Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: ThreeSheds
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 10:46 AM

"radiates a happy feeling to all and sundry"
You veritable sunbeam!!

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: GUEST,Handy skip
Date: 19 Oct 07 - 04:48 AM

and there'll be more to come!
Blue skies

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 18 Oct 07 - 07:13 AM

I took my dear lttle Tenor Banjo to its first tune session last night, and sure enough all the old favourite banjo jokes came out from the regulars.... perfect pitch etc.... skips etc.... Bollocks to the lot of them! There is something about a banjo that radiates a happy feeling to all and sundry.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 16 Oct 07 - 06:24 AM

You need to visit Eagle Music, they have a vast amount of banjos which are not listed on the website.

eric

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Tootler
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 06:51 PM

link to Eagle Music Website

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 05:08 PM

Rob Murch plays a 5-string, and he is outstanding in his style. Here's a pic: click.

as mentioned on Mark Bazeley's site,

"Rob plays a Paramount Style F and Clifford Essex Paragon 5-string banjos, and is one of the finest classic fingerstyle banjoists in the country. He's also adapted this style to suit the box playing of Mark and Jason to achieve his own unique sound. As one reviewer commented, 'a banjo is a happy instrument in Rob's hands!'"

There are links to reviews at the bottom of that page.

~ Becky in Tucson
who enjoyed the music in Massachusetts back in '00.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 15 Oct 07 - 04:02 AM

Hola chaps, I got one. Have a look at ths short public information film!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAkviw27Vh8

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 11:39 AM

Fibreskyns are not bad at all, and infinitely preferable to the usual plastic sound. But give the real thing any time, I've used with a proper skin head for 40 years, and though it can give a lot of trouble, it sounds great.
OK, so it's Murch. No wonder I found difficulty looking up Burch on the internet!

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Mark H.
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 10:22 AM

Gold Tone banjos are generally considered to be good value, but
I recommend a visit to Eagle Music, as there's a good choice of other brands and the proprietor is a player.
Fibreskyn heads take the sharp edge off the tone. When I replaced the original head on my Gold Tone 5-string with a Renaissance it sounded much more pleasant, but not as thunky as a Fibreskyn woud have been.
Consult the Banjo Hangout for more opinions.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 10:13 AM

Hobgoblin, Manchester or any other Hobgoblin have excellent musical instruments ................................ and banjos too!

Yes I know, I know I shouldn't have said that. I just couldn't stop myself. I will go and wrestle with my 58 fret framus and will not sin again

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: GUEST,baz parkes
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 09:10 AM

Hi Greg

Your enthusiasm wasn't only limited to "bridge"...it's Murch, not Burch...but they're next but one, B and M I mean....

And his "solo" CD which migt be called Still Frettin' is also pretty damn good

Another interesting listen Paco, is Ray Andrews Cd on Rod Stradlings Musical Traditions label. It's called something like English Banjo(!) and presents yet another style, and quite a different repertoire

Cheers

Baz

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 08:10 AM

Now, I'm not clever enough to make this into a clickie, but this is the address that was showing when I eventually tracked down the recording of Whistling Rufus.It's soundclip 3 on I think the Veteran records website in the bit for their "Moor Music Trio" CD.And, in my humble opinion, it is utterly fabulous. http://www.markbazeley.talktalk.net/MM%20Sound%20Clip%203.MP3

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:58 AM

Now Paco,we never kiss and tell.
Incidentally, a guy with your finger nails and power in your hands should maybe be thinking of a quite different style of banjo for sessions. I am thinking of the stunning playing of Rob Burch, who plays with Moor Music down on Dartmoor, finger picking in the "classic" banjo way on I think a five string, or maybe a CGBD 4-string? Anway, I'm not a clever chap on these computer things, but I know somewhere there is a Myspace where you can hear Moor Music playing Whistling Rufus, and maybe another couple of tunes, featuring Rob Burch's playing. Perhaps a clever person could provide a clickie which would point in that direction. I seriously think that might be a direction you could head in, Paco R.Especially the Whistling Rufus. I first heard that a couple of days ago, and I haven't stopped smiling since. It's sheer virtuosity,but that in the end is a trick, though a clever one: the thing is, it's also REAL MUSIC.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:54 AM

