Anybody know anything about banjos or mandolins?

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:29 pm

I've really been considering getting a banjo and mandolin for a while now. I've waited to make sure it's something that I know I'm really interested in and not just an impulse. I don't want to spend tons of money and I want something that is going to sound good and be good enough quality that I can learn on it and it will be a quality instrument when I know how to play them well. For banjos I've been looking at the Epiphone MB-200. It looks nice and most epiphones I've played seem to have pretty decent quality, at least for the models that aren't the entry level ones. It has some mixed reviews, but the ones from experienced people who mention setting it up properly all seem to say that it's a good quality banjo, and it's not a bad price either. And for mandolins, one of the guitar centers near me has a used Fender FM100 for only $79. They get pretty good reviews even though it's an entry level model, but compared to most others in that price point it seems to have the best reviews, so I'm considering driving up there to check it out.

If anyone here has any advice on what to look for, and if these are good ideas for me to pick up that would be awesome!

George · Post by **George** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:39 pm

I play both instruments fairly regularly and would take both. I can't comment on these particular models but to be honest I don't think budget is that important with banjos. Most affordable ones will all sound and play the same: same construction, same materials and same drum skins. I have no doubt that Epiphone will be good quality but I also think a compensated bridge for $2, a nice set of 80/20 strings and a good setup will make the biggest difference

The mandolin is a different story, but again you'll be spending mega bucks before you get something that is massively better. A nice set of strings and a setup (particularly make sure the nut is cut properly) and you'll be fine.

Bear in mind banjos and mandolins are quirky and unique instruments so it's likely playing at any budget will make you smile. For banjo I would start out with claws straight away otherwise you'll piss yourself off though.

Stuart · Post by **Stuart** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:42 pm

Ozark are worth a look for both banjos and mandolins. I haven't played either of the instruments you are looking at.

I tried to buy an ozark banjo as part of a starter kit about five years ago but the company phoned me saying that the ozarks were out of stock and would it be ok if they sent me an more expensive one. I of course agreed, the brand of the banjo was Liberty and the guy at the shop said they were Canadian but that's all I know about it. Aside from it being a really good instrument. So I recommend liberty too if you come across one.

I've got a mandolin but it an absolute piece of firewood. It has Boston written on the headstock and need tuning about every 7 minutes of playing.

George · Post by **George** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:48 pm

Stuart, not to bash your mandolin playing but what plectrums are you using? I had massive tuning problems until I started using light ones.

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:09 pm

Mandolin is my main instrument now.

Don't bother with a cheapo one, you'll regret it in a few months. Make sure you get a solid top with good tuning keys, I have a tanglewood that's quite nice but I'm saving for an all solid wood, Monroe F-5 style.

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 10:11 pm

also all banjos sound like crap until you know how to play them. Banjo players also love picking their banjo while everyone else in the session is trying to tune.
Fuck banjo players

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 11:19 pm

I haven't found anything about ozark banjos or mandolins. Banjo.com is based in atlanta and apparently they have a store where you can go try out their stuff. They have a liberty banjo on their site but it looks like it's a pretty basic entry level one, and I haven't heard as much about them, so I'm kind of inclined to go for the epiphone still because it's in the same price range.

Deaddonkey, have you ever played one of these Fender banjos? Reviews say that they hold tune really well, especially compared to all the other entry level mandolins in that price range. Honestly, the mandolin would probably just be for me to have something fun to learn and play around on, if it becomes something that I really enjoy enough to invest in a really good quality one, then I'll do that down the line. But for right now $80 to $150 seems like a great price range if I can find one that will stay in tune and sound good. The used Fender for only $80 doesn't sound like a bad idea to me given the good reviews for it. I figure at that price I could turn around and get most of my money back if I decide to upgrade.

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:43 am

The fender one is gonna be a pretty standard entry level mando, I've not played that one but plenty at that price point, they're quite tinny and a bitch to keep in tune, it's like night and day once you play something just a bit nicer. You might be able to deal with the tinnyness if you can get one that stays in tune, but remember, you have 8 strings to deal with and if one slips out it's worse than on a guitar, cos of the dissonance with its paired string as well as the other 3 pairs, it creates a nasty wave in/out sound.

I'm just sayin' because I've made the mistake of buying a cheap mando, and for the hours I spent trying to tune the damn thing, I could have been practicing.

edit: for 150 bucks you could get something pretty fucking decent second hand I reckon.

is my true love and gigging instrument.

Stuart · Post by **Stuart** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:45 am

George wrote:Stuart, not to bash your mandolin playing but what plectrums are you using? I had massive tuning problems until I started using light ones.

I tend to use my fingers on all types of instruments. Which I 'spose will range from hard to soft depending on which part of my finger, I did go through a phase of using felt plectrums which aren't really designed for mandos but sound cool for certain stuff. I mean it might well be my playing is partly to blame but the instrument definitely isn't helping.

That tanglewood looks nice, I don't really have a venue for mandolin anymore/at the moment but a properly nice mandolin is always very tempting they just sound so good...I all ways remember seeing a TV show in which the bassist from Blur is showing off his house, in his studio he picks up a mandolin and strums it a bit and says something 'it's unbelievable that Sting can pick one of these up and makes such shit albums'..which is true.

