Any Banjo players????

[OZCOBRA]

Hey Guys,
I'm about to tick one more off my BUCKET-LIST and learn to play the 5 string Banjo....My 10 yr son currently plays the guitar and this has inspired me to tackle the banjo.
I've always loved the sound of the banjo and was after some direction from somebody who may play as to what i should buy??
I would to prefer to buy at a higher level so I do not have to upgrade later on,I have been looking at Washburn's B-17 at a cost of around $980.00..
Banjos in Australia are everywhere,but are not a commonly played instrument so a lot of people seem to only give a limited opinion of what's good ,bad or right!!

Thanks in advance
OZ

[Tom Wells]

OZ,

I've been trying to learn for longer than I'm going to admit

Advice: at first get a location away from spouse's hearing to practice (practise?) unless you really want a divorce

As to choices, I built one. It's not the hardware beyond being easy to finger and having good tone. It's more whether it is suited to the type of playing you want to learn, i.e., bluegrass, old time, frailing (clawhammer)or what ever.

Bluegrass is generally a three finger style and is most often done using a resonator (the wood dish on the backside of the drum) for amplification. It's usually called Scruggs style and is loud, hard driving and complex. Grand stuff!

The frailing, rapping, clawhammer styles are more old-time and usually use an open-back banjo, although some do use the resonator for this music too. This would be Grandpa Jones, Obray Ramsey and Cathy Fink in her early days.

The tone provided by each type is relatively different, so pick the type of music you want to learn and go for it!

Tom

[OZCOBRA]

Hey Tom,
Luckily I have loads of time alone!!!!...you as well having made your own....Great job!!
Mmmmm..divorce...I should have started playin 10 years ago
Bluegrass it is!!!
I have followed Earl Scruggs for years now,
and of late all the exposure Steve Martin has been gettin, he seems to have done quite a lot with Scruggs.
Anyway thanks for your reply,I'll keep you in my BANJOBUDDY list!!!

Cheers OZ