Every piece of musical instrument adds a layer of soothing to your eardrums. And so does a banjo. Discovering the best banjo brands is important even if you are a trained musician or a budding one.
 |
Banjo Ukulele Concert: The best Banjo brand Smooth fretboard Adjustable strap Great elasticity feature High-quality string |
|
Kmise 5 String Resonator Banjo Best quality drumhead Armrest installed Removable back cover Phosphorous bronze string Does not rust easily |
 |
Mulucky 4 String Banjo 4 stringed Various colours available Full-range tone Mid and low-range resonance |
 |
ADM 5 String Banjo 26 inches Easily portable Budget-friendly Anti-corrosion chrome-plated Adjustable truss rod |
 |
5 String Banjo Made with European high-end tiger maple Solid wooden bridge Two ways of tuning 18 consolidation brackets |
 |
Kmise LGPREM 4 String Banjo Premium Aquila quality strings Corrosion resistance 18 copper frets Distinctive sound |
 |
AKLOT Banjo Ukulele Pump sound forward Fine texture maple wood Opened back Deep rim Need not press hard |
Each musical instrument has its way of making you get connected to a song. This article will assist you in making familiar with the best vintage banjo brands, best quality banjo brands, best tenor banjo brands, and best 5-string banjo brands. We have come up with the top 5 best banjo brands, you can choose your favorite among them.
Best Banjo Brands – Buying Guide
Factors to consider before purchasing the best banjo brands
- The number of Strings: Being a stringed musical instrument, it has its varieties with the ranging in the different number of strings. Banjos are available with four strings, five strings, six strings, and even twelve strings.
- The other types: Some banjos differ in the way they look and have minute changes in their construction. To mention a few, Open back banjos, Resonator Equipped Banjos, Tenor banjo, Plectrum Banjos, and Hybrid banjos. As soon as you decide the number of strings, you get into this stage whether to pick a normal one or these unique best banjo brands.
- The wood used to make it: Banjos are mostly made of three types of wood, at the neck and the rim. Maple wood gives a natural brightness to the instrument, mahogany delivers and sweater and warmer tone when played and walnut also varies slightly.
- Resonators or open-back: To put it in simple words, resonator banjos are mostly used for country music and bluegrass. Whereas, the open-back banjos are generally used to play folk music. the sound and the way of playing slightly different which makes it important to consider this factor before purchasing a banjo.
- The material used to make its head: The head of a traditional best banjo brands is made up of goat or calfskin. The synthetic head banjos are resistant to the weather and the prevailing environmental conditions. Stick to a synthetic one if you are a new player.
- New banjo or used: The advantage of a used banjo is that everything is modified and set. Like, altering the string height, changing the head and the bridge, adding or removing resonators, and so on. Buying a new one requires all these actions to be done. Best vintage banjo brands give a cool look, just check the condition of the instrument before purchasing it.
Best Banjo Brands Reviews
Performance:
It is designed by making the concert scale shorter which makes the strings feel a bit stiffer and tighter. This banjo is one of the top 5 best banjo brands.
Description:
Brand: Kmise
Colour: Brown
Top material type: Maple, Walnut, Okoume, Sapele, Ebony
Back material type: Sapele
Number of strings: 4
Comparison:
The Kmise banjolele is very comfortable for beginners as the action 3mm at the 12th fret is present where the players need not press too hard. Most of the brands do not possess it, which makes it quite difficult for a newcomer.
Usage:
It can be played with various methods. You can use it as a traditional resonator style or an open-back style.
Pros:
- The string is of high quality.
- The strap can be adjusted from a length of 45.6” to 66.1”.
- Straps can be attached in metal frames.
Cons:
- Heavyweight.
- Not recommended for children.
What’s new?
As the drum of this banjo is made with polyester, it has a great elasticity feature with a quick response.
Why should you buy it?
It is a better option for especially new learners to buy this product as your first banjo. You can adjust the action of the wrench as required.
Performance:
It produces a high-quality pleasant sound as it has a drumhead of the best quality. It also makes the banjo sound warm and well-balanced.
Description:
Brand: Kmise
Size: Large full size – 38 Inch
Top material type: Okoume, Sapele, Ebony
Back material type: Sapele
Comparison:
It has an installed armrest that is not present in most of the banjos. This armrest provides comfort while playing best banjo brands.
Usage:
You can change tunes by removing the back according to your comfort.
Pros:
- Removable back cover that lets you open and close.
- The strings are made up of phosphorous bronze.
Cons:
- It is heavier than many ukuleles.
- The drum part is very thick.
What’s new:
The semi-opening tuning is constructed in a way it is removable. It does not rust easily and protects the instrument from dust.
Why should you buy it?
The 5 stringed Kmise banjos would be a perfect present that you could gift for music lovers and professionals too. A storage bag, banjo neck strap, polishing cloth, extra strings, and a digital clip-on tuner comes along with this banjo.
Performance:
These 4 stringed banjos are a classic brand that enhances mid and low-range resonance when played. It offers a distinctive sound that can be easily grasped by the players.
Description:
Brand: Mulucky
Colour: BU803
Top material type: Sapele
Back material type: Nylon
Comparison:
When compared with Mulucky 5 string banjo, here, the body is quite small making it good for any age people to play with.
Usage:
It uses standard tuning of G-C-E-A.
Pros:
- Warranty is provided.
- Available in various colors.
Cons:
- Screws are tiny.
What’s new?
