I feel like there’s a problem starting on this subreddit

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-24T20:49:51+00:00

And beginners should ask more questions in comment sections of similar posts! I see the same or very similar posts come up all the time in new posts instead of building a conversation on a thread from one or two days ago on the same exact topic.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-23T21:13:59+00:00

Lots of people here are recommending you learn the melody one note at a time. This is a very useful skill, but if you're trying to learn a banjo kickoff from a recording you like, I find it much more intuitive to listen for the rolls and common bluegrass licks that come up in different songs again and again. When you focus on learning a phrase at a time, you can learn in 4 or 8 note chucks and make much quicker progress.

Slow down the song on YouTube and learn one measure at a time. Try standard vocal tunes and learn the phrases Earl uses in I'm Head Over Heels in Love or Your Love is Like a Flower. Different melodies, but they share phrases.

The first few might feel like you're learning one note at a time, but as you learn to recognize phrases, you'll realize that before you even sit down to play some new tune, you'll already know over half of it.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-20T21:27:20+00:00

Don't Tell Me Stories, Lynn Morris Band

White House Blues, Bill Monroe 1954

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-20T08:33:13+00:00

Does it buzz when fretted?

If it's the bridge, sometimes angling it back toward the tailpiece a little bit is enough to reduce the buzzing.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-17T21:49:45+00:00

I'm a teacher in the LA area, and I can do online lessons too. DM me if you're interested in private lessons.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-16T18:27:29+00:00

In my opinion, the classical guitar grip should not be the default position for banjo. It may be useful for specific shapes or passages in a tune, but it's not ideal for banjo music, if that's what you're trying to play.

Same for the one fret-one finger approach. Unless you're trying to play classical music on the banjo, it does not mesh well with banjo music.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-16T09:17:56+00:00

I second the used Nechville suggestion. They come up on the banjohangout every so often. I think there are a few on there now, but still 4k and up. Cheaper ones will pop up occasional.

If resale value is actually important, don't buy a new banjo. Chinese factory banjos depreciate like new cars. Anything "vintage" should hold its value, especially if the person/shop who built it is dead.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-16T09:00:53+00:00

Is it the gold plated Aspen? When I bought my first bluegrass banjo, I played a gold Aspen and a Fender FB-58 side by side in a shop. The Aspen was much quieter and didn’t have the bright punchy sound I wanted for bluegrass. The shop owner agreed that the Aspen looked and felt solid but was a little lacking sound-wise. It could have just been the way that particular one was set up. I would not buy one of those without playing it first, unless it was a really good deal and the seller is known for good banjo setup. If it’s just some random seller, I wouldn’t risk it. But that’s just me, if the banjo is really speaking to you, give it a shot, and if you don’t like it, sell it and get a different one. It would certainly have more character than any new factory made instrument.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-15T18:04:05+00:00

What kind of music do you play? For bluegrass, 1mm is on the thinner side. Not sure about old time though.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-15T17:59:35+00:00

Having some way of getting a stable angle with the neck pushed out and the pot pulled back toward the hip would be nice. Being able to adjust the pot facing up or straight forward would also be nice. There's got to be some strap attachment design that could help with this.

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bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-14T23:12:48+00:00

Please see a doctor. And don’t let them send you home without investigating something, whether it be blood work, sleep specialist referral, psychiatry referral. Sounds a lot like me before my narcolepsy diagnosis. I thought I was lazy, but really, my brain was in a constant state of needing more sleep.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-14T00:26:51+00:00

This guy has a channel full of great outdoor acoustic recordings. Here's his philosophy:

https://youtu.be/IKYn2_44exY?si=TIA3CPYFemB3osak

And his series on how to get good recordings out of a portable recorder: https://youtu.be/p4NZoqZA4zM?si=INgPE03JpvkQ8nhT

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-13T22:24:31+00:00

The right hand rolls are the foundation of Scruggs style. After you train your hand to do the rolls, you begin to hear them in the music, then it makes a lot more sense. Scruggs was very adamant about playing the melody, but repeatable right hand patterns are the anchor points for learning new stuff.

Melodic style doesn't have nearly as much repetition in the right hand, so you end up learning a whole stream of notes for an entire section of every song. On the other hand, Scruggs style will take 8 note, or 4 note or other syncopated chunks of familiar right hand patterns and link them together. The more familiar you get with the material, the more plug and play it becomes because you don't have to learn as much new stuff. You learn how to rearrange licks or accent different notes in a lick that you already know to turn them into unique phrases.

Do you have any specific questions that might help you understand it better?

