Tips for Buying a Banjo

Video Transcript

"Hi I’m Fred Wilharm on behalf of ExpertVillage.com and in this segment we’re going to talk about buying your first banjo. You can learn to play the banjo on an entry level instrument, which we’ll define as $200 or less, but you won’t go very far as a musician. When an experienced banjo player picks up a cheap instrument, it feels and sounds a little like a shoe box with rubber band strings, just not quite the same as a fine banjo. A good banjo will always have a tone ring inside the head, usually made of brass or bronze. What you can see in this particular banjo since the head is clear; this gives it that clear bell like sound that rings across the bluegrass festival grounds. If you’re not sure how serious you are about the banjo, pick up an inexpensive instrument online or at a music store and try it for a few months. You’ll know in a short time whether you’ll need a better banjo, when the time is right, you’ll want to invest in an instrument priced at $500 or more, don’t be hesitant to buy a banjo made overseas because some very good copies of the Gibson Mastertone and other quality banjos are being made in Japan and Korea. Bring along a friend who is accomplished on the banjo and he’ll help you pick out one with great play ability and tone. There are some great deals on the internet on musical instruments, but nothing can replace holding that instrument in your hands and hearing what it sounds like before buying it. The local music store is probably a safer way to buy your banjo and if there’s a problem, they’ll be there to take care of it. "