What style are you going to play? This has everything to do with your choice of instruments. "You get what you pay for" is true here as in most things, so do try to spend as much as it takes to buy the right instrument. "A great deal" isn't always a great deal! Get thee to a music store and play as many different banjos as you can. If you can't yet play, get someone who plays the style you've chosen to play them for you. Look for quality in construction and look for sound. It's a pretty easy thing to correct poor setup on a banjo. Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Chip A.