Its drumhead is made up of fiber skin that is made by combining 1-ply of 10-mil film laminated to a 3-mil polyspun fiber.
Why should you buy it?
The 23inch banjo uke has a full-range tone that makes a player easily differentiate the notes. It comes along with a tuner, strap, ruler, wrench, cleaning cloth, 3 picks, and 4 spare strings.
Performance:
According to the customer reviews, it is an excellent instrument to play with. It is one of the best 5 string banjo brands.
Description:
Brand: ADM
Size: Tenor Size
Colour: Light brown
Top material type: Maple, Sapele, Mahogany
Back material type: Mahogany, Sapele, Wood
Comparison:
When compared with Banjo Ukulele, ADM 5 String banjo is a better instrument to carry during travel, parties, music classes, etc.
Usage:
Available in the size of 26inch, it is easily portable for you and gives a comfortable feel ensuring full loud sound.
Pros:
- It is Budget-friendly.
- It is anti-corrosion chrome-plated.
Cons:
- Tools like the Allen wrench don’t come with it.
- Only one finger prick is included, not even a thumb prick.
What’s new?
It has a stable top with 12 brackets and a maple bridge. This helps you in loosening or tightening the banjo according to your needs.
Why should you buy it?
The beautiful ADM 5 string banjo delivers a punchy sound. You can adjust the truss rod to make its height meet our different needs. It comes with a bag, tuner, pick-up, extra strings, Allen key, bracket wrench, and a strap.
Performance:
The drum head is made with European high-end tiger maple making it more harmonious, beautiful and stunningly textured. It also makes the instrument sound very bright and clear.
Description:
Brand: AKLOT
Size: 41.34 x 5.91 x 16.93 inches
Top material type: Maple
Back material type: Maple
String material type: Carbon steel
Comparison:
It is made up of a solid wood bridge that is matched with a bull saddle. This construction makes the strings vibrate better than the ones with a metal bridge.
Usage:
The two kinds of tuning tools available make it more flexible for a player to use at any notes.
Pros:
- It is completely made up of maple wood.
- The gears are protected using con-sealed pegs.
- It has a warranty for 2 years.
Cons:
- The drum should be adjusted several times.
What’s new?
There are 18 consolidation brackets around the drum that you can adjust according to your desired sound.
Why should you buy it?
The full maple wood instrument along with its kit meets all your requirements for a new beginner as well as a professional. It is one of the best quality banjo brands. It comes along with 1 string set, a tuner, a couple of tuning wrenches, finger pricks, a strap set, a cleaning cloth, a gig, and a bag.
Performance:
It is of decent quality and plays pretty well. You can play concert, tenor, and baritone with it.
Description:
Brand: Kmise
Colour: Orange Sapele
Top material type: Sapele
Back material type: Sapele
Length: 24.5 x 11.25 x 3.5 inches
Number of strings: 4
Comparison:
Unlike other banjos with metal and bronze-phosphor alloy strings, the Kmise strings are made up of premium Aquila in Italy.
Usage:
It would require you to pull the strings and lower the bridge.
Pros:
- The wood fingerboard ensures corrosion resistance.
- The tuning pegs create accurate intonation.
- It comes along with a bag and a tuner.
Cons:
- Warranty is not mentioned.
- The kit has a smaller number of tools.
What’s new?
The presence of 18 pieces of copper frets gives resistance to abrasion.
Why should you buy it?
It features a distinctive sound of a banjo and a small-scale tuning. You can have the experience of a good sound musical instrument.
Performance:
It allows you to pump the sound forward towards your audiences. This makes it sound bright and highly audible.
Description:
Brand: AKLOT
Colour: Maple
Size: 24.13 x 11.18 x 3.78 inches
Length: 23 inches
Top material type: Maple, Ebony
Back material type: Maple
Comparison:
Brands like Kmise use only less portion of maple wood. Here, the maple wood rings present cover almost every part and are of fine texture and hand-washed.
Usage:
It has an advanced tuner machine that allows you to tune your banjo more accurately and stay with the tune.
Pros:
- The tune is warm like an Appalachian Mountain kind of sound.
- You can customize it by using the two-way truss rod present.
- Has a warranty of 2 years.
Cons:
- Heavy for children to play with.
What’s new?
It is the first banjolele having an opened back and a deep rim.
Why should you buy it?
This is the best banjo brand if you are a beginner as it requires only low action, you need not press hard. It comes with a tuner, a ruler, 5 pricks, a wrench, a gig bag, a banjo strap, and a cleaning cloth.
FAQs
-
Is a 4 stringed banjo better than a 5 stringed one?
The number of strings solely depends on the purpose you use the instrument for. Both are good, you can choose best banjo brands according to your comfort.
-
Can a left-handed person play the same banjo?
It needs some fixing and turning by a professional, it is better to give your instrument to a musical instruments shop for this fixation.
-
What are some best tenor banjo brands?
Rover RB-20T Resonator Tenor Banjo, Deering Goodtime 17-Fret, Trinity River TRTB1, Recording King RKT-05 Dirty Thirties, and Gold Tone AC-4 are some of the best tenor banjos.
Also, check out The 4 Best Banjo Strings if you are in the market for some good strings for your guitar.
If you are looking for songs to play on banjo then do check out our post on Banjo beginner songs
I own a music instruments shop. My go to instrument is a banjo. My business makes it easier for me to access the instruments from various brands and of various types. I will give my honest opinion here to help out others in choosing the right instrument for them.
