Pickin the banjo

[mt155]

My love of the CW has expand over the years to include period music. That in turn led to bluegrass. My wife and I started naming our own "bucket List" and after filtering out the truly impossible ones, I thought I would take a stab at learning to play the banjo. I started looking on-line for one to purchase and holy John Hartford batman, they are not cheap! I saw one for 62K! Am I just looking in the wrong place? Could anyone out there with any banjo knowledge please point me in the correct direction. I've been told that a good quality "starter" is a Reed Old Time Banjo. What do y'all think? Also who are y'alls favorite CW period bands? Bluegrass?

Thanks a bunch Mike T.

[ole]

Holey moley! 62K for a banjo? Know nothing about the price of a stringed instrument, mt, but you have to be able go get one that's not beat to heck for less than $500.

Of course, you don't want a piece of junk, but you ought to be able to get a starter.

ole

[gary]

I can see a John Shiffer (sp) banjo going for big bucks. Then again, John engraves everything he's got and he's an excellent engraver. Thankfully I'm musically challenged and not inclined to attempt tormenting the cat or waking the gawds.

[Blockaderunner]

From what I have been told, the banjo is a difficult instrument to master. I would love to hear how you get on if you do take it up.

[PINCKNEYUSMCRET]

For a starter I would suggest music store for a used one or pawn shop

Pinckney

[Lilred]

Mike,
You can get a Deering or a Washburn for under a grand and they are great for starting out on. Deering's banjos (like the Goodtime...which should be somehwere around $500.00) are also great for clawhammering.
(which is a classic form of playing the banjo, some clawhammer greats are David "Stringbean" Akeman and Grandpa Jones.)
Good luck with learning to play, it takes many years of pickin to play with fingers blazin, but it is worth it when you do get it right.
My all times favorites are Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.