But, having a geared 5th string is always preferable.īanjo's are reasonably easy to modify after purchase. Some brands make geared 5th string tuners. While antique instruments were made with tuning pegs that held the strings in place just by the friction of wood against wood, modern instruments most often have tuners with gears that help keep the strings from sliding wildly out of tune. So, it’s okay if those are in bad shape, as long as the body is undamaged and the neck isn’t warped. When buying a used instrument, it’s important to remember that strings, the head, and the bridge can all be replaced. Bridges, like the rim, are made from hard wood. Heads today are made from mylar, which has a brighter tone, isn’t affected as much by humidity, and isn’t made from a dead animal.īanjos have a floating bridge, meaning that it is not attached to the head, and is held in place by the tension of the strings. Originally, banjo heads were made from animal skin. The banjo, like a drum, has a head stretched across the top of the pot that acts as a sounding board. Top banjo brands also make the neck from maple. Cheaper rims may be made from softer woods or light metals, resulting in poorer sound quality. The best banjos have rims made from multiple layers of maple, plied together. The Rim is the wooden hoop to which all the parts of the pot are attached, and is the most resonant part of the body. When the strings are plucked, they vibrate the bridge, which vibrates the head of the banjo, and then the body of the instrument, creating the audible sound that we hear. The pot is the name of the hoop shaped body of the instrument. However, most of the techniques that create the characteristic “folk banjo” sound rely on the unique tuning system of the 5 string instrument, and these techniques are not achievable on the 6 stringed banjo. In recent years, the 6 string banjo has begun to replace the 4 string banjo in Dixieland bands, due to the ease of transition for jazz guitarists, and the added sound that the 2 extra strings create. The 6 string banjo is tuned and played just like the guitar, but achieves a banjo-like sound due to its membrane drumhead that acts as the soundboard. Although, whether these instruments can be considered banjos at all is a point of contention. The 4 string banjo is strummed with a guitar pick (plectrum), and is a common feature of Dixieland bands because of its bright tone that cuts through the sound of the ensemble. The 4 string banjo, also called Plectrum Banjo, is basically the same instrument as the 5 string banjo but doesn’t have a drone string. The 5 string banjo has a drone string that starts in the middle of the neck, and is tuned higher than the other strings. Most string instruments are tuned from low to high as you move across the neck. 5 string banjos are the most common and are best suited for playing Bluegrass and Folk Music. Traditional banjos have either four or five strings. In this article, we’ll cover what type of banjo is right for your style of music, whether or not you’ll need a resonator, what brands make quality instruments, and what to look for when buying a used banjo. The banjo is an unique instrument that can have a variety of features intended for specific styles of playing.
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