Short scale banjo tuner8/17/2023 ![]() That wouldn't necessarily put me off if it was a $150 banjo. Their most affordable model, the "Plucky," was haunted by poor user reviews - bad construction, substandard parts, etc. Update for 2018 - When I first published this page, only one manufacture was making mini banjos commercially - GoldTone. But if you use this for your practice banjo, it might take some adjustment to play the same songs, parts, or licks on a banjo with standard fret spacing. But what puts me off is the very short fret spacing - Imagine putting a capo on at the seventh fret of a full-sized banjo and leaving it there all the time. That wouldn't bother me, since - as a folksinger - I grew up playing in the key of C, and I now play my 5-string in D all the time, so I can jump into my "guitar songs" when I have my banjo strapped on. ![]() On the other hand, if you can only play in the key of G, don't bother bringing your "Plucky" to a "Bluegrass jam." Because, depending on how it's tuned, you will need to play in the key of C or D to play along with everyone else. This is fine for backpacking alone, or if you are just as happy transposing every song you know how to play on a full-sized guitar or banjo. Some of these banjos can be made playable, but they are the same size as expensive backless banjos, so don't assume they'll work as well for your eight-year-old as a short-scale banjo or fit any better into an airplane's overhead rack than a $3000 Vega Senator.Ī few instruments, including accomplish a small size the same way the "Baby Taylor" guitar does - by shrinking the whole thing down so far you have to tune it to a different key (It has a 15 7/8" scale). I may still do that, but my quest for a short-scale banjo I could play like a banjo led me to two and a half options worth considering for anyone else in my position.Ī number of brands, such as Rogue, call their least expensive, backless banjos "starter" or "travel" banjos. 009 string and "spiking" it at the 5th fret. So I've been investigating options, including taking the sixth string off a Backpacker, replacing the fifth string with a. But even my "travel banjo" is relatively long, which makes it harder to squeeze into tight places or get onto airplanes. I wish I could take a banjo along for the same reason. There are a number of "short-scale guitar" options, including the "Baby Taylor," Martin "Backpacker," and Washburn "Rover." In fact, I have a Martin Backpacker I like to take on trips where I'll have extensive "downtime." Frankly, I'm getting to the age where I need to be able to practice all my favorite licks just to "keep up" with where I used to be. ("Long-neck" banjos are even longer) But sometimes that length is a problem, like when you're traveling, or backpacking, or when a child or other short-armed person is trying to learn. Short-Scale 5-String Banjo Buyers' Guide - from Riverboat Music(tm)ĥ-String Banjo Buyers' Guide - Shortscale Banjos - from Riverboat Music(tm)ĥ-String banjos traditionally have long necks, 25.5-27" long, with 22 frets.
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