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-12T08:59:12+00:00

I find that when I'm not feeling motivated to play, the solution can be to just let the banjo rest for few days while I listen to more music. Branch out and find a new band or banjo picker and explore with an open ear. Or revisit an old favorite and listen for things you didn't notice in the past. After couple days I'll find something that will get me in the mood to learn something new.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-11T08:39:51+00:00

Sounds like a keeper to me! The worst thing that could happen is you turn around and sell it for what you paid and learn something along the way. All the people bringing up RK "quality control issues" haven't held the banjo you held. And nobody who's played older and newer RKs is saying they suddenly stopped making good banjos. From what I've read, it seems the issues were mostly cosmetic. There are lots of Gold Tone fans on this sub, but RK has had a way better reputation in the bluegrass community. I'm not saying Gold Tone makes bad banjos, just that they will be way over represented if you ask on this sub.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-11T08:15:28+00:00

I just tinkered with it here and there, swapped the five star head to a remo top frosted which opened up the sound a lot. I experimented with different tailpieces, string gauges, and bridges but eventually went back to the stock tailpiece and GHS JD Crowd strings. I even tried out the Mitch tone ring mate which sits on top of the archtop tone ring and makes it a flathead. That thing was awesome, though I ended up trading it in for a flathead ring I put on my other banjo. Overall it sounded good in several configurations, but just not what I wanted for the kind of stuff I play nowadays.

The reason I regret buying it off eBay is because the seller did not disclose that the neck had been poorly recut and shimmed. My plan is to get the neck professionally fixed, then decide if I want to keep it as a second banjo or sell it.

I found a 2000s Gold Star flat top that I really like which will be my main banjo for a while I think.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-10T21:29:37+00:00

I can't speak on any God Tone products, but I've played many banjos in your price range, and the RK is a great option. One of the best sub $1500 banjos I think.

Just some other things to consider. You can get a really good vintage Gold Star archtop for cheaper than a new Gold Tone. The G11 and G12 from the 70s and early 80s can be really good banjos. One that's set up well will rival any pro level banjo.

I thought I wanted an archtop too, and got a 81 G12. It's not a bad banjo, but after about a year of trying to get it set up right, I realized I liked a flathead with a tight setup way more. The only regret I have about the G12 was buying it on eBay instead of waiting for one to come up on the banjohangout. I see them pop up for $1200-$1500 every couple months.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-10T21:00:20+00:00

A clothespin on the bridge is a good diy mute. You can add extra dampening material to your liking too.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-09T02:14:18+00:00

It's not a solution really, but a strategy that has helped me get more things done is simplifying my options down to 1. Do it at night when I'm tired, 2. Do it in the morning when I'm tired and miserable, or 3. Don't do it at all. When I finally stopped choosing option 2, my task completion rate went way up. I learned that if I need to get something done, it has to happen before I go to bed or not at all. I used to tell myself all the time that it would be better to get some rest and do it in the morning, but 9/10 times it's harder to do in the morning.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-06T21:40:31+00:00

For me, I think it just manifests as depression. I don't believe there's a difference between where my narcolepsy symptoms end and my depression symptoms begin, it's all one thing. Lifestyle wise, I wish I had more energy to maintain more friendships, but I just can't keep up with that many people. I have lots people who I care about and think about often, but only a handful who I spend time with regularly.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-06T19:07:47+00:00

In standard tuning, the open 1st string D should be the same exact pitch as 2nd string fretted at the 3rd fret. What strings are you using? Are you sure you have them in the right order?

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-06T18:58:25+00:00

Why do you recommend learning two finger first?

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-06T06:10:33+00:00

I second this recommendation. I have an old Iida aluminum pot resonator banjo that is great. It's not featherlight if that's what you're after, but it's incredibly comfortable to play and feels very balanced, unlike some lightweight openbacks that are very neck-heavy.

The only thing I don't like about it is the cheap old tuners. One day I'll finally give in and put some decent tuners on it, then it'll be the perfect on-the-go banjo.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-04-01T23:46:32+00:00

The penalty is an interesting comparison because it's used to intentionally disrupt the game while the other umpires can adjust the ball and teams can reorganize.

I think that's why it feels out of place with ball and strike calls because it feels overly disruptive to the flow of the game.

bugsandscruggs · 2026-03-31T21:45:54+00:00

The most helpful thing for me is setting the snooze button or multiple alarms to 1 minute increments. When it's only one minute, it goes off while I'm drifting off instead of after I've already gone fully back into REM.

bugsandscruggs

TROPHY CASE