Banjitar sound files

Subject: Banjitar sound files/Champagne charlie guitar chor
From: GUEST,Ian
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:09 PM

Hi All you good folks
Could someone help me with two queries, firstly, I am thinking of purchasing a banjitar (sorry to all the purists) I like the look of the open back vega senator but I can't find a sound file anywhere. If anyone has got one how does it compare to the Deering banjitars. Better still if anyone has a sound file my gratitude would be infinite. Secondly, would anyone have a good guitar chord tab and lyrics for champagne charlie I got the Leon Redbone album for Xmas and would just love to learn it.
Kind regards and huge thanks to all the people who help me every time I post You are the greatest.
Take care and good health to all Ian

Subject: RE: Banjitar sound files
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:27 PM

There is some controversey about Champagne Charlie - I have heard it as a Music Hall song(From Stephen Foster ) but there is supposed to be a Blind Blake version too . The link I gave has a Midi !

Subject: RE: Banjitar sound files
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:30 PM

If you scroll down to Vega Senator which is listed as a "banjo," HERE, there is a sound file. (I don't know about banjitars, so not sure if this is the one you mean.)

Oh, I see, it has six strings. There's a neat sounding one HERE, if you don't mind the singing along. The sound clips button is to the far right just under the last photo.

I'll keep looking.

Subject: LYR: Champaign Charlie?? Blake's version??
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:33 PM

Not sure how accurate these are - found them on another forum posted by someone in Finland:

Leon Redbone (live) version:

I went to see young lady
Ain't been there before
Shoes and stockings in her hand
And her feet all over the floor

Champagne Charlie is my name
Champagne Charlie is my name
Champagne Charlie is my name by golly
And rogueing and stealing is game

I went down to Louisville
ain't been there before
And got kicked in it... by a big fat mule
and ain't going back no more

Went to.... a young lady
I ain't been there before
A big bully, knocked me down
and I ain't going back no more

I got drunk last night
and all the nite(s) before ("or the night before")
ain't drunking, drunk no more'
I ain't gonna...

What ... is to do
What ... daddy done

Leon Redbone studio:

I went to see young lady
I've been there before
Her shoes and stockings in her hand
And her feet all over the floor

Champagne Charlie is my name
Champagne Charlie is my name
Champagne Charlie is my name by golly
And rogueing and stealing is/'tis/this game

I went down to Louisville
I've been there before
And got kicked in up by a big fat mule
and ain't going back no more

I went to see young lady
I've been there before
She put me out of an old big strump
and I ain't going back no more

I got drunk last night
all the nite before
I ain't gonna get drunk no more'
I ain't gonna...

Subject: RE: Banjitar sound files
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:51 PM

Have a laugh HERE. Certainly a "unique" banjitar!

There's a nice video HERE which demonstrates a Gold brand banjitar. And, HERE is a 20 second demo of a Gold. I know that's not the brand you were looking at, but at least you can hear it.:-)

Another fun one...this guy is really charming! CLick. Don't know what kind he is playing, though.

There are quite a few other videos with banjitars. Hope that helps!

Subject: RE: Banjitar sound files
From: Songbob
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 06:15 PM

Are Vega Senators still made? Those were mid-1960s models, and I thought had gone the way of the dodo. If someone offered me one of each make you mentioned, sound-unheard, I'd take the Deering without hesitation.

The Senator models I remember were pretty basic, a simple brass rod atop a 3-ply shell and nothing more, and were not distinguished as to sound, to my memory. Of course, these were 5-strings, and a guitar-banjo might be improved by the basic construction methods, but I'd probably still opt for the Deering, based on the last one of those I played (it was a Boston model guitar-banjo and if I had had the money, I'd have bought it right then).

I have a very basic GoldTone banjo-guitar now, and it "does," but not that well. I think I may see if I can't get a better sound out of it with some tweaks (like a new, thinner head, maybe).

As for recordings of banjo-guitar, google and see what you can find. I'll be more than a little surprised if you can find the Senator in any recording, though.

Of course, I could be wrong. I can be, you know. Why, once I thought I had made a mistake and I hadn't, so I am not perfect.

Bob