Help: Banjitar

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 01:12 PM

I've tried to play a very cheap 6-string banjo that was designed to be tuned like a guitar. It sounded absolutely horrid, even worse than an ordinary (4 or 5 string) banjo. But I hate banjos anyway.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 12:56 PM

We have a cheap six string banjo which Susan got at a house sale for about $100. No brand name. It sounds better than some of the Dearings I've heard. We have put treble E & B strings on the bottom to replace the low E & A. It's still tuned in standard, so it's kind of like a high string guitar. But it sounds more like a banjo, than a bad guitar. It works for what we use it for.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Leadfingers
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 05:21 AM

The name 'Banjitar' fits , as it IS a banjo but tuned like a Guitar .

And they HAVE been around for a while - I believe Johnny St Cyr played a Guitar Tuned Six string banjo with King Olivers band in the early twenties .

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Ole Juul
Date: 25 Mar 12 - 12:31 AM

I'm wondering why the guitar is being referred to in this case, since that instrument has never been defined by the number of strings and is unusually variable. The usual number of strings on a banjo seems to be in a narrower range but although it is often five, I wouldn't refer to a 5 string violin as a biolin or vianjo.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Mar 12 - 11:39 PM

On the third disc of their Legacy album, Dow Watson and David Holt have an interesting (and fun) discussion about whether this instrument should be called a "bantar" or a "gitjo" (Watson prefers "gitjo"). It's worth a listen.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Bsondahl
Date: 24 Jun 01 - 02:15 AM

Since this thread is stalled, I thought I'd tell how the guitar got stepped on. A friend and I were hopping freights from Iowa to Washington, and I had my cheap guitar (a Goya I'd found in the attic of a house I rented) in a gunny sack case I'd made (Johnny b good special). So we were playing frisbee in the boxcar to while away the miles, when a bad throw headed the frisbee out the door. My friend made a jump for it, and got the frisbee, and landed on my guitar. I think it was karma, though I've only a vague Lutheran understanding of karma. I borrowed the same friend's teepee once for about six months and returned it mildewy.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Louie Roy
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:36 PM

Bsondahl,with imagination it is possible to create anything and I believe you were way ahead of everyone else on the creation of the banjitar or whatever you called it Good thinking Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Bsondahl
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 11:34 AM

I made one back in the 70's, inspired by Gary Davis and Sam McGee. I took a cheap six string that had been stepped on, and cut a hole in the front face with a jig saw, large enough to accommodate a banjo head. I bought a banjo head and tailpiece from Elderly instruments, and added wood shims to raise the head up to the correct level. I took care to make sure the bridge would be the correct distance to keep the octaves correct. This is a very primitive way to make an instrument, but it worked. It was good for picking ragtime, very muddy if strummed. Perhaps the higher strings mentioned above would improve that... Brad http://pages.about.com/bsondahl

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: English Jon
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:36 AM

Dennis of Grunty Fen has one.

EJ

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Naemanson
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:23 AM

Last year I saw a Martin banjitar/guitjo at a music shop in Mass. I think they wanted over $1500 for it.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: late 'n short 2
Date: 21 Jun 01 - 10:08 AM

I'm strictly an amateur but I have a Goldtone 500 that suits my purposes just fine. Not real crazy about the clear head but it's clear (the sound that is), loud and certainly attracts a lot of attention. My wife surprised me with it two years ago and she's usually pretty good at finding good deals so you may want to check out Janet Davis

Dan

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: CraigS
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 07:49 PM

Welcome to Hell, here's your banjo

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Louie Roy
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 05:34 PM

Naemanson,I was sure that the Banjitar was not a new instrument but I saw my first oneJune 14 2001 and I will purchase the Gold Tone with the gold band it really captured my imagination Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 02:58 PM

The banjitar/guitjo is not a new instrument but it is fun. I have a Mirthtone which I bought in Maine for $150.00. Deering makes a 6 string and a 12 string. Harvey Reid has released a CD of music played exclusively on the 6 and 12 string banjitar/guitjo.

My advice, if you have the money, is to buy one and play it.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: GUEST,UB Dan
Date: 20 Jun 01 - 09:01 AM

My brother has an old old guitjo thing...we found it sounds sooooooo much better with nashville high tuning. It gets rid of that overpowering bass string problem and sounds even more banjo-esque.

Stolen from another site: Essentially, you use the octave strings of a 12-string set on a six-string guitar. The first two strings of your instrument (high E and B) remain unchanged, and the lower four strings (G through low E) are tuned an octave above standard tuning. SIT Strings (www.sitstrings.com) offers a ready-made set for Nashville tuning (P-1025NT), or you can rob a 12-string set or assemble your own from your music store's single-string bin. The gauges for a medium set would be .012, .016, .010, .014, .020, .030, high to low. All strings are plain, except for the low E, which is wound.

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Louie Roy
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 10:48 PM

Thanks a lot Claymore for your sharing of your experience with the Banjitar and the person who had this instrument at a fiddler jamboree also said the Goldtone which cost $750.00 was the best buy and the best all around instrument Louie Roy

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 07:23 PM

I've played one for about three years now, using a Travis style fingerpicking. The Banjitar is a Goldtone name for their 6 string though you can still pick up the odd Gibson 6 string banjo, or spend real money for a Deering 6 string banjo($1300 for the B-6, $1800 for the D-6). In my opinion, after playing them all, the Goldtone 750 is the best of the lot, the 500 next, then the D-6 Deering, the B-6, then the old jazz era Gibsons

Elderly's will get you the Goldtone GT-500 for around $550, while the GT-750 with fancier wood and a bell bronze rim goes for about $750.

They are actually quite a bit of fun to play and if you can finger pick well, you can provide a real counterpoint to even the best 5 string player, since you can go to a bass line he can't get to. In my group we do John's Waltz to the Miller (also known as the Banjo Waltz) using both with excellent results. On the faster tunes (Blackberry Blossom for example) the 6 string can provide full deep chords that acentuate the 5 string higher end. However, it probably does waltzes the best, in a way no 5 string can.

Stumming it is a complete waste of time as the resonance of the bass strings is overpowering alltogether, so picking is your only real option.

Both of the Goldtone models have a magnetic pick-up which is best slid up inside the pot to a point nearest the fingerboard, and used sparingly, with a front dynamic mike to pick up the high end twang. We did a spoof of Johnny Cash and it fit right in. Good Luck!

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: Louie Roy
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 06:47 PM

Banjitar is the correct name and you can find out more info and the naret dealer in your area with this web
site http--www.nbbd.com-goldtone or go to search and type in goldtone.com Louie

Subject: RE: Help: Banjitar
From: mousethief
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 06:09 PM

I don't know about the new one; there have been such things for some time (Rev. Gary Davis played one); they don't sound right fingerpicked without metal fingertip thingees, so I was never tempted to get one.

I've heard them called 6-string banjos and guitjos but have never heard banjitar; is that a brand name?

Alex

Subject: Banjitar
From: Louie Roy
Date: 19 Jun 01 - 05:57 PM

How many have you seen the new Banjitar.It is a 6 string Guitar on a Banjo Head and is ever loud and it is not cheap starting at around $ 700.00 up to $ 1300.00 Louie R