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6 Best Beginner Banjo | Banjo Brands | Banjo Strings

Last Updated 14 September 2023, 09:24 IST

Some people love to listen to banjo music. But, at a stage, they wish that they could play this musical instrument. If you are one such individual dreaming of playing this instrument, you should first buy it. Thankfully, you can find the best beginner banjo in the market.

Yes, the best banjos for beginners are designed mainly to help first-timers like you. But you will find many options under this category. So, it can turn out to be overwhelming to choose the best beginner banjo. Let us throw some light on the best banjos available for beginners here.

Best Beginner Banjo

Our Top Pick: Deering Goodtime 2 5-String Maple Resonator

This is yet another choice as you look to buy the best beginner banjo. With its popular and resonant maple tonewoods, this instrument fuels a balanced note separation. Further, the clear tone it creates will help you infuse chords, rapid runs and melodies with a distinct twang.

Not only this instrument but also all Goodtime 2 series banjos feature a 3-ply wooden resonator. The purpose of this addition is to achieve extra volume. Further, the nickel-planted flange punctuated with soundholes project notes outward. As against the open-backed banjo, this instrument produces a more focused and louder sound. However, it produces a more mellow and darker sound compared to a banjo with a tone ring.

Pros

●    Comes with a durable stain finish

●    Exotic wood bowtie inlays

●    Resonator back

●    Blonde slender rock maple neck

●    Affordable yet quality banjo

●    Clear and resonant responsiveness

●    Quiet coordinator rod

●    Sealed guitar-style tuners ensure strings stay in tune for longer

Cons

●    Does not include a tone ring

Deering travels an additional mile, providing its instruments with patented hardware designs. The brand gives the utmost importance to not only performance but also playability. To ward off grime and humidity, this unit features a sealed-back design.

It encompasses a smile bridge carved out of ebony/maple along with a quiet metal tailpiece. So, the strings stay responsive and smooth. They are free of any buzz as well.

2.  5 String Full Size Banjos Set with Resonator

[https://www.thebanjoguide.com/5-String-Full-Size-Banjos-Set-with-Resonator]

If you are looking for the best beginner banjo, you can go for this instrument with your eyes closed. In addition to great sound, this instrument carries an attractive design as well. The reason is that it uses mahogany wood.

It has an arched back. This factor makes this instrument sound louder. Effective sound reflection is possible in this banjo with a flat back. You can also make it an open banjo by removing the resonator after adjusting string positions.

Pros

●    Pleasing design

●    Comes with all the required accessories

●    Adjustable neck

●    Ideal for beginners

●    Smooth decent touch

●    Made with Mahogany, a durable material

●    You can adjust string height

●    Comes with a Remo drum head

Cons

●    The quality of the pick and strip is not up to the mark

The attractive factor about this best beginner banjo is that it comes with all the essential accessories. You need not have to buy them separately. You will get everything like backup strings, tuning key and adjustable strap as a package.

The small lightweight design makes it easier to carry this banjo, wherever you go.

3. 5 String Full Size Banjo Guitar Kit from ADM

[https://www.thebanjoguide.com/5-String-Full-Size-Banjo-Guitar-Kit-from-ADM]

Again, as you look for the best beginner banjo, you can consider this instrument for its affordable price. Are you concerned about assembling a banjo before you start trying your music? If so, you should choose this instrument. The reason is that it is playable right out of the box without needing any assembly.

At an affordable price, this unit looks great with a 24-bracket fingerboard and mahogany bridge. You can expect to achieve classic banjo tones with this unit. The reason is that it holds tuning well. Added to this feature, it has a geared 5th tuner.

Pros

●    Ready to use out of the box

●    Comes as a set with all required accessories

●    Affordable pricing

●    Made using high-quality tone-woods

●    Excellent construction

●    Comes with free lessons for beginners

●    Produces layered sound with black walnut bridge and fingerboard

●    Comes with a thickened bag for better protection

Cons

●    This instrument might not be suitable for individuals with large fingers

As against many affordable banjos in the market, this instrument has great construction. It has been made using chromium, rosewood and maple.

It comes as a complete package with strings, strap, picks and tuner.  This banjo is ideal for classic tones, bluegrass, folk and country music.

Best 5 String Banjo

Are you particular about buying the best 5 string banjo? If so, you can go for the WL-250 White Ladye Openback Banjo. Here is a review of this instrument:

WL-250 White Ladye Openback Banjo from GoldTone

Do you wish that your banjo music would sound bright and natural? If so, you can choose this product as the best 5 string Banjo. Made out of maple material and bound ebony fingerboard, this instrument will help you make great music.

