For years I only had one banjo, a Vega with the extra long neck (Pete Seeger style). Somehow my life felt incomplete even with all the other instruments around the house. Then I got a chance to buy an old Vega 4 string for $125. It was then I discovered that a person really needs at least two banjo's. The four string is great for Celtic tunes and tunes of the ragtime era. The five string is great for Old Timey music, frailing, drop thumb frailing, clawhammer, melodic style and blue grass picking. My advice would be to get one of each as it takes too long to change necks, strings, especially during a 45 minute set. Better yet would be to have three banjo's with a third being the regular short neck 5 string mainly for blue grass. Well, er... let's see .. possibly a fourth five string banjo would be nice have around especially if you are plan to use modal tunings (you wouldn't have to continually change tunings).

Cap't Bob