Creek Don't Rise :: View topic - Short-Scale Banjos

Creek Don't Rise https://www.creekdontrise.com/forums/

Short-Scale Banjos https://www.creekdontrise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=208	Page 1 of 1

Author:	paulrace [ Sat Oct 17, 2015 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:	Short-Scale Banjos
I've been using a GoodTime base model as my travel banjo for some time, but I've been looking at alternatives that would be even easier to take backpacking or on airplanes. Mostly I looked at backless banjos or banjos that you wouldn't mind leaving the back off of anyway. In that category, there's one clear leader under $800. (And it's closer to $400.) Most of banjos I looked into were "A-Scale" banjos, with 23"-24" scale lengths and nineteen frets. Generally they're about 4" shorter overall than full size banjos. That may not sound like much, but it could be the difference between catching on every overhead branch on the trail and not. Or fitting into an overhead bin or not. One that's even shorter, with a ~19" scale length is worth looking into if you're going to do real backpacking. I'm disappointed that it is made in China and costs more than the American made banjo that beats it out for quality, etc., though. Still, if portability is critical, it's a good honorable mention. I overlooked about a dozen cheaper Chinese models, because I'm familiar with those brands' full-sized and 6-string banjos and not impressed. Also, I was focused on travelability, so I bypassed the high-end A-scale banjos, with tone rings, etc. If you're a short-armed person or a child prodigy, who wants to play a "real" bluegrass banjo, they ARE available in A-scale versions. A summary of what I found is here: http://riverboatmusic.com/banjos/five_s ... parlor.htm

Author:	paulrace [ Sat Oct 17, 2015 9:49 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Short-Scale Banjos
Okay, so I was intrigued by the Gold-Tone CC-Mini, the Chinese-built 5-string with the ~19" scale and 8" head. I thought maybe it would be a good companion for Martin Backpacker. It certainly gets better reviews than the "Plucky," which seems to be a Banjo-Uke with a fifth string. The CC-Mini also seems to have better quality control than the Plucky (always an issue with Chinese-built instruments). Wouldn't it be great if I could find or make a case that would hold both the CC-mini and the Backpacker? That way I wouldn't have to decide between banjo an guitar when I go on trips. (And maybe my Soprano Sax? I'd have the three major "food groups" of my music with me at all times. Okay, that's just silly.) Still I didn't have $400+ laying around, and if I did, I wouldn't spend it on a Chinese travel banjo that was going to spend its life on beaches or in airplane overheads. So I checked around to find a steep discount or a used one. I found one online that the guy wanted too much for IMHO. From the photo it had a resonator, but I thought maybe it was just an older model. So I bid about 30% less than he was selling it for and got it. It arrived Friday, and I was confused that the little thing should come in such a large box. Turns out it wasn't a CC-Mini at all, it is a CC-Traveler, which is an A-scale banjo with a bolt-on resonator. No resonator flange, I'm afraid and guitar-style tuners, but a brass tone ring and TWO coordinating rods. So you COULD Bluegrass seriously on this little beast if you wanted to. Maybe that was why the guy was asking "too much" for it. Ooops. It is relatively fancy-looking in the Gold-Tone midrange vibe. But it is much heavier than my GoodTime. Technically, it's up-scale from the GoodTime Parlor Banjo, Deering's entry-level A-scale. It's certainly more expensive. But weighing that much more, plus having a resonator make the banjo 2" wider sort of reduces the "travelability" I was looking for. A conundrum - I got a better, but a different banjo than I was looking for. Fine, I'll check it out, take it through its paces, figure out what it's good for, and report on the site. And then if I am still convinced that the extra weight and bulk of the thing defeat the purpose of a travel banjo (THEIR name for it, not mine), I'll probably find it a good home. More later.

Author:	paulrace [ Sun Oct 18, 2015 10:01 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Short-Scale Banjos
Still on about the Gold-Tone CC-Traveler banjo I got by accident. I took the back off; it does have a tone ring and two coordinating rods. Head is a little loose, but didn't have time to fix. Started trying to tune it, including setting the bridge where it needs to be for intonation purposes. Felt like it REALLY needed a compensated bridge. Then looking closely, I realized that it HAD a compensated bridge - it was just installed backwards. Action is a little high. No fret buzz, though, so I may have some adjustment room. The neck is about 1mm concave, so when I have time I'll pull the neck back a tad. Unfortunately, the strings are as close at fret 19 as they are at the nut, which means they'll be laying on the fretboard if I pull it back more than a hair's breadth. Oh that's right, the head could stand to be tightened, and that will help a little. After I got the bridge adjusted for correct intonation, it was at a pretty steep angle, with the low D and high G end closest to the tailpiece. On one of my Dean banjos, that's always a sign that the head needs tightened, so that's another sign I need to get out the wrenches. So here's where the amateur sleuth comes in. Did this go on the market because someone bought it mail-order and didn't know how to set it up? The Gold-Tone materials say they set them up in the shop, but this one will need a little more tweaking than a "ready-to-play" banjo should. Yes, I could make the assumption that the thing has got out of adjustment while it was sitting around, but that still doesn't explain the bridge being installed backwards. My guess is that I got a "steal" on this thing because the person who first bought it didn't like the way it played (for several reasons) and never bothered to take it to a good shop to see if they could make it right for him/her. Moral, don't buy a Chinese banjo unless you know how to set it up or know someone who does. That said, it will be a dandy little player with a little tweaking. It has a sweet sound as it is. I'm half tempted to take the resonator off and use it as my travel banjo for a while just to see how it works that way. But it is really in "show-room" condition, and I don't want to bang it up too bad before I sell it, which I probably will. Playing it is like playing my full-length banjos capoed at the second fret. Easy for root position chords, takes a little rethinking when I have to go up the neck. If I had actually ordered this banjo because I wanted this particular subset of features, I'd be delighted with it.

Page 1 of 1	All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group http://phpbb.com/