Banjo-care and feeding

[RBSinTo]

Just for something pleasurable and theraputic to do, I bought my third musical instrument kit, a five-string Banjo, which I'll soon begin to finish and assemble.

I've never played one before, and know virtually nothing about them, so please excuse my ignorance.

While I will undoubtedly have more questions as I go, to start off, I'd like to know if it is necessary to humidify the box the unassembled kit comes in, as well as the storage case or gig bag after the assembly is complete?

Please amd thanks

RBSinTo

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

Just for something pleasurable and theraputic to do, I bought my third musical instrument kit, a five-string Banjo, which I'll soon begin to finish and assemble.

I've never played one before, and know virtually nothing about them, so please excuse my ignorance.

While I will undoubtedly have more questions as I go, to start off, I'd like to know if it is necessary to humidify the box the unassembled kit comes in, as well as the storage case or gig bag after the assembly is complete?

Please amd thanks

RBSinTo

You know you have to do jail time if you play it?

Play a banjo - go to jail - its the law.

[ksdaddy]

I don’t think you will need to take any extraordinary actions with it. Especially if you’re using a Mylar or some other synthetic head. If you were using a real skin head, the banjo is going to change personality every time the sun goes behind a cloud.  
 

To me, the most difficult part of banjo setup is tightening the head. It should NOT be that big a deal, but I have made the mistake of listening to ‘experts’ and walked away more confused than before. Tighten the head slowly and evenly, and when the banjo is tuned to pitch, the bridge should make a slight dent in the head, 1/8” or so. There are some that want to put a finer point on that by measuring the tension using a drum tool, and others that insist that each lug will change the pitch of the head and therefore they must be tuned individually. I will not argue their validity but I will tell you, at this point in your banjo journey, you’re not going to notice. 

[Murph]

All the cool kids have at least one banjo player in their band nowadays.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Isn’t a banjo a neck attached to a metal cylinder and a drum head attached to that? What care does it need?

Many don’t know the banjo is from West Africa and not West Virginia.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper

[Retired]

I used to have a banjo as a kid. sold it when I got married. Never learned how to play it well though. After I retired, I bought another acoustic and learned to play Dueling banjos. I would play both parts on the guitar, with the Banjo parts on the Bridge. Sounded pretty good Lol. 

[fortyearspickn]

12 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

Just for something pleasurable and theraputic to do, I bought my third musical instrument kit, a five-string Banjo, which I'll soon begin to finish and assemble.

I've never played one before, and know virtually nothing about them, so please excuse my ignorance.

While I will undoubtedly have more questions as I go, to start off, I'd like to know if it is necessary to humidify the box the unassembled kit comes in, as well as the storage case or gig bag after the assembly is complete?

Please amd thanks

RBSinTo

I’ve  never  heard of banjoists worrying about RH.  But common sense would suggest to avoid extremes.  Not leaving it in a car in summer,  back porch in winter. They weigh at least 2x what a guitar does, so are sturdier: Metal tone ring around the wooden pot, etc.    5 stringers are a lot of fun.  Tuned to an open G major chord, you really pick the melody on the lower 4 strings while you randomly plink the 5th , ringing it like the triangle in an orchestra.  Or, some detractors would say - a cowbell.  

[RBSinTo]

Thanks all, for the replies and advice.

Yes, this is an inexpensive kit, and the head is synthetic rather than skin, so changes in humidity won't affect it.

My concern was for the wood parts, so I'll probably just treat the Banjo as I do my guitrs, and keep  it humidified, just to be safe.

In order of importance, I'm most looking forward to the finishing, and assembly, and lastly fooling around with it.

RBSinTo 

Edited July 6, 2023 by RBSinTo

[merciful-evans]

12 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Isn’t a banjo a neck attached to a metal cylinder and a drum head attached to that? What care does it need?

Many don’t know the banjo is from West Africa and not West Virginia.

yes, i don't know that.

[merciful-evans]

Good luck with the 5 string RBSin To. I've long fancied getting one too. 

[RBSinTo]

2 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

Good luck with the 5 string RBSin To. I've long fancied getting one too. 

merciful-evens,

Thanks, but its really more about making it, than playing it.

RBSinTo

[Ceptorman]

10 hours ago, RBSinTo said:

Thanks all, for the replies and advice.

Yes, this is an inexpensive kit, and the head is synthetic rather than skin, so changes in humidity won't affect it.

My concern was for the wood parts, so I'll probably just treat the Banjo as I do my guitrs, and keep  it humidified, just to be safe.

In order of importance, I'm most looking forward to the finishing, and assembly, and lastly fooling around with it.

RBSinTo 

What kit did you get? I've got a hankering to build a guitar or something, a banjo could just be the best idea.

[RBSinTo]

Ceptorman,

The kit I bought came from a store here in Toronto called Solo Music Gear that specializes in guitar kits as well as acessories, and finishing supplies.

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-bnjk-50-string-banjo-kit/

I don't know where the kits are made, but they are well done and the two others I bought and assembled (classical acoustic,

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-ack-10-diy-classical-guitar-kit/

and single cut-away thick hollow body jazz electric guitar)

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-es-style-diy-guitar-kit-maple-neck-flamed-maple-top/

did not require any adjustments to the pieces before assembly.

I assume these kits are similar to those available from StuMac and similar sellers in the States.

Hope this information helps.