Will do Captain.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:53 AM

PACO,if you are interested infingerpicking,google patek tenor banjo.he tunes dgdg

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:50 AM

Thanks chaps! There is a hell of a lot to look into here so far. I do like the look of the Andy Perkins site. Not found Eagle Music yet.
                  Hello Tim, yes I do remember you from Raggy's do in Whitby. Hail fellow re-met! You obviously heard me play at Whitby so you know my style of playing, (ie with fingernails) which I am hoping to transfer to a banjo.
                  Hello Greg, it's been a LONG time since you were in my bed in Holderness.... erh... perhaps I'll leave that story there...
                               Ted,
                      Banjos, the next path!

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Ernest
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:45 AM

greg,
there actually is a version of "Foggy Mauntain Breakdown" played on tenor banjo on a cd named "Peter`s Banjo Greetings - Hot Stuff Petrol" by Peter "Banjo" Meyer. Not on the mans website, though, which is here:

http://banjomeyer.de/onlineshop/index.php?cat=c2_Peter---Banjo---Meyer.html&XTCsid=6c3f2af69b2e31d01c7adf0c82b91c90

I still prefer the 5-dtring version....

Best
Erenest

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:42 AM

There's a lovely old Vega on sale in the music store in Chester market. Cost you a grand or so, though, I think.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:39 AM

gold tone are in my opinion good value,but I like Vega little wonders.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:18 AM

Eagle Music near Huddersfield has got probably the best selection in the UK.

eric

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:17 AM

In case you are wondering just what a "usidge" is....well I can think of some very plausible definitions, but actually I was trying to type "bridge".Funny, becaue u isnt near b, and s isnt near r. So how did that happen?

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: greg stephens
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:12 AM

Well, first of all, are you ready to be laughed at as you enter the pub, and be forced to hear a string of jokes that might possibly have been funny when you first heard them thirty years ago.Then you have to face being asked for Foggy Mountain Breakdown every night, and explaining that you haven't got enough strings.Then you have to face the hostile faces each side of you at the session, saying "Can you play that a bit quieter".Then you have to explain most nights that Duelling Banjos was in Deliverance, not Southern Comfort.
   Frankly, is it worth it? Probably only if you're some kind of thick-skinned loudmouth from Yorkshire, in which case go for it.
   Just get one that plays in tune at least to the fifth fret, if not all the way to the octave.Banjos are more flexible than guitars in this respect, you can shift the usidge up and down and re-angle it, which can help a lot. And seriously consider removing the plastic head it will come with, and replacing with some non-vegetarian skin. It will sound softer at first, but it will have more depth of tone and much more carrying power, with less tinny volume. Altogether better. You will have problems with it going soft in the winter, but there are ways of dealing with this.A bit of a rub works wonders.

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: mandotim
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:07 AM

Sorry; I should have said that mine is the IT250F model, and it has a 17 fret scale (19 inches or so) not a 17" scale.
Tim

Subject: RE: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: mandotim
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 07:04 AM

Hi Ted! We met at Raggy's lifeboat do this year (I was the mandolin player with the Leek lot). I have a Gold Tone short scale (17") tenor with a Whyte Laydie tone ring ang a resonator. Strung with heavier 'Irish' style strings, and tuned to GDAE. It's more than loud enough for session playing, and has that 'plunky' sound. Good selection of tenor banjos from Andy Perkins here Hope this helps.
Tim

Subject: Tenor banjo -short scale -Uk
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 27 Sep 07 - 06:45 AM

Hola dudes,
          I am after a short scale tenor banjo to play in sessions. My Octave mandolin ain't loud enough, and I find it hard to finger-pick double course strings.
            Where should I start? Makes? Shops? Tips? banjos to avoid? All advice gratefully received.
                            Ted.
                Flamenco, still the true path!