6-String Banjo Group

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Comment by Will Becker on December 22, 2009 at 5:33pm

Hi Chris,
That Deering 12-string is just awesome. This is the first one I have seen. You are certainly welcome here any time. Sharing our gear is half the fun. The other is playing the thing.
Will

Comment by Chris Bucklen on December 21, 2009 at 8:56pm

Hi all...Thanks for hosting and participating in this group. I currently own a Deering 12-string banjo (so maybe I don't even belong here). It is simply the loudest acoustic instrument I have ever played! Its versatility is very alluring. Obviously it sounds like a Banjo and a Guitar but alternate tunings and creative capo uses make

it sound like a Mandolin and any number of Stringed Instruments. The people at Deering (who are a local San Diego company) are wonderful and have really taken care of my needs concerning this Banjo. Thanks again!

Comment by Will Becker on November 20, 2009 at 9:03pm

Sorry about the last message didn't like brackets on the web address:

banjohangout.org is the website mentioned in the last comment.

Comment by Will Becker on November 20, 2009 at 9:00pm

The is a great website for all kinds of banjo players, even 6-string banjo players. Its discussion group site is full of inspiration throughout as people bring up names of professional entertainers who play the 6-string banjo on a regular basis. Of particular fun is the discussion over which is the "real banjo player", one who plays the 5-string or "banjotar". Someone brought up the 12 string and 8 string banjos. Personally, I think if it has a skin, metal retainers and resonator, its a banjo. Anyway, the discussion is really entertaining as the two sides of the question go back and forth.

Lets here from all of you on the question. Oh, by the way, there are alot of suggestions on this site about various tunings, tips on strings, fingering styles, etc.

Will B.

Comment by Edward Sparks on October 26, 2009 at 5:47pm

Yep...if they are anything, banjos are loud! Mine is a resonator type and it hardly needs amplification in some venues we play! I have an internal mic in it and it pumps acoustically! Edward

Comment by Denny Ryan on October 26, 2009 at 5:06pm

sounds like a lot of Dean 6 string banjo players. You can add me I just bought one a couple weeks ago. Amazed how loud it is. Wife doesen't appreciate it so much though.

Comment by Will Becker on October 23, 2009 at 12:55pm

Hey Ed,

Did you know that there are actually music instruction method books for 6-string banjo for guitar players to ease into playing. Even Chet Atkins wrote some arrangements for the banjo from guitar tunes.

As you get into the 6-string, you will find that people are figuring out how to achieve the traditional 5 and 4-string banjo rolls on a 6-string. Maybe you can share things about this that you find when you figure it out. Also there seems to be alternative tunings for 6-string banjo to keep things interesting.

Regards, Will

Comment by Ed Burns on October 22, 2009 at 7:27pm

Thanks for the invite! Being a 5 string player for many years, I was surprised to find out 6 string banjos have played a promenent roll in music for, I guess, quite a long time. I haven't had any experience with a 6 string, but it may be something to explore. Ed

Comment by Will Becker on October 22, 2009 at 1:47pm

Hi 6-String Banjo Folks,

It is nice to see some current activity on the site. Hopefully, the contributions will stimulate more activity. Thanks Ed for your loyalty. You are really helping some of the players.

Welcome Jim to the site that I started after my purchase of a Dean 6-string banjo to fill the need you saw to add to the activity during jams. The advice about the fifth and sixth string is good Paul. I also found the sixth string a "thud" sounding. It is a given that someone in the instrument community would find a way around these problems.

In general, I''m very pleased with the Dean. Nicely buiilt instrument and quite adequit for an old guitar player who just loves the sound of the banjo. Lots of fun!

Thanks to Andy and Marcy for their contributions. I was impressed with those building their own instruments. Lots of creative people out there.

Marcy had some very interesting information to share. Check her offering at this site out. Wonderful experience she has. Thanks to you Marcy.

Spread the word about our site.

Regards, Will.

Comment by Edward Sparks on October 22, 2009 at 12:13pm

I basically built a six string guitar neck but at the neck/body joint set it up like a banjo...this is not new or unique of course, but not hard to do...I also only built the neck, I used my Washburn custom banjo body...after playing with it a while and experimenting with higher strings on the bass side, I came to like the sound considering I was playing (with metal fingerpicks) guitar on banjo. But in my band I am one of two who use it and I decided that I needed the five string back. i have the neck and will eventually build a new "pot" or buy one that I can put my neck back onto...good thing about the banjo's construction is that the neck comes off and goes on pretty darn easily!

Here is the picture Michael is referring to of the neck I built...I have others (including the bridge I built) on my member page here in the A.G. Community.

Thanks, Edward

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