Hey all,
I'm new here, but have read through some of the forums in the past and have really appreciated the help. I've been looking at buying a banjo for a long time, and finally have the budget to do it. I have $750 to spend, nothing more. I'm happy to buy used or new, as long as I get as good quality of a product as possible. I am a guitarist most of the time, and play and sing modern, open-tuned folk music. I'm not planning on playing bluegrass, and, though I have limited experience with banjos, I find the sound and feel of open back banjos to be more what I'm looking for, plus the lighter body would be great for playing live (I perform often as a guitarist, and would love to start incorporating banjo into my sets as soon as I'm proficient enough to not make a fool of myself).
I originally was thinking of buying a Deering Goodtime, as many people seem to tout it as a phenomenal banjo for a crazy low price, but now that my budget is higher, I'm wondering if there's something else out there than can beat it. I have a friend who plays a Recording King California Deluxe, which sounds excellent. Would this be a good option to look at? I've also been surfing around on Ebay and found a Windsor Whirle for around $800. I didn't know anything about Windsor banjos, but I researched a bit and am very intrigued. Any idea how something like this would compare to a Goodtime or similar banjo?
There aren't many places with banjos in my area, so I've been having trouble finding a place to sit down and play a bunch and see what I like. Your advice is really going to help me to decide on a banjo.
Thanks for your help,
Alex.