in the last 4 inches or so nearest the body. It was scale length, not maximum frets, that he was going for, to get the sound he wanted.
Also, Earl, most of the prominent players I mentioned play both new and vintage instruments. Although I have very large hands, hand size is not really a significant issue. Gerry O'Conner addresses this in his instructional material under the topic "pivot points".
The idea is that, when going for a B, say, with your pinky, you keep your third finger on the fifth fret, if that's where your last note was, lifting your first and second fingers - pivoting on the third -and placing your pinky on the seventh fret. Thus, you maintain your reference, never really leaving "first position". Even players with quite small hands can manage this, with a little practice.
I have short fingers and chubby hands but don't find a short scale any easier than a long scale banjo neck.
Coming from the mandolin, long-scale seems more naturally spaced somehow. Short scale is like trying to run up badly-spaced steps.
However, I play a short scale because I own the bloody thing and I'm not going to keep changing. But long-scale sounds better and isn't really harder.
I got Snowden's name wrong - it should be Elmer Snowden. Here is a link showing him and his banjo. He is the first "tenor" player that I know of, in any genre, that tuned his banjo GDAE.
Banjo Buying beginner
Banjo Buying beginner
have been playing the tenor banjo for about 3 months on a rubbish banjo and have been thinking of upgrading to a better one. my limit is 350 pound. any advice?
# Posted on December 6th 2009 by Mark McAleese
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
also anyone know where there is a banjo teacher in the lurgan area
# Posted on December 6th 2009 by Mark McAleese
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
There was another thread just like this about 4 or 5 pages back, Somebody mentioned one that was cheaper than Goldtone. Of course in Ireland I imagine it's a ton easier to find an affordable vintage tenor. In the states they are mostly not shortscale.
# Posted on December 6th 2009 by Earl Cameron
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/23183
# Posted on December 6th 2009 by Eòsaph
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
I've bought two banjos at Bernunzio's, they have a site I frequently lurk:
http://bernunzio.com/inventory/Instruments/Banjos/Tenor
btw, I have a short scale open back Bacon banjo that I could consider selling. PM me if you are interested.
# Posted on December 7th 2009 by Ramiro
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
http://www.andybanjo.com/
Highly recommend this guy.
# Posted on December 7th 2009 by Seasider
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
Earl: Why short scale, when most players, prominent ones anyway, play on 19 fret instruments?
# Posted on December 7th 2009 by will morgan
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
Most players??? really. I don't know that many banjo players but all the irish tenor banjo players I know play short scale. But...if what you say is indeed true I must ask, are they playing new or vintage. Vintage 19 fret banjos are much easier to come by. If your hands are not large, your pinky won't be able to reach the 6th or 7th fret in "1st position" which in my opinion is very important when playing tunes which are meant to be played on the fiddle. Of course nowadays people write tunes on the banjo, and there are ways around the stretch such as switching position or changing the tune to avoid it (ugh!). Yeah those folks (that you know of ) might play longer scale banjo's because they want to play with lighter gauge strings, which may sound better to them. But it's definitely not because they want the two frets!!!. I've never seen someone play an Irish tune on banjo that went past the 12th fret.
# Posted on December 8th 2009 by Earl Cameron
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
Will, is Angelina Carberry prominent enough?
http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/comhaltaslive_232_6_angelina_carberry_and_martin_quinn_banjo_accordion/
Actually, I prefer my long scale banjo over the short scale one, but I think it's just a matter of personal taste. Both are vintage, both made in the US in the 1920s, both are great but very, very different.
# Posted on December 8th 2009 by Ramiro
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
Angelina is indeed the only prominent player that immediately came to mind when I posted the above, certainly a fine player. The issue with scale length is not at all a matter of how many fret are available, but a matter of the resulting tone, which, as many have observed, is a matter of personal taste. If you are going to have a neck that long, most builders fill it with frets, whether they will be used or not. One of the first tenor banjo players to tune his instrument GDAE was the jazz player Earl Snowden. A picture of him and his banjo shows an instrument without frets in the last 4 inches or so nearest the body. It was scale length, not maximum frets, that he was going for, to get the sound he wanted.
# Posted on December 9th 2009 by will morgan
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
Also, Earl, most of the prominent players I mentioned play both new and vintage instruments. Although I have very large hands, hand size is not really a significant issue. Gerry O'Conner addresses this in his instructional material under the topic "pivot points".
The idea is that, when going for a B, say, with your pinky, you keep your third finger on the fifth fret, if that's where your last note was, lifting your first and second fingers - pivoting on the third -and placing your pinky on the seventh fret. Thus, you maintain your reference, never really leaving "first position". Even players with quite small hands can manage this, with a little practice.
# Posted on December 9th 2009 by will morgan
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
I have short fingers and chubby hands but don't find a short scale any easier than a long scale banjo neck.
Coming from the mandolin, long-scale seems more naturally spaced somehow. Short scale is like trying to run up badly-spaced steps.
However, I play a short scale because I own the bloody thing and I'm not going to keep changing. But long-scale sounds better and isn't really harder.
# Posted on December 9th 2009 by Bren
Re: Banjo Buying beginner
I got Snowden's name wrong - it should be Elmer Snowden. Here is a link showing him and his banjo. He is the first "tenor" player that I know of, in any genre, that tuned his banjo GDAE.
http://www.jazzbanjo.com/jbartist/artists/esnowden.htm
# Posted on December 9th 2009 by will morgan