Trying to Find the Right Banjo

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Six String Pickers 51

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For banjo players who like to play 6 string banjo, in a 5+1 setup. All styles welcome.

18 Members, Created 3/24/2014 -

Administrators: Leslie R (owner)

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From Leslie R on 4/10/2014 10:06:39 AM

dI am knew to this but I am making more progress than I ever made with straight 5 string. I have a Gold Tone custom banjo, 14 inch rim, with a 12 string guitar neck. Right now I only have 6 strings. I also have a guitar set up in open D, low string is A. It sounds great and its good to be able to play a guitar.

The Gold tone is still a work in progress, but I have a feeling this is not going to provide what I am looking for. My best sounding 5 string is a Vega Earl Scruggs model. I would like to get a 6 string that has a similar tone. I did purchase a 6 string neck from gold tone, but the heel is far too wide to fit on a stanard 5 string. I may take that neck to my uncles cabinet shop and carve on it until it does fit.

4 Comments
	banjo bill-e says: 6/19/2014 12:23:01 PM Hey Leslie, how about some updates? I have been most curious as to how you are liking your various 5+1s? How did that Gibson GB turn out? Are both of your Goldtones 14"? I was not too sure about that 14" pot when I played their Cello Banjo. Anyway, I'm still pondering and scheming and trying to find a good way into 5+1 land. Any info is most welcome. Bill
	Leslie R says: 6/19/2014 2:51:44 PM Thanks for asking. The 1931 dolled up, fancy, GB1, I purchased has turned out very good. I'm not getting the results out of the G.T. 14 inch 12 string I had hoped for. Not yet anyway. I have a 1927 Gibson pot, purchased from Don Bryant, that had a replica pyramid tone ring. It had a replica RB1 five string neck. I ordered a G.T. finished 6 string neck, and worked about 3 weeks fitting it to that pot. It ain't on perfect, but it plays. The sound is astonishing. Right now, it's my go to instrument. I'm also gonna try a Weymann. I have a style 85 tenor on it's way. I'm gonna send it to GoldTone. They are going to put a 6 string neck on it, and replace the dowel rod with dual coordinator rods. It won't cost a lot of money, as banjos go. I am intrigued with the construction of the Weymann banjos. I am making good progress in terms of getting used to playing it. For myself, 5+1, is much more playable than traditional 5 string. After a bit, there is a certain pattern about the fingerboard, that just simply falls into place. I can actually play a song w/o struggling with it. I'm still picking 3 finger Scruggs style.
	banjo bill-e says: 6/19/2014 5:17:38 PM I switch back and forth between Two Finger Thumb Lead and Clawhammer. The 5+1 makes so much sense that I think you are simply ahead of your time and that much of the banjo world will come around in the next few years. Not the traditionalists of course---Earl didn't need no extra string!---but the concept just works.
	Leslie R says: 6/19/2014 5:38:16 PM I need to learn some clawhammer. Bill, why don't you tell us where you are with this.
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