Where to buy a Banjo????

[stagecoach]

Hi,
I have a friend heading to the USA in June for a holiday (Vacation) and is looking to buy a banjo (yes there are some sick people about) while he is there. Just wondering where you would recommend him to go to view and play. I think he is flying into LAX and will spend most of his time in California.

Thanks in advance for any info

[blargfromouterspace]

The Deering Banjo company are located in California. I reckon he could visit the factory and maybe even get one there. They make one called the 'Banjosaurus'. Only $62,469






Yes, I play the Banjo. No I'm not offended at the implication that I'm one of those "sick people"

[sirmyghin]

Don't ever let my Wife see that Blarg, should would practically make me buy it

[jonc]

Since he''ll already be in SoCal have him visit the Brothers in Carlsbad. They have a nice range of banjo's and all sorts of other goodies and will definitely treat him right. Who knows, he may walk out with a G&L too.

http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/banjos.html

[stagecoach]

Just found out he is particularly looking for Gibson banjos, preferably new (in shop)

btw - my Uncle plays a banjo and on his case he got a stick made up which says "Paddle faster, I here Banjo's"

[blargfromouterspace]

Gibson banjos are very nice. Very expensive too for a good one, but that seems to hold for most high end banjo makers.

There is a shop (well a chain of shops) here in Melbourne called Gallins and the guy is the importer/distributer of Gibson instruments in Australia. He often has a couple of banjos. They had an Earl Scruggs sig. model which was a blem, for around $2500, which is a total bargain.

I didn't come across many banjo players when I lived in Perth - who does your uncle play with?

[stagecoach]

He plays with a folk group called "Cobwebs".

I also go to a bluegrass jam once a month and there are a few banjo players there. We also have Ian Simpson who lives over here and plays with Jane Germain (also ex Slim Dusty Guitar Player and Paul Kelly's bluegrass group) and there are a few other groups around with Banjo players

[blargfromouterspace]

I used to see Ian every now and then at Clancy's in Freo with the Sensitive New Age Cowpeople, that's a few years ago now. He can really play!

[stagecoach]

Yes, I did see the SNAC's several time. I was always pleased for there half time break as it gave me time to recover from laughi9ng so much.

I was lucky to be able to play with Ian once with our band. We were asked to do a whole bracket of bluegrass so we asked him to help on the banjo. We normally only do about 4-6 bluegrass songs a night as I also play a bit of mandolin and we have a fiddle player so it goes over very well.

[Boogie Bill]

I would think that there are better choices these days in banjos other than Gibson...Stelling and Deering come to mind. I simply don't know of ANY store in the Pacific Northwest that stock ANY pro-quality banjos; the pickings are really slim. I would have your friend check out Elderly's, Gruhn's, Mandolin Brothers, and perhaps some other places. Once he's here in the States, it might be worth it to him to take the time and effort to travel to Michigan (Elderly's), or Nashville (Gruhn's), or New York (Mando Bros.) to find any kind of stock to choose from. This kinda sounds like a once in a lifetime trip, so he should take advantage of it.

You can collect a lot of info by internet and by phone, but a banjo is an instrument that I would definitely want to play before buying. I know most of the companies have Minimum Advertised Prices (MAP); I know Elderly can often beat the MAP price.

My banjo is a 1975 MIJ Ibanez Artist 5-string resonator. It is blonde birdseye maple, ebony board, chrome hardware, and a lovely hearts and flowers inlay. It was well worth the money I spent for it back in 1975.

Best Wishes,

Bill

[Philby]

My Dad has played banjos since before I was born and is pretty picky about his instruments. Though he has always aspired to own a pre-war Gibson, he chose to spend his hard earned cash on a Stelling. They're lovely instruments (well as lovely as a banjo can be ) and they're still made by hand AFAIK.

Washburn have also made good banjos in the past, but I'm not too sure about their offerings these days.