RBSinTo

Edited July 7, 2023 by RBSinTo

[Ceptorman]

31 minutes ago, RBSinTo said:

Ceptorman,

The kit I bought came from a store here in Toronto called Solo Music Gear that specializes in gitar kits as well as acessories, and finishing supplies.

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-bnjk-50-string-banjo-kit/

I don't know where the kits are made, but they are well done and the two others I bought and assembled (classical acoustic,

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-ack-10-diy-classical-guitar-kit/

and single cut-away thick hollow body jazz electric guitar)

https://www.solomusicgear.com/product/solo-es-style-diy-guitar-kit-maple-neck-flamed-maple-top/

did not require any adjustments to the pieces before assembly.

I assume these kits are similar to those available from StuMac and similar sellers in the States.

Hope this information helps.

RBSinTo

Thanks for the info, those look interesting. I looked at a Les Paul and a Stratocaster kit a while back, but I've always wanted a banjo.  The banjo won't let me get creative with the paint like a solid body guitar would, and a hollow body might look silly in multi colored paint. The acoustic might be a good option. 

Does the quality seem to be good? The prices seem very reasonable.

[RBSinTo]

2 hours ago, Ceptorman said:

Thanks for the info, those look interesting. I looked at a Les Paul and a Stratocaster kit a while back, but I've always wanted a banjo.  The banjo won't let me get creative with the paint like a solid body guitar would, and a hollow body might look silly in multi colored paint. The acoustic might be a good option. 

Does the quality seem to be good? The prices seem very reasonable.

Ceptorman,

The prices are reasonable, in part because the accessories that come in the standard kits are not high-end, and discerning purchasers often up-grade tuners, pick-ups, bridges and the like, as well as the finishing suppliers, all which can substantially increase the over-all cost.

While I built both guitars without up-grading anything other than strings, the classic acoustic was just a $300.00 guitar which paled by comparison to my much better Martin, Gibson and Guild acoustics.

One the other hand, I am extremely pleased and impressed with the electric, and feel it plays much better than the $400.00 guitar that it is.

RBSinTo

[Narwhal6]

I did a banjo kit as a lark a few years ago.

It was a plywood "electric" banjo kit with a bridge single coil. 

I tired of the DGBD tuning so just did DGBE with the fifth at A. It was fun building it and actually plays quite nicely.

Some pics;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2023 by Narwhal6

[Sgt. Pepper]

I think the banjo's and ukulele's are the only two stringed instruments where the top string is tuned higher than the one below it.

[RBSinTo]

1 hour ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I think the banjo's and ukulele's are the only two stringed instruments where the top string is tuned higher than the one below it.

Chief,

That depends on your point of view.🙃

RBSinto

[Sgt. Pepper]

Just now, RBSinTo said:

Chief,

That depends on your point of view.🙃

RBSinto

Or if your Jimmy Cliff or Albert King.

[fortyearspickn]

Banjo parts are more or less inter-changeable.  People will especially look for a 'good' tone ring and many create 'Frankenstein" banjoes using parts from different models.  There is also a market for small shops that produce necks, resonators and other parts.    The Tone Ring is comparable to our acoustic cork sniffing  version of Tone Wood,  And bracing.  While they will swap out strings (strangs) and finger picks - they will 'tweak' their instruments to make them sound different. We will just buy a different guitar.    Gibson is credited with the Rolls Royce of the 5 String Banjo  with their Mastertone model.  They haven't made banjoes since the Nashville flood destroyed that facility.

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 hours ago, fortyearspickn said:

Banjo parts are more or less inter-changeable.  People will especially look for a 'good' tone ring and many create 'Frankenstein" banjoes using parts from different models.  There is also a market for small shops that produce necks, resonators and other parts.    The Tone Ring is comparable to our acoustic cork sniffing  version of Tone Wood,  And bracing.  While they will swap out strings (strangs) and finger picks - they will 'tweak' their instruments to make them sound different. We will just buy a different guitar.    Gibson is credited with the Rolls Royce of the 5 String Banjo  with their Mastertone model.  They haven't made banjoes since the Nashville flood destroyed that facility.

Who makes the Lamborghini of banjos?

[fortyearspickn]

18 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Who makes the Lamborghini of banjos?

I only deal in musical cliches and hyperbole, not fancy Italian cooking. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Just now, fortyearspickn said:

I only deal in musical cliches and hyperbole, not fancy Italian cooking. 

I didn’t ask who made the lasagna of banjo’s.

[fortyearspickn]

On 7/5/2023 at 2:13 PM, Murph said:

All the cool kids have at least one banjo player in their band nowadays.

 

Earl Scruggs started playing banjo (his fathers) around 5 or something.   When he got older and good - his mother told him something that stuck with him - "Make sure people can hear the melody in what your playing - not just a whole lot of notes."    So - when people think of  "Duelling Banjos"  they don't think of the second half where it's  a waterfall like music box of notes - they think of the beginning where you can pick out the melody (Yankee Doodle).  

(Stouffer's ? )

Edited July 8, 2023 by fortyearspickn

[Sgt. Pepper]

In one of the shows called The Carolina Opry where I work, which is also called The Carolina Opry, one of the musicians plays banjo in some of the songs. That show is more country based. I’ve seen his banjo backstage a lot. I can’t remember the name of who makes it. I think the name has 5 letters in it. I’ll take a pic on Monday and post it when I’m back at work. The same guy also has a Nash Tele.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper