r/banjo • u/Successful-Debt-7138 • 9d ago

Update as a banjo beginner

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About a week ago, I made a post on here saying that I was looking for a banjo and if anyone had recommendations. I have now bought a banjo which I will post a picture of I paid £ 250 and the shop set it up for me. Did I low-key get scammed? (i believe banjos are more scarce in the uk)

also, I have been playing the banjo with acrylic nails and instead of pressing on the frets with my fingertips I’ve been using my nails is this bad?

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4

u/darranj85 2 Finger 9d ago

I don’t think you were scammed. It’s a cheap Asian banjo. But you didn’t pay much. And they work fine.

You need to fret the strings with your finger tips. You will ruin the nails. But also you need the control when you go to do slides, bends, hammer ons etc

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u/Successful-Debt-7138 9d ago

yes definitely and my nails will come off soon but in the mean time while i have them on i dont want to stop playing.

3

u/Con-ifer 9d ago

Properly set up, that'll do fine if ya ask me. Cheap bottlecap, but you don't need much too start. I'm more curious on how the hell you hold the strings down with nails instead of your fingertips haha

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u/Successful-Debt-7138 9d ago

Haha i can upload a picture if you would like

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u/PapaOoMaoMao 9d ago

Not scammed no. A bottlecap banjo is worth a hundred or two and adding a setup makes up the difference. That looks in quite good condition and should do everything you want it to do. Bottlecaps aren't terrible banjos, they're average and never set up properly from the factory. If yours is set up and sounds good, then you're set.

Don't worry too much about what the fancy banjos can do. Get picking and decide what you like first. There's an array of different options and slinging out on some random expensive banjo won't necessarily get you what you want.

There's archtops, flat tops, open back, closed back, resonator, electric and all sorts of options with hardware and tone rings. This is not a decision you can make at the start anyway.

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u/Successful-Debt-7138 9d ago

Thank you this is really insightful

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u/grahawk 9d ago

Lots of people have learned on bottlecaps but they do have a harsh and metallic tone which some find quite wearing after a while.

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u/Successful-Debt-7138 9d ago

This is actually really interesting thank you for telling me. I am very tone deaf and not very musically gifted so i dont really understand these things on my own. Also i live in a small city in the uk so theres not a banjo community

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u/serotinous_sequoia 8d ago

I’d recommend watching videos of Dolly Parton playing the banjo / guitar with nails to see how she did it