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)
After waxing lyrical about the Windsor Popular that I had on loan from Stan Gee, I thought I should give some time to my trusty workhorse the Collins CB5. It feels a bit wooly and unresponsive after playing the Windsor but as a starter instrument it hard to beat. I picked mine up on-line from the I-Muso website http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=AG00019 (see links) and at the time (Jan 08) it was £89.00. I think they are even cheaper now and the deal includes a padded gig bag as well.
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 unseen.I've taken the resonator off as I've been focusing on frailing techniques and it's easy to slip it back on again if I want that harsher bluegrass sound.
It's served me well over the last twelve months 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!
Had the loan of an excellent vintage banjo recently and have taken the opportunity to record back ups for a lot of tunes so that I can practice when I get my old Collins banjo back.
It's a Windsor Popular No2, made in Birmingham UK in the 1930s, and it plays like a dream. It's got a brass covered tone ring 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 and if it's still there later in the year...
So before I take it back I recorded a version of Cripple Creek to finish off my practice tunes.
The neck is now on, but I did make a bit of a balls of it and the last fret has about 10 screw holes in it. Nothing a bit of wood filler won't cure.