It produces a plucky yet focused tone. This is the standard among musicians practicing folk and old-time music. For the utmost air chamber volume, this banjo features a very close replica of the classic 3-piece White Ladye tone ring.

Pros

●    The gold -one mystery planetary tuners keep you in tune

●    Better tuning stability

●    Scooped ebony fingerboard for clawhammer musicians

●    Ensures fluid playability with maple neck

●    Extra punch and projection with Whyte Ladye tone ring

●    The head is tightened to perfection with 24 brackets and 11-inch notched tension

●    Creates a traditional tone with a 3-ply maple rim

Cons

●    Beginners might feel it a bit pricey

Among the many clawhammer banjos in the market, this banjo was very exceptional. We found that it is best among its competitors for its classic construction and sound. Also, for beginners, to make it easy to handle, the instrument should be well-made. You can expect this from this banjo.

The best 5string banjofeels rugged yet looks gorgeous. The stylish instrument will surely make others turn their heads towards it when you play this banjo. Even though it costs more for beginners, it is a worthy investment to stay with you for long.

Best 4 String Banjo

If you are particular about buying the best 4 string banjo, we would like to review a banjo here:

AC-4 4-String Banjo from Gold Tone

This best 4 string banjo will let you dive into the world of Celtic music and ragtime jazz. Regardless of whether you are a crossover guitarist, a banjo beginner or simply looking for a fresh sound to experiment with, this banjo will help.

The 11-inch composite rim along with the Remo LC Frosted head produces a woody and warm thump that will let into the world of ragtime. You can also play early 20th-century jazz or Celtic music on this unit.

Pros

●    Hybrid zero glide nut system

●    Highly durable 11-inch composite rim

●    For playing comfort, it comes with a slim Nato neck

●    Dependable covered guitar-style tuners

●    Coordinator rod for easy setup

●    Sleek rosewood fingerboard

●    Heavy-duty composite rim for extreme stability

●    Delivers a round-over-warm-tone

Cons

●    Most buyers feel it to be a bit pricey

Initially, you might feel the zero-glide nut system like a conventional zero fret. This radical system brings together the positives of both zero fret and a standard nut into a single impressive piece of hardware.

The good thing about Zero Glide is that it brings down string contact in the nut. It does it by 93% for the least binding of the utmost tuning stability. Above all, the zero fret in the Zero Glide is straightly embedded into the nut against the fingerboard. It needs no changes for swapping it out with a regular nut.

Now, you know about the best beginner banjo, the best 5 string banjo and the best 4 string banjo. Now, you will be interested in knowing about the brand that produces the best banjo.

The Best Banjo Brands

Many brands claim themselves to be the best banjo brands. Nevertheless, one brand that stands out as it knows what it does is Deering. Among the many banjos that this brand produces, here is the best choice:

Goodtime 5-String Openback Banjo from Deering with Snark Tuner and Gator Case

This 5-string banjo has been made as a lightweight, functional and stunning instrument by Deering. It is one of the best banjos for beginners from this brand. This instrument will help you gain entry into the world of music.

With this unit, you will get a 22-fret rock maple neck with hardwood bow-tie inlays. It has a three-ply high-quality maple rim. The low-profile neck is constructed with playability and comfort in mind. If you are a beginner and yet to get comfortable with banjos, this unit will help you a lot due to its design.

Pros

●    Looks great

●    Lightweight makes it ideal for frequent travelers

●    Comfortable for beginners

●    Mellow tone

●    Blonde slender rock maple neck

●    Standard G Tuning

●    Strung with Deering Light Gauge Banjo strings

●    Comes with a Snark tuner and gator case

Cons

●    Volume is on the lower side a bit.

You will be interested in knowing about the hardware in this instrument. It uses top-notch hardware. The unit comes with a Goodtime-Patented bridge that enhances the overall projection. The setup is pretty easy in this unit as claimed by many users.

Again, the tailpiece in this banjo comes with a Goodtime-patented design. With the height-adjustment possibility, you can gain complete control of the tone when you opt for this banjo. For adjustment, it comes with a coordinator rod. In turn, you can achieve a playability that is close to perfect with this banjo.

To make the best music, not only the best banjo, you should buy the best banjo strings as well. The reason is that when the string cuts off for one reason or another, you will have tochange the string. For this purpose, here is aa review of the best banjo string.

