Banjos

Banjos

With a history as a mainstay musical instrument in the United States, the banjo features in country, bluegrass, folk, and traditional music. You can choose from numerous types and brands to find the perfect instrument to complement your existing inventory and music repertoire.

You may switch to other stringed instruments to expand your playing skills and perform other types of music. Mandolins are picked similar to banjos and have a comparable sound, making them an attractive alternative. Other crossover choices include ukuleles, bass guitars, and violins, referred to as fiddles by bluegrass artists. Add these similarly played instruments to your arsenal to provide richer and fuller sounds for your audiences to enjoy.

Popular with guitarists, the guitar banjo has been around since the late 19th century. If you already play a 6-string guitar, you can switch over easily. To add a unique voice to the overall sound, choose a cello banjo tuned an octave below most banjos. There are other types, such as tenor and plectrum banjos, that introduce additional harmony to the mix of voices.

Sought-after features include closed and open-back instruments. You may prefer the twang that the open-back banjo makes compared to the brighter and louder sound that comes from a closed or resonator instrument. Another important consideration is being able to select left or right-handed models. Moreover, you may prefer playing 5-string banjos because that's the instrument you learned how to play on or switch to 6-string banjos to learn new playing techniques.

Different brands offer wide selections of string numbers, voices, and body styles. Narrow down choices by choosing one in a scale length you prefer, or choose matching or complementing woods for the body and fingerboard. Some people simply prefer buying from a company they are already familiar with or have a history of buying from.