Instruments

Collins CB5 Bluegrass Banjo
This was my first banjo. I bought it unseen and untouched. It wasn't quite on a whim as I'd been harbouring a secret wish to play the banjo for a couple of years, but had always found a reason not to. I watched a programme featuring Frank Skinner trying to learn to play, which was part of a series on BBC about learning a musical instrument and this both inspired me and put me off at the same time. I didn't want people to think I'd started to play because of Frank - even though I had to an extent.

I had a £100.00 one Christmas and was tempted to buy Guitar Hero as a load of my mates had got it, and it seemed like good digital fun, but while surfin the net I found that I had enough for a proper instrument, and not long after I was pressing 'submit'. I know that everyone says you should always play any instrument before you buy it, but I hadn't played anything before and music shops can be a bit intimidating if you haven't got a clue what you are doing. Anyway the price fit my budget £100 which meant I could afford a tuner as well, so I bought it. It served me well for a year and it's a great instrument to learn on, also the price means that if you don't take it up you haven't broke the bank.

I managed to stick with it and I was hooked. I'd had a tricky a couple of years before and I found that playing and really practising gave me a sense of calm and took me out of myself. It still does and playing alone, but most of all with other people is one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. It's a lot harder than Guitar Hero, though!

The Collins has moved on to someone else now - but you always remember your first.


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Blue Moon F-hole tenor Ukulele

Once I'd got the fundamentals of the banjo down I started to realise that the skills you learn on one instrument can transfer to others, especially if you combine that with a bit of basic music theory. Once you know why you do what you do with chords and scales etc it becomes easier to work out how you can do those things on others stringed instruments.

 I loved the pear shaped body and the slightly chunkier feel of this tenor ukulele and it means that you don't feel like a giant playing a kiddies instrument. It has a great sound and felt really easy to play. It's size means that it can be restrung as a baritone and its possible to tune it the same way as a banjo.

This became my holiday instrument and it went away with me lots of times. Alas its also moved on too.




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Windsor Popular No2

 This has been my main banjo for almost four years. It's a Windsor Popular No2, made in Birmingham UK in the 1930s, and compared to the Collins it plays like a dream. It's got a brass covered pot and the extra weight means to just sits there waiting to be played. It's got a nice action, and I now realise what people are on about when they say it plays itself. It's come from the stable of Stan Gee www.stangee.co.uk (see links) who has a number of instruments on his website.

I don't know what it is about vintage instruments but I love them. They come with history and a few knocks. This banjo and been re-fretted and restored at some point and the inlays have been changed to make it look like a Windsor Popular No1 - apparently.  They didn't do such a great job though and at some point I'd love to take it to a luthier and get those things put right.

Despite all that, I haven't picked up a more expensive new instrument with anything like the sound or feel that this banjo has. It cost  around £200 and feels more and more like a bargain. The only time I've played a modern instrument that felt comparable it cost best part of a £1,000.00. I continue to play it most days and my wife looks at it with a shade of jealously, often 'joking' that 'I'd leave her for that banjo.'
This is what she sounds like. (the banjo not the wife)




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2010 New Year's resolution - no more instruments! I've gone an added another instrument to the growing collection and Mrs Banjoboy's eyes are rolling on a permanent basis.

The uke got me into playing another instrument, it was easy to pick up and you could frail, pick or strum, which made the transition easier. I could take a lot of what I'd learnt on the banjo straight over to the uke. I also found that music theory lessons meant I could pick up the fundamentals fairly easily, and while I've not pursued the uke quite as hard as the banjo, I can find a scale(eventually) and chord progressions make more sense.

So, why guitar? I love the comparative depth of tones, and flexibility the instrument has, and lets face it, it's been the driving forces of modern music for the last 100 years. So I succumbed to the charms of a Yamaha F310, which at less than £100 is great value, so lets see what happens. I've found the open chord forms easier to pick up than I thought, and finger picking on the banjo and uke has helped get me going.

Next time maybe I should make an instrument! See The Rutherford Banjo page.
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Ashbury AB-65T Tenor Banjo 4 string, maple rim & resonator, rolled brass tone ring, presto style tailpiece.

I've been thinking about getting a tenor banjo for a wee while and this week the banjo lust was too much to resist. So, I bravely soldiered out in the teeth of the storm (not - I live oop north and was only a light breeze for us) with my brother to Hobgoblin Music in Leeds. I'd played a  couple of Ashbury tenors at the Wadebridge shop and was really inpressed with the 45, 55 and 65 range £300-£600. I'd set my sights on a 55 open back which would have set me back £400+ so I was prepared to trade in my Windsor Popular to make a it a bit more digestible for Mrs NBB. I know one had gone on ebay recently for £250.

Carl was disgusted that I would even consider trading in an instrument as its an emotional thing for him. He like to hang on to his babies and he clearly likes an instrument in every room. Not that he's precious, I've never seen so many bin bags arrive at a gig before concealing mandolins, guitars and bass. 

Anyway the guys at hobgoblin where great. Not sniffy or stand-offish in anyway in fact they were very honest and open about their stock, and happy to chat. They were also really up front about the trade-in value they could offer for the Windsor and what you'd have to spend on a new banjo to get the same sound ie £600. I didn't need much encouragement to hang on to it and as they did have any AB-55s in stock I gave the 65T a whirl and loved its sound. Its a resonator model tuned CGDA at the moment, but it just felt right straight away. Brighter than the Goodtimes that they had in and, at £299.00, inside the price I'd planned to spend with the trade-in.

So I've now got a instrument stand that includes a new AB65T alongside the Windsor and Rutherford. The new and strange world of playing with a pick is something that I'm trying to get used to, so I'll post some sound when I'm happier with a bit of plastic between my fingers. Carl managed to come home with a mountain Dulcimer which is a bit like a violin crossed with a canoe - I think I got away lucky.