The Best Banjo Strings

BANJ-55 5-String Banjo Strings Ball End from Muscell

The best banjo strings are decided based on the material. In this regard, this set of strings from Muscell is the best choice. To bring the best brightness and warmth, this string has been made with phosphor and plain steel bronze wound.

For the best magnetic response, it uses nickel-plated steel. Both the cover wire and core wire are made of steel. So, you can expect the best magnetic response from this set of strings.

Pros

●    Produces less muddy and brighter tone

●    Hex core strings produce tighter pick attack

●    Helps achieve better clarity

●    Provides tuning stability

●    Ensures high-end clarity and longevity

●    Handmade strings produce a more natural sound

●    Offers set of 3 wrapped sets

●    Less breakage and more sustainability

●    Tighter vibrations

Cons

●    The strings in this set snap easily

The phosphor bronze strings in this product ensures longevity. You can achieve a bright and clear tone when you use these strings in your banjo.

This string is ideal for banjos. It will suit any 5-string banjo instrument. The string has been designed to provide tighter vibrations.

Best Banjo Tuner

Not only the best banjo strings, you need the best banjo tuner as well. Tuners come in different designs with different functionalities. For instance, a clip-on tuner will make tuning easy when you play your banjo.

Clip-on tuners are compact devices. They will have a clear display and a clamp on the back. Also, these tuners come with a built-in sensor that selects the vibrations from your instruments and transfers the same to the tuning circuit.

When you search for the best banjo tuner, you will come across many of them. Here, we will review the best clip-on tuner that will bring the best musical experience to you and your listeners.

FCT-2 Professional Clip-on Tuner from Fender

[https://www.thebanjoguide.com/FCT-2-Professional-Clip-on-Tuner-from-Fender]

This best banjo tuner can be clipped onto your banjo tail with ease. The dual-rotating hinges in this tuner will help easily move it as required. This has been designed as a full-range chromatic tuner.

Most users feel that this is the ideal tuner among the many different options available in the market. This tuner works off a built-in vibration sensor. So, it keeps the outside noise out by functioning off the vibration of your banjo. It comes with a display that is easy to read and it is LCD. It means that you can identify the sweet spot even when you are playing in a dark environment.

Pros

●    Not only for your banjo but also you can use this tuner for other instruments

●    Easy to use

●    Attractive design

●    The dual-hinge design makes it mountable on either side of your instrument

●    Easy-to-read LCD

●    Versatility

●    Comes with a green backlight to help you find a sweet spot even in darkness

●    Comes loaded with a long-lasting CR2032 battery

●    Built-in vibration sensor

Cons

●    Drop C is very low to register

●    The clip is very tight

This best banjo tuner has an unobstructed and convenient design. It ensures that your banjo will always stay in tune even when you are playing on dark stages. It handles even noisy atmospheres with ease due to the built-in vibration sensor.

The display in this tuner comes with an easy-to-read needle. It helps you spot how close to pitch every note is. Once the note is in tune, it automatically moves to the middle of the display.

Now, you have a general idea of the best banjo under different categories. However, you should consider different factors when you intend to buy the best instrument. One such factor is the number of strings in a banjo. You can learn more here:

How Many Strings Does a Banjo Have?

Traditional banjos have either 5 or 4 strings. The former is the best choice for playing folk and bluegrass music. It is the common type as well. Similar to other string instruments, banjos are also tuned from low to high when you move your finger across the neck. In the best 5 string banjo, you will find a drone string. This string begins in the center of the neck. Usually, it is tuned higher as compared to the other strings.

The latter, which is a 4-string banjo, is otherwise called Plectrum Banjo. It looks similar to a 5-string banjo. However, the difference is that it will not have a drone string. This type of banjo is played with a guitar pick.

Even, you might come across banjos with 6 strings. However, most people argue that instruments with 6 strings cannot be considered banjos. A 6-string banjo is tuned and played similarly to a guitar. However, it sounds like a banjo because of its membrane drumhead that functions as the soundboard.

What Is the Best Banjo for The Money?

5 String Full-Size Banjo Guitar Kit from ADM is the best banjo for the money. This best beginner banjo is priced correctly. Many beginners appreciate the affordable pricing it carries. Also, its attractive set of features makes it the best choice.

What Is the Best Banjo for A Beginner?

Among the top three we discussed above the 5 String Full Size Banjos Set with Resonator holds the top position. Even though it is a bit pricier, it has everything that beginners need.

So, are you ready to buy the best banjo? Choose one of the banjos reviewed above. You are sure to get the best musical experience!

This article is part of a featured content programme.
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(Published 14 September 2023, 09:24 IST)

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