Oh turns out Ozark are a British company and smallish I think.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 3:49 am

Yea I might keep my eye out for a little bit better mandolin, but I think I'm going to at least go check out the Fender to see if I like it this week. If it sounds alright to me, I'll probably just get it.

There's an old 70's Kentucky mandolin on the local craigslist right now, it looks like it's in good condition and the seller wants $195 for it, a very quick google search seems to turn up some results that say they're supposed to be pretty nice. But that's the absolute max I could justify spending on one right now. My girlfriend might be losing/leaving her job this week, so we might have to start conserving money a bit more, so that one might definitely be out of the question either way. I think I could go pick up the fender without getting into trouble though!

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:30 am

The 70s Kentucky Mandolin that matters -

[youtube][/youtube]

The kentucky mandos are pretty good btw

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:24 pm

deadonkey wrote:The 70s Kentucky Mandolin that matters -

[youtube][/youtube]

The kentucky mandos are pretty good btw

The one on the craigslist here is a KM-180s. It sounds like it might be the best bet, but again, it is about $50 more than I was hoping to spend. I still need to go check out that fender this week and see how I like it.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 11:35 pm

I was talking to a friend the other day about how I've always been completely in awe of anyone playing a banjo. I don't think I've ever seen a banjo player hold a tune and not be amazed by their technical prowess.

deadonkey · Post by **deadonkey** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:26 pm

Any news?

Oh, you're in Georgia, you better get an f-style or you'll be laughed off the stage

Hiwatt Bob · Post by **Hiwatt Bob** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:39 pm

do mando's count as short scale?

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:51 am

deadonkey wrote:Any news?

Oh, you're in Georgia, you better get an f-style or you'll be laughed off the stage

Hahaha... the f style mandos seem to be all over the place down here! Most of the used mandolins on craigslist are f-style. I haven't had a chance to go look at anything this week. I've done a bit more research though, and found out that the fender entry level model is all laminate wood, and compared to the Ibanez at the same price point which is all solid wood, doesn't make sense to look at the fender anymore when the ibanez gets just as good of reviews. I've heard some demos of the ibanez and it actually sounds pretty decent too! So that or if I find something else nice in that price range is what I'm looking at right now.

I also researched a bit more on the banjo, and most people seem to say that the epiphone isn't really the best one to start out with unless you want to upgrade very soon after you start progressing in skill on the instrument. So, now I'm thinking about the Recording King RK-R20. It's about $100 more, but the reviews are all great, and it seems to be more of an instrument that I would be able to hold onto as I get better at playing it. I'm probably going to end up financing it on my musician's friend credit card.

My girlfriend did leave her job this week though, so money might be tight so I'm holding off on any purchases for the time being. Maybe with my next paycheck in two weeks, I'll go ahead and finance the banjo.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 1:31 am

So there is actually an exciting update now! The other day I posted on twitter about how much I wanted a banjo, and my aunt saw it and fully supported the idea and sent me $200 that came in the mail today! That plus a $50 american express card that I got for my birthday means I can definitely go get the epiphone banjo now! Or I could get the recording king and just make payments over the next 6 months to make up the extra $100.... either way, I think I'm gonna go to guitar center tomorrow afternoon and play some stuff!

crazydave911 · Post by **crazydave911** » Thu May 05, 2011 2:07 pm

Billy3000 wrote:So there is actually an exciting update now! The other day I posted on twitter about how much I wanted a banjo, and my aunt saw it and fully supported the idea and sent me $200 that came in the mail today! That plus a $50 american express card that I got for my birthday means I can definitely go get the epiphone banjo now! Or I could get the recording king and just make payments over the next 6 months to make up the extra $100.... either way, I think I'm gonna go to guitar center tomorrow afternoon and play some stuff!

Cool!

I have an older Epiphone banjo, an open back long neck, I was lucky to find in a pawn shop for 120$. It is not your modern day Epi however and was a steal at that price. On the other end of the scale, I have a cheapy Rogue mando I got for almost nothing, but it was all solid wood

. I had an old Martin mando for years that had been crushed, so took the tuners & bridge off the Martin and put on the Rogue (the rogue tailpiece was just fine, identical to one Stew Mac sells) and it's a real player. On most cheap mandos the bridge and the tuners are key to keeping it in tune. Now the Kentucky mandos are just really good, you can't go wrong with one.
Good luck on your hunt, and welcome to the " twiddlers and twangers" as my Dad refers to us banjo & mando players

Dave

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Thu May 05, 2011 4:24 pm

I've decided on the banjo I want to get, The Recording King RK-R20. I got Musician's Friend to knock off $60 for a price match, so I'm ordering it this weekend! I already ordered the banjo for dummies book and a strap from amazon too.

I'm going to hold off on the mandolin for now until I have more money to spend on a decent one, or until I find a really good deal on a used one.

rlm2112 · Post by **rlm2112** » Fri May 06, 2011 8:14 am

I just got a 4 string tenor banjo from the 20s or 30s that was my friend's great grandpa's. He sold it to his drummer, who got it setup and dropped and broke it. The back needs glued and clamped, and it should be fine. I payed $50 for it.

Good luck learning to play it!